The details
Board members voted unanimously after a closed session during the board’s Oct. 9 meeting.
Williams, who boasts 26 years of teaching experience, has been a vocal critic of HISD leadership since the Texas Education Agency appointed Superintendent Mike Miles and the district's board of managers in June 2023.
Williams said she plans to appeal her termination.
A closer look
Williams’ termination comes after she was reassigned from her classroom at Benbrook Elementary and placed on home duty in August.
According to an Aug. 27 memo from Benbrook, Williams participated in a grievance hearing with the district on behalf of the Houston Education Association earlier in August.
While she alerted campus leadership about the hearing, the memo alleged Williams left campus after the hearing without reporting the absence in the district's online system. The memo also alleges she did not return to class immediately following the conclusion of the hearing.
The district has accused Williams of failing to follow campus directives. Williams acknowledged she did not follow directives from the school to follow certain instructional models, claiming they don’t serve her students.
During the board’s Oct. 9 meeting, Williams said she asked to be transferred from Benbrook, noting her requests were ignored. She said she later received an email at the start of the school year from the district's chief of schools in which she was cited as one of the school's highest-performing teachers.
"Apparently, that doesn't matter when this administration, the current principal, executive directors, north division superintendent, use bullying, intimidation and lies to try to force me to break education laws," she said.
What’s next
While Williams said she plans on appealing the board’s decision to fire her, she is unsure whether she would be willing to return to the classroom.
In May, Williams launched a campaign to run for state representative for House District 127, which covers Humble, Kingwood and Atascocita. The election will be in 2026.
