Denial at HISD

Breaking news! The Chair of the Texas Democratic Party announced his resignation this morning, effective next March of 2025. He needs to step down immediately.

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The HISD Superintendent is in big time denial. See this from the Chron:

Houston ISD’s state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said he does not feel that the historic failure of the $4.4 billion school bond is a referendum on his leadership of the state’s largest school district.

Nearly 60% of Harris County voters rejected a school bond Tuesday for the first time in nearly 30 years, after opponents launched a monthslong campaign to express their objections to the state takeover, Miles and the appointed Board of Managers by voting against the largest proposed school bond in state history.

Here is the entire Chron read: HISD superintendent has no plans for change after $4.4B bond failure.

Here is what Charles Kuffner had to say about this:

There’s a companion story about the activists who worked to defeat the referenda that you should read as well. Mike Miles is the reason this vote went as it did, and again I say all this as someone who voted for both propositions. The one thing he has absolutely earned in his time here is that “no trust, no bond” slogan that the opponents successfully used. At every opportunity, he has failed to build consensus and gain support for his actions, many of which are puzzling and alienating to large groups of HISD stakeholders. He F’ed around, he found out. Now he gets to deal with the fallout.

Here is all of Off the Kuff: Mike Miles is disappointed in us | Off the Kuff.

Here is what the Superintendent said in the Houston Landing:

“We’re not going to let the union keep lying without calling them out. They’ve got no ideas. Have you heard one idea from the union? They just want to go back to the status quo. That’s their idea. And we’re not going to do that.”

Here is the Houston Landing article: Mike Miles: HISD bond vote won’t change schools overhaul.

That is silly. It was more than the union who voted down the bonds. 72% of the voters in my home precinct said no to the bonds. Harvard Elementary has gotten a lot of buzz lately over the firing of the principal. The voting precinct where Harvard sits went 73% against the bonds.

Commentary voted for both HISD bond issues. The pro HISD bond forces spent a ton of dough promoting the measures. Folks voted down the bonds because they don’t like the way the superintendent is running HISD. It was a referendum on his leadership. It is that simple. The vote wasn’t even close. The superintendent would be wise to get off his high horse and accept the fact. I don’t know what he thinks he is accomplishing by being in denial. He is acting like a knucklehead. My way or the highway isn’t going to get a future bond issue approved. Oh, well.

The featured photo is a campaign sign supporting the bonds.

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Speaking of my home precinct. We gave President Joe Biden 71% of the vote in 2020. We gave Vice President Kamala Harris 70% of the vote this past Tuesday. We did our part.

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The post-election analysis has begun by the talking heads. Strategy, messaging, you get the picture. The majority of the America’s voters are ok with letting a convicted felon and adjudicated sexual assaulter reside at 1600 Pennsylvania. There is not much to analyze after that.

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Nothing to report from The Yard this morning.