After Spectrum News reported that millions of dollars had been sent from Texas charter schools founded by Mike Miles to Colorado charter schools in the same chain, parents and students demanded Miles’ resignation as superintendent of Houston Independent School Disttrict. Elected officials have called for an investigation but recognize that neither the State Commissioner (Mike Morath) nor Governor Abbott are likely to criticize Miles, whom they appointed.
HOUSTON — U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia formally requested that the U.S. Department of Education investigate the issues at Houston ISD and the financing of schools in the area, according to a letter obtained by KHOU 11 News.
In the letter dated May 15, the Congresswoman refers to recent news stories that reported Ector ISD near Midland, Texas allegedly sent state funds from Texas to Third Future Schools, a charter school operated in Colorado. She requested that an audit be conducted on Ector ISD.
A Spectrum News Texas report highlighted a pair of million-dollar-plus checks allegedly sent from Third Future Schools in Texas to its campuses in Colorado. The report accused Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Milesof sending Texas tax dollars out of state.
Miles has issued a statement responding to the report, saying the report “either intentionally or through gross incompetence, mischaracterized commonplace financial arrangements between charter schools and the charter management organizations that support them.”
Garcia expressed concerns over the financial stability of HISD following last year’s takeover by the state of Texas. This comes after widespread layoffs were announced leading to protests from those affected and HISD families.
RELATED: More Houston ISD parents protest over principals reportedly being forced out
RELATED: She was principal of the year in 2023. A year later, she said HISD forced her to resign
Texas Education Commissioner Mick Morath has confirmed that the TEA complaints team will look into allegations against Miles.
The congresswoman also requested the issuance of federal funds by the state from the pandemic that were to be used to supplement public education at HISD be audited.
“It pains me that my home school district has been taken over and is seemingly being intentionally run into the ground and (I) request any additional assistance you can provide to protect our schools and our students,” Garcia said in the letter.
Garcia went on to claim that the state is punishing HISD.
“Houston is a vibrant and diverse community, and our state government is punishing us for that; we need your help,” she said in the letter.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I just read this letter to the editor in the Philadelphia Inquirer. It may be something your readers with an interest in Charter Schools would be interested in. Bruce Katz, Ed.D.
My Letters to the Editor, For The Inquirer Published May 16, 2024, 4:30 a.m. ET
Accountability for performance A recent editorial (https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/philadelphia-school-board-joyce-wilkerson-council-mayor-vote-20240505.html) focused primarily on the struggle between Mayor Cherelle L. Parker (https://www.inquirer.com/topic/cherelle-parker)and City Council over Joyce Wilkerson’s appointment to the Board of Education.
But a different question jumps out at me. Why are the CEO and principal of the 641 K-8 students at the Global Leadership Charter School receiving almost a million dollars a year in salary and benefits combined? According to the editorial, Naomi Johnson Booker alone is receiving compensation of over $475,000, which is 40% more than the district superintendent’s salary of $340,000. And the principal is being paid more than the highest-paid district principals.
And yet, just 11% of Global Leadership (https://schoolprofiles.philasd.org/glacs/overview)’s third-grade students were proficient in reading and only 1% of all grades in math in 2021-22, representing a 12-point decline and a 10-point decline, respectively. Why are its leaders being rewarded so richly for such poor student performance?
So many of us education advocates have been trying to draw attention to the problem of charter school administrators in Philadelphia drawing inordinate levels of resources away from public school needs. We must address this issue. Perhaps the fact that the Board of Education once again denied Global Leadership’s request (https://www.inquirer.com/education/global-leadership-charter-high-school-denial-school-board-sick-days-palestine-20240301.html) to open a high school, based on academic and operational concerns, is a sign that the bright light of truth is finally shining on the well-paid leaders of charter schools and their lack of academic success. Let’s hope that enlightenment continues.
Deanna Burney , Philadelphia
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Thank you, Bruce.
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Oh, it’s OK. It went to the CMO. That’s what these charter school grifters always say.
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I love this: Miles said sending millions of tax dollars out of state was an example of “commonplace financial arrangements between charter schools and… charter management organizations,” admitting, while hastily trying to defend himself, that his was a serial crime and that he is far from being the only offender.
It is past time for the federal government to stop giving away federal tax dollars to charter management organizations by ending the slush fund called the Charter Schools Program (CSP).
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Totally agree
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LCT,
Yes! The federal Charter Schools Program —$400 million a year to open new charters—is a payoff to the charter lobby.
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In Tennessee, Memphis and Nashville are under constant attack from a red-state mafia led by a governor hostile to the intentions of the city which supported his opponent and the opposing party. The Republicans use the ring of suburbs and their hyper conservative populations to dominate politically all aspects of these cities. It would seem Houston has the same problem.
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Oh, the money that you sent me to buy the used bicycle I advertised on Facebook? Sorry, that money is not available to purchase the bicycle with. I sent it to my Bob’s Finances Management Organization. This is standard operating procedure in the Bob’s Finances industry.
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It’s astonishing how many people don’t seem to understand how the Bob’s Finances industry works. This is nothing exceptional. It’s routine. OK. Case closed.
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Yes, yes, yes. I know. The Bob’s Finances Management Organization, or BFMO, aka the BSMO, operates in Cancun. But it provides management services to Bob in the United States. This was simply a payment for those services.
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What the BFMO, aka the BS MO, does with that money is its business. I am just a consultant to the BS MO. However, at some point, it will need to pay my consulting fees.
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The BS MO is administered by Merryweather Tantramoksha, spiritual wife of Enlightened Master Bob, emissary in this realm to Omnitheists International. If you have a unique god you would like us to spend some time worshipping, in addition to Mammon, please leave a comment.
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