Houston ISD
Michelle Williams, a Houston ISD teacher and the leader of the Houston Education Association, speaks at a school board meeting in August 2025.
Michelle Williams, a third-grade teacher at Benbrook Elementary and the leader of a Houston ISD teachers union, said she was removed from her classroom Thursday and placed on “home duty” with pay effective immediately.
It’s the latest disciplinary action the district has taken against Williams, a vocal critic of HISD’s state-appointed leadership who was previously removed from her classroom before being reinstated.
This week’s letter of reassignment, which Williams provided to Houston Public Media, alleges she failed to “follow campus protocols” by not returning to class after a grievance hearing with the district on Wednesday. It also accuses her of insubordination and claims she has repeatedly refused to implement HISD curriculum.
Williams disputed the alleged failure to follow protocols regarding the hearing, but acknowledged she hasn’t recently followed directives from the school to follow certain instructional models. She asserts those models are “unethical” and “illegal” and that they don’t serve her students.
“I knew I was going to have problems,” Williams said.
Williams, as president of the Houston Education Association, had filed a grievance against HISD for not holding consultations with her union. That virtual hearing took place Wednesday afternoon during the school day. Emilio Castro, executive director of support for HISD, presided over the grievance hearing and was present day with Benbrook Elementary Principal Edward Heard for Williams’ dismissal from campus the next day, she said.
The reassignment memo notes Williams had alerted the school of her necessary absence from class to attend the hearing, but says Williams left campus without telling anyone, did not report the absence in the district’s online system and did not return to class immediately following the conclusion of the hearing, amounting to a break in protocol.
Williams said she planned to consult a lawyer about next steps.
“The District will not comment on individual personnel matters,” HISD said in a statement. “It is important to understand that while we respect the right of every employee to express their opinions and viewpoints in the appropriate forum, employees are expected to perform their job duties. Filing a complaint is not an exemption from following supervisors’ directives and fulfilling assigned responsibilities. Our priority is ensuring an effective teacher in every classroom for every student.”
In the letter provided by Williams, school leaders say they were looking for her after the hearing when she didn’t return to class. Williams shared an email with Houston Public Media that shows she emailed the school about her absence.
“I got a funny feeling,” Williams said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, they’re trying something.’ I didn’t know what it was.”
Williams has been in a similar position before. In March 2024, she was removed from her second grade classroom at Shadowbriar Elementary for what the district called “inappropriate conduct.” Four months later, a two-day hearing was conducted to review the removal of Williams. An independent examiner recommended she get her job back.
Williams said she thinks both reassignments were in retaliation for her public criticism of the district. She has been vocal of her disapproval of the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of HISD in 2023 as well as state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles, who has implemented instructional reforms and overhauled how teachers are evaluated and compensated.
Williams regularly speaks out at school board meetings. At the meeting earlier this month, she claimed the district’s administration does not care about teachers, parents or students.
“Benbrook was a thriving school until Mr. Miles was appointed superintendent,” she said to the board. “Under his leadership, his cabinet has caused the decline of Benbrook Elementary.”
A notice of concern from Heard was sent to Williams on Aug. 19, five days after the school board meeting, detailing issues with the pacing of her instruction, among other issues. The next day, HISD North Division Chief Daniel Girard came to monitor Williams’ classroom, she said. Paperwork given to Williams on Aug. 21 reviewing Girard’s visit outlines expectations of Williams’ conduct moving forward. The letter, provided by Williams, said failure to adhere to the expectations can result in termination.