State takeovers of schools still very relevant

A possible state takeover of schools in Houston has come under fire from critics on the right, who argue locals know best, and those on the left, who equate the loss of local control with a “dismantling of public education.”

Both groups of critics flatly assert that state takeovers don’t work. But the evidence says otherwise.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the threat of state intervention in the Houston Independent School district is a real possibility. In coming months, the Texas Education Agency is expected to remove all power from HISD's elected trustees and appoint a board of managers to govern the district. .

While state takeovers may be falling out of fashion in some circles, their track record is decidedly more positive than the most ardent critics claim.

True, credible independent researchers found poor results from a state takeover in Memphis, Tenn. But they also found state takeovers produced positive results in Camden and Newark, N.J., and Lawrence, Mass.

In New Orleans, a state takeover helped lift student test scores, and boost high school graduation and college-going rates.

This doesn’t mean state takeovers are a sure thing. States have to put good people on the problem and support them politically and financially. As one state chief confessed to us, “Don’t bother if you can’t get the talent.”

And states can’t be high-handed. State leaders must build community buy-in for the changes they make and communicate a clear exit plan that ensures these changes are designed to last.

Texas officials can learn a lot from counterparts in New Jersey. While student test scores rose after the takeover of Newark, the local board recently regained control of the district.

It has since shown less commitment to the reform strategies launched during state control and acted quickly to roll back reforms such as performance pay for teachers.

Texas leaders should not simply point to the current Houston board’s dysfunction and expect local citizens to support a state takeover.

Winning the backing of educators, parents and nonprofits who work in local schools won’t happen just by rearranging the deck chairs and installing a new board or superintendent.

Instead, support will come from recognizing the concerns of parents and local groups that the district is now serving badly, and showing how state takeover will improve Houston’s students and families’ access to a quality education.

If the TEA chooses to intervene in Houston, it should be clear about the problem it is trying to solve and how it will measure success.

Does it only want to cure dysfunction and alleged transparency violations among current district trustees?

Does it want to address persistent low performance at specific schools? A combination?

It should set conditions for improvement that would allow the state to withdraw once they are met. And it should also be clear that if the underlying problems resurface, it may intervene again.

Because state takeovers have been tried in so many other places, there is a growing body of evidence that they can work.

There is also a growing set of lessons about what can go wrong. Texas leaders must pay attention to both.

Jochim is a senior research analyst at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, and Hall is the founder of the center and a research professor at the University of Washington Bothell.