A trio of activists on behalf of public schools wrote a blistering critique of the pending state takeover of the Houston Independent School District, based on the failure of ONE high school that has an unusually high proportion of students who are poor and have disabilities.
Zeph Capo is president of the Houston Federation of Teachers and Texas AFT, James Dixon is pastor of the Community of Faith Church in Houston and a vice president of the Houston Branch of the NAACP, and Hugo Mojica is president of LULAC Education Council #402.
They write:
Residents of this community are increasingly frustrated with the upheaval in the Houston Independent School District. As Houstonians who work directly with the educators, parents and students in the district, we don’t blame them. But something doesn’t add up in the state’s decision to take over HISD.
Houston schools have been on an improvement track for years — the district recently earned a B grade from the state — just two points away from an A. After years of struggle among legislators, administrators and educators to figure out how best to serve our kids, HISD should be celebrating our progress. But instead of cheering parents, educators and students, who came together and turned around the city’s schools, the state slapped our community in the face by announcing this punitive takeover of the entire district.
A byzantine Texas law enables the state to trigger a district takeover — all 283 Houston public schools — if just one school chronically underperforms. So instead of investing in that one school — Wheatley High School, in this case — and providing it the attention and resources it needs, Austin bureaucrats chose to scapegoat and punish the entire city. Given that Houston students just scored second in math and third in reading within their national peer group, HISD seems like it should be a model rather than a takeover target.
The writers might have also mentioned that Houston was the only city to win the Broad award for most improved urban district twice, an honor conferred by the Broad Foundation, which has the same worldview of disruption as the Texas State Board of Education and State Commissioner Mike Morath. Morath previously served on the Dallas board of education but he is not an educator. He is a software developer. He has no ideas about how to improve schools, nor has he ever improved a school.
The authors write:
This political power grab is the epitome of overreaching, but it also reflects an insidious, ongoing effort to deny black and brown communities the educational opportunities their kids deserve. It represents a classist, old-school view of public education that rewards the privileged few and ignores the difficult work that must be done to ensure schools are safe and welcoming and meet the needs of all kids, regardless of geography or demography.
What’s also incredibly disappointing is that this takeover comes on the heels of a democratic election, in which the community elected new school board members. If this untenable takeover proceeds, duly elected trustees won’t get a chance to take their seats, defying the will of the people and denying a voice for those elected to represent the needs of students.
Gov. Greg Abbott and Education Commissioner Mike Morath aren’t actually looking out for Houston’s kids. They want to privatize Texas’ largest school district through a charter scheme. If that happens, this plan will funnel money out of our traditional public schools and into for-profit alternatives. This recent election vote reflected the community’s mandate that Houston public schools continue to invest in evidence-based wraparound services, including health care, before- and after-school programs, and enhanced social and emotional services.
State officials would prefer to privatize rather than invest new resources in a major district that is facing challenges and doing well compared to other urban districts.
Yes, indeed, something stinks in Texas.
The state officials behind the takeover are vandals, disrupters, corrupters of democracy.
They should not be allowed to mess with the HISD.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Oh goody [say corrupt state pols, rubbing their hands], now we get a nice fat guinea pig on which to inflict our fave ideological & financial whims. I wonder if HISD will have to go through decades of stagnancy/ decline under state control before grabbing back the reins (a la Newark).
There is no legitimate reason for the state to takeover the Houston public schools. Takeovers never improve education. They simply clear a path so that privatizers can move public money into private pockets. Trigger laws like the one in Texas were designed by corrupt politicians that designed them to bypass legitimate democratic processes. It is clear that with only one “failing school” in the system, this move is anti-democratic power grab.
The people of Texas need to call their state representatives. They should also protest this clear democratic suppression and start a petition against this railroading by the state acting on behalf of the privatization lobby. As stated in the post, this hostile anti-democratic action is being launched against a mostly minority school district, The people should also seek assistance from the SPLC and the Education Law Center.
much as if a dam has been very intentionally exploded: the process feels to be sudden and unstoppable
The State had previously been attempting to “privatize” HISD by the 40 separate charter schools they had approved to operate in HISD. Approvals that served to reduce the funding of HISD student programs/services by an estimated $262 million per year.
The State takeover became predictable on December 13, 2018, when the HISD Board, acting on behalf of the taxpayers that elected them, voted NOT to “privatize” or “close” certain so-called “low performing schools”. Since this conflicted with the State’s objectives:
January 3, 2019: Governor Abbott tweets: “What a joke. HISD leadership is a disaster. Their self-centered ineptitude has failed the children they are supposed to educate. If ever there was a school board that needs to be taken over and reformed it’s HISD. Their students & parents deserve change”;
January 22, 2019: TEA begins an on-site “Special Accreditation Investigation” of HISD;
March 23, 2019: TEA appointed Conservator requires HISD to suspend search for a new Superintendent;
March 24, 2019: TEA broadens the January “Special Accreditation Investigation” and begins another on-site investigation;
November 6, 2019: In lieu of simply requiring HISD to close Wheatley H.S., TEA recommends a complete takeover of HISD.
What seems to be missing from the conversation with taxpayers is the fact that the State is taking over HISD’s $2.7 billion of annual revenue – despite the State supplying 10% of such revenues……..
The state is also taking over millions of dollars in public assets mostly paid for by local tax payers. If they take all that real estate and transfer it into private hands, it would be one of the largest heists in history. We have seen this happen in other cities. The trigger law gives the TEA too much power, and, in this case, it is a gigantic overreach for one under performing school. It seems more like a personal vendetta between Abbot and HISD.
I don’t know why the Broad prize is any defense. This takeover is more about the dysfunctional board. Because this board has destroyed so many teachers and students, most Houstonians don’t care. That is the sad reality.
According the ‘Houston Chronicle,” the takeover is about the refusal of the HISD board to turn over its failing school and turn it into a charter school. Abbott then said he would use this old law to take over the whole system. HISD has said it will file a lawsuit about “separate and unequal” education for minority children. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/To-save-Houston-s-schools-fight-the-TEA-13504780.php
Will Eli Broad take back the two awards he gave to Houston ISD as the most improved urban district in the nation?
You have to fight.
You need organize and embarrass these folks. They are scammers. They left Nevada under a cloud.
They hate anyone exposing their crimes.
Go public and shame them endlessly.
I see trigger happy Allison Serafin. She will rob Texas as she robbed Nevada.
I see Broadie and Community in Schools Dale Eriquaga and Seth Rau in Texas.
Seth and Allison are former TFA too.
Billionaire Elaine Wynn and Dale Eriquaga and Seth Rau love their trigger takeovers. And they just need one point to do it. Superintendent Canavero would move the line to do it. They do not even try to be fair.
Nevada trash. They had to go!
https://dianeravitch.net/2019/11/18/yes-something-stinks-about-the-state-takeover-of-the-houston-independent-school-district/
This smells like Broad. It also smells like reformers we kicked out of Nevada. With good reason.
Billionaire Elaine Wynn is insidious. Her Communities in Schools somehow is always hand in hand with public school takeover. It is put in place to support poor communities but also act like a spy organization for Broadies.
National organization CIS Wynn created to appear to love public schools.
The SEC investigated Elaine Wynn for bribery. She needed to show she loved education after that $150 million “donation” to a “university” in Macau almost put her in jail. Wynns were building Chinese casinos and “donating”. Suddenly she became our state board of education President, while investigated.
Just like she became a feminist holding Women Power stadium filled events starring Cher after her former husband’s employee rapes came to light.
Wynn can also maximize her tax advantages with CIS the aggressive non-profit. Giving the max in every state and spread Broadie garbage. Demanding matching funds and financially straining districts. Spouting return on investment and business junk science. Washing her dirty laundry and privatizing at the same time.
You need to follow that money and see what is really happening.
These well funded scammers did not make it in Nevada. We are still in recovery. Billions funneled for takeover and trigger here. And we have $350 million in for-profit charters that give “choice” to rich white-flight.
Bought all of Harry Reid’s crew in Nevada. Democrats lead the charge with cash in hand.
Sounds like Nevada trash is now taking over Houston.
You have to fight. Hard. Parents have to show up and make a scene. And now.
Outlier,
Angie
It looks like Houston is planning to fight, and I hope lots of parents protest. What is annoying is that after they takeover and the charter school also produces low scores, there’s no trigger law or way to unload the charter. The charter is no better, but the community loses democratic governance and certified teachers. It is, in fact, separate and unequal treatment for minority communities.
Houston already has a large charter sector, dominated by KIPP