Emails Reveal Houston ISD Superintendent Brokered Charter School Deal Using District Resources
HOUSTON — Newly released emails indicate that Houston Independent School District (HISD) Superintendent Mike Miles played a central role in arranging a contract worth nearly $1 million between a Texas charter school network and a private consulting firm. The correspondence reveals that Miles facilitated the partnership to implement elements of HISD’s educational model at struggling charter campuses, a package that included free access to curriculum developed by the public school district.
The Deal and the Players
According to records obtained by the Houston Chronicle, Miles connected International Leadership of Texas (ILTexas), a charter network, with Education Partners, a Colorado-based consulting firm. The resulting deal, valued at approximately $950,000, was designed to help ILTexas replicate HISD’s “New Education System” (NES) reform model.
The emails show Miles acted as an intermediary during negotiations, using his private Gmail account to send proposals and flag cost adjustments. The proposal suggested that Education Partners was uniquely positioned to implement the NES strategies Miles has championed in Houston since his state-appointed tenure began.
A key point of scrutiny regarding the arrangement is the connection between the entities. Education Partners is led by Dwight Jones, who currently serves as the corporate board president of Third Future Schools—the charter network Mike Miles founded and led before taking over HISD.
Public Resources for Private Implementation
The agreement reportedly provided the charter network with free access to HISD’s English and math curriculums. These materials were developed in-house by HISD staff, a process involving significant investment of district taxpayer funds and personnel. In addition to the materials, the arrangement included training sessions conducted by Miles himself.
In the correspondence, Miles and the consultants suggested that while the consulting fees were substantial, they were necessary for the “enormous lift” of turning around the struggling schools.
Objections and Ethical Concerns
The revelation has drawn sharp criticism from ethics experts and public education advocates who question the propriety of a sitting superintendent leveraging public district resources to facilitate a private business transaction.
Critics argue that “giving away” proprietary curriculum developed with Houston tax dollars to benefit a separate charter network—and a consulting firm with ties to Miles’ former business associates—raises significant conflict of interest concerns. There are questions regarding whether proper protocols were followed to authorize the sharing of district intellectual property for use by an outside entity.
District Response and Defense
Both HISD and the parties involved in the contract maintain that Miles received no financial compensation for his role in the negotiations or the training.
In a statement responding to the inquiries, an HISD spokesperson defended the arrangement, asserting that the NES curriculum “delivers proven results” but requires specific structural support to be effective. The district stated that Miles, acting as a public servant committed to student achievement, connected ILTexas with the only consulting firm he believed deeply understood the NES approach. The district maintains that the goal was to ensure more students had access to quality education, regardless of the school system.
Background
Mike Miles was appointed Superintendent of HISD by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in June 2023 following a state takeover of the district, largely predicated on academic underperformance at specific campuses. His tenure has been marked by the rapid implementation of the NES model, which standardizes curriculum, centralizes lesson planning, and alters staffing models.
Before arriving in Houston, Miles served as the CEO of Third Future Schools, a charter network he founded after leaving the superintendency of Dallas ISD. His previous financial management at Third Future Schools was the subject of a TEA investigation in 2024, which ultimately cleared him of violating state laws regarding the diversion of funds.
