A coalition of Democratic legislators is advocating for measures to curtail the authority of state-appointed officials who take control of underperforming school districts, effectively displacing locally elected trustees.
This initiative comes in the wake of a commission based in Houston, which is grappling with the largest school takeover in Texas history. The commission has proposed raising the criteria for when the education commissioner can intervene, establishing guidelines for state appointees during a takeover, and providing local voters with an opportunity to influence the conclusion of such interventions.
Co-chaired by state Senator Molly Cook and Representative Lauren Ashley Simmons, the commission unveiled its recommendations in a report last Thursday, following input from teachers, students, and parents of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Additionally, Representative Christina Morales, another Houston Democrat, along with education researchers and community members contributed to the report.
Morales expressed concern, stating, “Our elected trustees have been removed and replaced with individuals we do not know and do not trust. We lack any means to hold these unelected board members accountable.”
The commission highlighted a deterioration in community relationships, a “hostile” atmosphere for educators, and poor financial management during the HISD takeover, which reflects a broader trend as Texas assumes control of more districts, many of which are adopting aspects of Superintendent Mike Miles’ school reform strategies.
As state lawmakers prepare for their session next year, Senator Cook intends to propose legislation that would raise the threshold for initiating a takeover to 10% of a district’s campuses receiving failing ratings. Currently, a campus can trigger intervention after five consecutive failing grades, a regulation Cook argues disproportionately impacts larger school districts.
“We do not want failing schools, but automatically taking over the largest school district in Texas due to one failing campus is an unjust benchmark,” Cook remarked.
Her proposal aims to stipulate that a takeover can only conclude once struggling campuses achieve acceptable ratings for two consecutive years, thereby granting the Texas Education Agency commissioner less discretion than is currently permitted.
The commission’s recommendations also include allowing local communities to have a say in the termination of a takeover through a local referendum, as well as implementing legal protections for the state-appointed board of managers and superintendents.
In some instances, managers have already established certain guidelines for superintendents. For instance, in Fort Worth, the state-appointed board is contemplating introducing requirements for Superintendent Peter Licata, including feedback from teachers on the scripted lessons he has introduced as part of the intervention.
The report from Houston advocates for the managers to collaborate with locally elected trustees, who, during an intervention, currently have no authority.
During a panel discussion hosted by the Texas Tribune on Wednesday, Fort Worth Representative Nicole Collier indicated her intent to propose legislation that would establish a “continuity board” to enhance trustee involvement.
“We need to examine the fate of our elected trustees,” Collier emphasized. “They are sidelined, and then after the fact, they are told, ‘Everything is fine now. You can return.’ This does not facilitate a smooth transition. They must be engaged throughout the entire process.”
The movement to restrict the unbridled power of Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath and his appointees coincides with the campaign of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa, who has pledged to abolish state takeovers. Hinojosa has also promised to terminate Morath’s position on her first day in office.
Just two days prior to the report’s release, state officials on a Republican-led Senate education committee commended Miles for the academic improvements HISD has achieved under his leadership, with the district reducing its number of failing campuses from 56 to just five over three years.
State Senator Paul Bettencourt, a Republican from Houston, characterized Miles’ efforts as a “success by any metric.”
Dallas Senator Royce West, a Democrat, expressed his confidence in Miles, citing his previous successful tenure as superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District. West acknowledged that Miles has laid the groundwork for Dallas ISD to become one of the premier urban school districts in the nation.
“Thank you for the work you are doing in Houston,” West stated during the meeting.
Recently, officials from Houston ISD announced staff reassignments following a significant financial shortfall resulting from unexpected declines in enrollment. The district has also tapped into its reserves and made prior budget cuts to accommodate the expensive reforms.
Despite concerns regarding the sustainability of his reforms, Miles defended his approach, attributing enrollment declines to factors such as lower birth rates and immigration losses, rather than the takeover. He noted that other larger school districts in the Houston area have experienced similar enrollment drops.
“Is it sustainable? Absolutely,” Miles asserted. “We have maintained two years of balanced budgets. To sustain that with declining enrollment, we must make prudent cuts to services or personnel, and we can achieve that while also increasing teacher salaries. It requires fiscal responsibility and prioritizing expenditures.”
