# Miles-Morath Pipeline: Documented Timeline

## Summary: The Pipeline in Sequence

| Year | Event | Key Connection |
|------|-------|----------------|
| **May 2011** | Morath elected to Dallas ISD board (District 2/7, unopposed) | — |
| **Jul 2012** | Miles starts as Dallas ISD superintendent | Morath is sitting trustee |
| **Aug 23, 2012** | Dallas ISD board approves TEI under Destination 2020 | Morath is sitting trustee, publicly supports TEI |
| **2014-15** | TEI evaluation system implemented; salary floor set | — |
| **2015-16** | TEI compensation reform takes effect in classrooms | — |
| **Jun 25, 2015** | Miles resigns as Dallas ISD superintendent | Goes to Colorado |
| **Dec 14, 2015** | Abbott appoints Morath as TEA Commissioner | Citing performance-based pay work at Dallas ISD |
| **Jan 4, 2016** | Morath sworn in as TEA Commissioner | — |
| **2016** | Miles founds Third Future Schools in Colorado | — |
| **Fall 2017** | TFS opens first school (Academy of Advanced Learning, Aurora, CO) | — |
| **Jan 2019** | TEA opens investigation into HISD (under Morath) | — |
| **Jun 11, 2019** | HB 3 signed; creates TIA — statewide scaling of TEI model | Morath's TEA administers TIA; Dallas ISD TEI qualifies with zero modifications |
| **Nov 6, 2019** | Morath formally notifies HISD of board replacement | — |
| **2020** | TFS-Texas incorporated; begins Texas operations (Midland, Odessa) | SB 1882 partnerships |
| **Mar 24, 2022** | Austin ISD approves TFS for Mendez Middle School | — |
| **Jan 2023** | TX Supreme Court clears path for HISD takeover | — |
| **Jun 1, 2023** | Morath's TEA appoints Miles as HISD superintendent | Miles leaves TFS; Morath selects his former Dallas ISD superintendent colleague |
| **May 14, 2024** | Shipp (Spectrum News) reports $49M TX-to-CO fund transfers | — |
| **Jul 16, 2024** | Lee (Texas Observer) reports shell corporation, no physical office | — |
| **Oct 15, 2024** | Morath's TEA clears TFS of wrongdoing | TEA investigates and exonerates the network founded by the superintendent TEA itself appointed |

## Detailed Events

### 1. Mike Miles Becomes Dallas ISD Superintendent
- **Date:** July 1, 2012 (start date; hired spring 2012)
- **Background:** Previously superintendent of Harrison School District 2 in Colorado Springs (2006-2012)
- **Contract:** 3-year, $300,000
- **Resigned:** June 23, 2015 (last day June 25, 2015)
- Sources: [Dallas ISD Hub](https://thehub.dallasisd.org/2015/06/23/mike-miles-announces-resignation-as-dallas-isd-superintendent/), [KERA News](https://www.keranews.org/education/2015-06-23/mike-miles-dallas-school-superintendent-since-2012-is-resigning), [Texas Tribune](https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/21/mike-miles-houston-isd-dallas-tea-takeover/)

### 2. TEI Creation at Dallas ISD
- **Board vote:** August 23, 2012
- **First compensation impact:** 2015-16 school year
- **Framework:** Destination 2020 strategic plan. Evaluation rubric development began 2011. Replaced seniority-based with performance-based pay.
- Sources: [Dallas ISD Hub: Road to TEI](https://thehub.dallasisd.org/2015/09/10/on-the-road-to-tei-a-look-back-at-how-we-got-here/), [TEI Overview](https://tei.dallasisd.org/)

### 3. Mike Morath as Dallas ISD Trustee
- **Elected:** May 2011 (unopposed)
- **Seat:** District 7 (North Dallas/Lakewood), later referred to as District 2 (redistricting)
- **Served:** May 2011 to January 2016 (resigned for TEA appointment)
- **Record:** Supported TEI, early childhood expansion, "home-rule" charter initiative. AFT Texas noted he "had often been at odds with Dallas teachers, parents, and much of the DISD community."
- Sources: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Mike_Morath), [Dallas Observer](https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/dallas-isd-trustee-mike-morath-named-texas-education-commissioner-7855424/), [D Magazine (Sept 2014)](https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2014/september/dallas-isd-trustee-mike-morath-is-on-a-mission-from-god/)

### 4. Morath's TEI Vote
- **Date:** August 23, 2012
- Morath was a sitting trustee and documented public supporter. Governor's office later cited his TEI work. Individual roll call not found in public sources — would require Dallas ISD board meeting minutes.
- Sources: [KERA News](https://www.keranews.org/education/2015-12-14/mike-morath-dallas-school-board-member-to-lead-texas-education-agency), [Governor Abbott press release](https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor_abbott_appoints_morath_as_texas_education_commissioner)

### 5. Morath Becomes TEA Commissioner
- **Announced:** December 14, 2015
- **Sworn in:** January 4, 2016
- **Predecessor:** Michael Williams
- **Current term:** Through June 30, 2026
- Sources: [Governor press release](https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor_abbott_appoints_morath_as_texas_education_commissioner), [Texas Tribune (Dec 14, 2015)](https://www.texastribune.org/2015/12/14/abbott-names-next-education-commissioner/)

### 6. HB 3 and TIA Creation
- **Signed:** June 11, 2019, at Parmer Lane Elementary (Austin)
- **Legislature:** 86th Texas Legislature
- **Total:** $11.6B ($6.5B education + $5.1B property tax relief)
- **TIA detail:** Dallas ISD's TEI qualified with ZERO modifications for TIA Cohort A. District received $28M in first-year TIA funding.
- Sources: [Texas Tribune (June 11, 2019)](https://www.texastribune.org/2019/06/11/texas-gov-greg-abbott-signs-116-billion-school-finance-measure-law/), [Dallas ISD Hub (Aug 2020)](https://thehub.dallasisd.org/2020/08/26/dallas-isds-teacher-compensation-system-gets-boost-from-tea-receives-28-million-in-hb3-funds/)

### 7. Third Future Schools
- **Founded:** 2016 in Colorado by Miles
- **First school:** Academy of Advanced Learning, Aurora, CO (fall 2017)
- **TFS-Texas incorporated:** 2020
- **Texas operations:** Midland (2020), Odessa (2021), Austin/Mendez (2022)
- **Miles' CEO salary:** $243,000/year
- **$49M figure:** Total state + federal COVID funds flowing through TFS-Texas (2020-2023). TFS-Texas ended 2023 with -$2.7M balance. Two checks >$2M went from Odessa school to Colorado.
- **Miles departed:** June 1, 2023 (to become HISD superintendent)
- **Key reports:**
  - Shipp, Spectrum News (May 14, 2024): "Disappearing Dollars"
  - Lee, Texas Observer (July 16, 2024): Shell corporation report
  - **Correction:** Reporter is Josephine Lee (not "Josh Lee")
- Sources: [Spectrum News](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/austin/news/2024/05/14/disappearing-dollars--texas-public-schools-missing-millions), [Texas Observer](https://www.texasobserver.org/hisd-houston-mike-miles-tea-public-schools-texas/), [TFS press release (June 1, 2023)](https://thirdfuture.org/blog/press_release/third-future-schools-announces-change-in-leadership-as-ceo-mike-miles-accepts-houston-isd-superintendent-position/)

### 8. HISD Takeover Timeline
| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| June 2015 | HB 1842 enacted — allows TEA to replace school boards |
| Sept 2016 | Morath appoints conservator over Kashmere HS |
| Aug 2017 | Wheatley HS fails for 6th consecutive year |
| Jan 2019 | TEA opens Special Accreditation Investigation into HISD |
| Jul 2019 | HISD trustees file preemptive lawsuit against TEA |
| Nov 6, 2019 | Morath formally notifies HISD of board replacement |
| Jan 2020 | Judge temporarily blocks takeover (injunction) |
| Dec 2020 | Appellate court upholds injunction on procedural grounds |
| Jun 2021 | Legislature passes corrective legislation |
| Jan 2023 | TX Supreme Court sides with TEA, invalidates injunction |
| Mar 15, 2023 | Morath announces intent to appoint Board of Managers |
| **Jun 1, 2023** | **TEA names Mike Miles as HISD superintendent; appoints 9-member Board of Managers** |
| Jun 8, 2023 | Board of Managers holds first meeting |

Sources: [Houston Landing timeline](https://houstonlanding.org/timeline-the-long-bitter-road-to-the-tea-takeover-of-houston-isd/), [TEA press release (June 1, 2023)](https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news-and-multimedia/news-releases/news-2023/texas-education-agency-names-new-houston-isd-superintendent-and-appoints-board-of-managers)

### 9. TEA Clears Third Future Schools
- **Investigation opened:** May 2024
- **Report released:** October 15, 2024
- **Finding:** "No violations of applicable laws"
- **TEA rationale:** Media reports applied "the wrong set of charter regulations" to TFS-Texas (SB 1882 partnerships vs. independent charters)
- **Criticism:** Texas Observer subsequently found TFS-Texas also moved money to Louisiana entity
- Sources: [TEA closure letter (Oct 15, 2024)](https://thirdfuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Closure-Letter-Third-Future-Schools-Texas-Oct.15-2024.pdf), [Texas Tribune (Oct 15, 2024)](https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/15/houston-isd-mike-miles-cleared-wrongdoing-tea/), [Texas Observer](https://www.texasobserver.org/mike-miles-tea-report-houston-charter-schools/)

## Unverified Items
1. Morath's individual vote on TEI (Aug 23, 2012) — requires Dallas ISD board minutes
2. District seat renumbering (7 → 2) — likely redistricting, date unknown
3. Exact TFS Colorado incorpor