A state-appointed listening to examiner has really useful that Houston ISD reinstate longtime educator and academics union chief Michelle Williams, concluding that the district did not show the allegations it used to justify her firing.
The advice marks the second time an impartial examiner has sided with Williams, president of the Houston Training Affiliation (HEA), after HISD tried to terminate her employment in 2024. The primary listening to examiner’s account resulted in her placement at Benbrook Elementary Faculty from her former faculty, Shadowbriar Elementary Faculty.
The ultimate choice now rests with Houston ISD’s state-appointed Board of Managers.
In a written advice following a two-day listening to in February, impartial listening to examiner Jacquelyn Coleman concluded that the district didn’t set up “good trigger” for terminating Williams’ contract and really useful that she be reinstated as a classroom trainer at Benbrook Elementary Faculty.
My legal professional acquired my advice from the Unbiased Listening to Examiner in the present day.She discovered that HISD didn’t meet it is burden to terminate my educating contract.I need to that everybody for his or her help. This not solely a win for me however a win for the HISD college students and academics. pic.twitter.com/ONf7OFSyLx
— Michelle Williams (@hea_president) February 27, 2026
Williams, a 26-year educator and longtime advocate for academics, stated she believes the ruling validates her efforts to prioritize college students and adjust to state legislation.
“I’m happy that the impartial listening to examiner has really useful that I be reinstated as a trainer in Houston ISD,” Williams stated in a press release. “I used to be wrongly terminated by a non‐elected board of managers for placing the wants and schooling of my college students over arbitrary district guidelines that, I imagine, violate state legal guidelines and Texas educators’ code of ethics.”
Whereas the listening to examiner’s advice carries important weight, the ultimate choice now rests with HISD’s Board of Managers, which was appointed by the state following the Texas Training Company’s takeover of the college district.
The board will assessment the findings and decide whether or not to just accept or reject the advice.
If the board adopts the examiner’s ruling, Williams would return to her classroom at Benbrook Elementary.
If it doesn’t, Williams shall be terminated.
A protracted-running dispute
The case stems from HISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ October 2025 advice to terminate Williams’ contract.
The Board of Managers accepted the proposal and notified Williams shortly afterward, prompting her to enchantment to the Texas Training Company for an impartial listening to.
Williams was educating third-grade science and studying at Benbrook Elementary Faculty on the time. The campus had been designated an “NES-aligned” faculty below HISD’s New Training System tutorial framework launched through the state takeover of the district.
The NES mannequin emphasizes timed instruction and testing to speed up scholar studying on campuses with low tutorial efficiency.
Williams, nonetheless, raised considerations in regards to the mannequin’s pacing necessities, arguing that they may battle with state legal guidelines defending particular schooling college students, emergent bilingual college students, and gifted learners.
Based on the listening to examiner’s findings, Williams emailed faculty directors in August 2025, expressing considerations that academics is perhaps penalized for adjusting instruction to adjust to authorized necessities for these college students.
In a letter, Miles stated Williams needs to be fired due to her “refusal, verbally and in writing, to observe the HISD curriculum and the NES tutorial mannequin.”
The examiner discovered that Williams didn’t refuse to observe the district’s curriculum or tutorial mannequin in these communications.
“Miles is behind this, and I’ve already filed after my listening to concluded with TEA in opposition to him and all of the violations, federal and state violations, grievance violations…they’ve damaged so many legal guidelines,” Williams informed the Defender. “I don’t know why he [Miles] appears like he’s the authority on Texas public schooling, however now we have legal guidelines and…the impartial listening to examiner made that abundantly clear that the legislation is above Mike Miles.”
Proof examined through the listening to
Throughout the listening to, HISD argued that Williams did not observe directives associated to the NES curriculum and the district’s tutorial expectations.
However Coleman discovered that the district’s proof didn’t help these claims.
For instance, one allegation concerned Williams educating a lesson someday behind the district’s pacing schedule after lacking the primary day of faculty resulting from jury obligation. Williams testified she delayed the lesson as a result of she didn’t desire a substitute to show new materials to her college students.
Different considerations documented by the college principal included situations the place Williams was briefly seated throughout instruction or adjusting classroom supplies.
Nonetheless, the examiner discovered no proof that these points have been repeated or amounted to insubordination.
“The District offered no proof that both of those two considerations was repeated,” the advice states.
The examiner additionally decided that Williams had carried out the district’s curriculum “to the extent potential, whereas remaining in compliance with legislation.”
As well as, the listening to report confirmed that Williams had requested a switch from the campus resulting from considerations in regards to the tutorial mannequin, however was not reassigned.
One other criticism HISD had was that Williams left campus on Aug. 27 with out informing anybody. The examiner stated there was no proof of that, or Williams made “feedback that weren’t respectful, courteous, or skilled. The proof confirmed she was respectful, courteous, {and professional}.”
The varsity’s principal, Edward Heard, additionally testified that Williams was “very, very civil.” Furthermore, the examiner said, “he’s [Heard] by no means had any interactions with Ms. Williams that he would say have been hostile in any method.”
What occurs subsequent
Williams has served as president of the Houston Training Affiliation since 2019 and represents roughly 200 union members throughout the district.
Williams’ legal professional, Giana Ortiz, stated the ruling sends a message that academics have to be allowed to advocate for college students with disabilities and bilingual college students with out worry of retaliation. Ortiz added that the advice is a “victory” for Williams and in addition for “each trainer in HISD who has felt pressured to prioritize inflexible curriculum timelines over the wants of particular populations.”
pic.twitter.com/IEUld9xaC6
— Michelle Williams (@hea_president) March 6, 2026
