HOUSTON — A Houston ISD employee reached out to KHOU 11 on Tuesday after receiving a notice about a meeting on Wednesday where they expect to learn about their now-eliminated position.
This comes just days after state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles announced that more than 500 jobs will be cut at the district's central office.
The employee shared an email with KHOU 11 that informed them about the meeting, saying they can have an attorney present at it. If they do, they were told they needed to inform the district as soon as possible.
The person who shared the email with us said they weren't even given 24 hours to try and find representation and that they're anxious about their future.
KHOU 11's Maria Aguilera got a chance to meet with Miles on Tuesday about these meetings and layoffs. He said he's been giving notice about the central office reorganization plan since early June.
“This is not a surprise that we’re gonna reorganize. We've been working on the reorganization. We're doing it as fast as we can in to help the teachers either apply for a different position, transfer to a different department, or find another job elsewhere," Miles said.
When asked about the key dates for people whose positions are being eliminated, he said it's a fluid situation.
“Every department, every section's a little bit different. And so, some people have been noticed right away so that they can apply and that and they've been encouraged to apply for different positions either in the department they're in or in another open position in the, in the headquarters in central," he said.
The president of the Houston Education Association told KHOU 11 some of these meetings have already taken place and that they're in a group setting.
Read the full email the HISD employee provided to KHOU 11:
"Good afternoon,
"You are directed to attend a conference for the record scheduled to take place via Teams on Wednesday, July 12 to discuss the elimination of your current position and subsequent placement in another position within the district.
"You may have a representative of your choosing accompany you to this conference. The purpose of this communication is to give you advanced notice so that you can make any necessary arrangement. If you intend to bring an attorney to represent you at the conference, please let me know as soon as possible. If you do bring an attorney to the meeting without notifying me prior to the meeting, the administration may reschedule the conference for the record.
"Should you fail to appear at this conference or make necessary arrangements with me to reschedule prior to the above-referenced date and time, I will proceed with the appropriate administrative action.
"Feel free to contact your manager if you have any questions.
"Kristen Hole, Chief Academic Officer."