Houston leaders vow to ‘thwart’ TEA takeover
With time seemingly running out, Houston politicians are vowing to file lawsuits and legislation — whatever it takes — to stave off a possible state takeover of Houston Independent School District that has been in the works for four years.
Mayor Sylvester Turner and state Rep. Alma Allen announced last week that they’d heard reports that the takeover could happen as early as today. The Texas Supreme Court gave the Texas Education Agency final authority to assume control of the 187,000-student school system in January but has yet to take formal action to do so.
“We as a body, as state legislators, are standing before you to say ‘We are not asleep at the wheel,’ ” state Rep. Jarvis Johnson, said during a protest Friday at Discovery Green, one of a series of events held to highlight the urgency of the situation. “We are in the process of rewriting legislation. We are looking at every lawsuit we can bring to the doorstep of the governor, and the TEA, to thwart the efforts of the TEA.”
Turner has called on TEA Commissioner Mike Morath and state legislators to amend the law so the state doesn’t appoint a board of managers.
Allen asked Morath last week about the possibility of a takeover. During their conversations, Morath did not confirm nor deny takeover plans, but cited a provision in state code that he says requires the TEA to take over a district or close a school that has failed five consecutive years.
Turner is advocating a different option. “If there is something that is not in the best interest of the kids, you can go to the Legislature now, and make any modification that is needed and we can move further down the road,” the mayor said.
The mayor has questioned how the state could successfully take over 273 schools. It would face a monumental task of managing a massive bureaucracy and boosting student achievement in a district where 80 percent of students are from low-income families.
“We can’t be silent on this one. The state is overreaching,” Turner said last week at a City Council meeting. “It is a total obliteration of local control, and when you take it, you own it … You are destroying the public education system.”
While some officials seem sure that a takeover is imminent, Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, said last week there is still much uncertainty.
“It’s difficult because we don’t know the full extent of what they intend to do,” Anderson said. “But I will say we’re very disappointed because this move seems purely political. I think we’re going to see a mass exodus of teachers in the district, and I hope they don’t use that as an excuse to close schools.”
The district remains in limbo
as it waits to learn its fate.
“We also know that uncertainty looms in terms of TEA interventions,” Superintendent Millard House II said at the State of the Schools luncheon Friday, which was meant to be a fundraiser and centennial celebration. “I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know what the future will bring.”
House honed in on the importance of public education during the event that was overshadowed by the looming state takeover.
No matter what the future brings, students still can make academic gains if given needed support, he said.
During a panel interview after his remarks, Ruth Turley, a researcher
with the Kinder Institute at Rice University, asked House why he took the position of superintendent in June 2021 knowing there was the threat of a takeover.
“My wife said I was crazy,” he answered as laughter trickled throughout the room. “I always got joy out of building teams.”
He then went on to discuss the research the district is doing around equity. HISD has partnered with Rice to look at inequities in HISD, including access to pre-k and disciplinary disparities between Black students and their peers.
During his opening remarks, House celebrated the district’s academic achievement — 19 months ago, 50 campuses had D or F ratings. Now only 10 remain on the D and F list, thanks to tireless work of teachers, he said. Additionally, each school now has librarians and nurses, he said.
The schools’ improved accountability ratings have been mentioned by several educators, politicians and advocates, who say it shows that there is no longer a need for a takeover.
On Friday, protesters at the district’s central office questioned why HISD should be taken over by the state instead of other lower-performing districts. They pointed to HISD schools’ current ratings, which show that 94 percent of schools earn a grade of A, B or C.
“Those who cannot stand on the right side of history, don’t deserve our shopping, don’t deserve our worship, they don’t deserve our tithes and offerings,” James Dixon, president of the Houston NAACP, said. “If you can’t stand up for public schools and for education, you don’t deserve our support financially, you don’t deserve our votes and you do not deserve our respect.”
Speaking via the phone from the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-houston, said she could not attend the protest in person but fully supported its mission.
“I’ve said to the Department of Education and to the president United States … this is a test case and we must win this case,” Jackson Lee said.