Roughly 200 parents and students started their day protesting in front of Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School, one of many Houston ISD campuses sent into turmoil last week with news that their principal was asked to resign.

"Everything going on in the district right now is absolutely ridiculous," said Karina Gates, a Meyerland alum. "I don't even understand. How do you fire the Principal of the Year from last year? I don't get it. It's just politics. And they're screwing with our kids and their futures, and no, no that's not going to happen."

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Gates and Leslie Santamaria wanted their rising sixth graders, attending nearby S.C. Red Elementary, to attend Meyerland PVA because of the magnet school principal's "fantastic reputation," Santamaria said.

But Principal Auden Sarabia was among several principals asked to resign or face a termination that he must appeal to HISD's Board of Managers, parents said. Gates and Santamaria said their children at Red started the academic year with a new principal and are under different leadership after that principal's January resignation. They could not weigh in on the selection processes for both principals after asking to do so, they said.

Protesters outside the school held signs blasting state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles and calling for the protection of principals and teachers. The district has not disclosed how many principals have been targeted for alleged low performance. 

The district also hasn't disclosed the breakdown of employees being let go as part of a $450 million funding gap.

The district's Board of Managers unanimously approved measures Thursday to allow the district to cut dozens of staff and teaching positions, including librarians; counselors; principals; and reading, math and science teachers. Miles said earlier that day teachers and principals received notices based on performance metrics, including instruction and achievement data, but that those cuts were unrelated to the "reduction in force."

HISD said in a Monday statement that its decisions regarding principals do not relate to its budget.

"All contract non-renewals for principals are unrelated to HISD’s overall budget challenges," the spokesperson wrote. "Instead, these contract decisions are being made – again – with the goal of ensuring every student receives high-quality instruction, every day. In some cases, we hope principals who do not retain their current position for next school year will apply for assistant principal or other roles within HISD that will help the educator grow their instructional leadership."

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Parent and protest co-organizer Rochelle Cabe noted Sarabia, as well as Neff Elementary School Principal Amanda Wingard who confirmed on Facebook the district asked her to resign, were Principals of the Year in 2023.

"I guess the district believes that in just the period of one year, these people who had years upon years of stellar performance within their careers, have gone from being the best in their organization to fireable," Cabe said. "And I can't believe that's the case. That's insane." 

Parents at Browning Elementary School and Crockett Elementary School also protested Monday after the district announced Friday their principals will not return next school year.

Crockett Elementary School, Browning Elementary School and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men received written notices announcing principal departures.

The principal of Frank Black Middle School also announced leaving relatively recently in an April 25 letter, parent Heather Winter said. The Houston Chronicle is still seeking to confirm principal departures, as several principals appear to have resigned prior to this round of terminations.

Teachers asked to resign

The district also gave an unknown number of teachers notices to attend what the district calls Conferences for the Record.

Houston Federation of Teachers President Jackie Anderson said that the union, with more than 6,000 members, recommends teachers find out whether they are being asked to leave due to a "reduction in force" tied to the budget or to performance. Teachers called to these meetings either have the option to resign or appeal their termination in what Anderson understood to be a lengthy process.

"Employees who are not eligible to continue working in the NES (New Education System) but meet the requirements for non-NES positions in HISD are encouraged to apply for those available roles," HISD's spokesperson wrote.

Briargrove Elementary School parents are organizing a districtwide protest Saturday morning by City Hall after the HISD asked some of their teachers to resign, Briargrove parent Tracie Tate said. Parents keep count of affected teachers by word of mouth, Tate said, and the district hasn't sent any written communication on teacher departures.

'HEARTBROKEN': HISD principal departures send families reeling

She said her son's second grade teacher was asked to resign. The teacher is planning to appeal the decision. Tate's son, who is on the autism spectrum and has dyslexia, has gone from struggling with reading at the beginning of the year to finishing the Harry Potter series on his own, Tate said.

"She really takes a special interest in each one of her students and fosters their love of learning and reading," Tate said. "She's just been such a wonderful influence on him."

HISD said cutting teacher positions was not related to the budget. Principals used data to determine which teachers are eligible to continue working in the NES and will be retained in their current positions based on the school’s projected enrollment, HISD administration said.

"In our non-NES schools, most decisions to retain or release a teacher are made by the principal and are based on data and classroom evaluation," a spokesperson wrote. "Campuses that saw enrollment declines may have had to adjust their staffing for next school year, but – again – teaching positions were not cut in the HISD budget." 

Call for transparency

The district's letters to Crockett and Browning families did not say why principals were leaving before moving on to the subject of finding a new one. "Conference for the Record" letters to teachers did not indicate specifics about the meeting, Anderson said.

Describing the job loss as "deeply troubling," Houston Council Member Edward Pollard called on the district "to provide immediate, transparent answers" in a Saturday statement.

PRINCIPAL TRACKER: Schools with leadership turnover since Mike Miles became superintendent

"These layoffs raise serious questions about the decision-making process within HISD," Pollard said. "Why were these employees not given any prior notice? On what basis were the decisions made about who would lose their jobs? Such actions not only disrupt lives but also shake the very foundation of trust that should exist between a school district and its community."

HISD administration said it will use surveys, community meetings and summer meetings with incoming principals in its principal hiring process.

"The district understands that leadership transitions are disruptive for the impacted school communities, and that the principal is often the most visible and accessible person on a campus," the administration wrote. "Division leaders will work with every impacted campus to identify each community’s priorities for their next school leader."

Derek Fincham, father of a Crockett Elementary School kindergartner, called the district's letter "Orwellian in language."

"The email that we got as a parent had no justification, no cause, no warning," Fincham said. "The kind of the cruel thing about it to me— I think it's a terrible decision— but I also think to drop that on a Friday during Teacher Appreciation Week, the Friday before Mother's Day, is just awful honestly."