By Aliyya Swaby
Texas Tribune
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In a move that is unprecedented in scope, Texas state officials announced Wednesday they plan on taking over the state’s largest school district, yanking power from Houston Independent School District’s elected school board members to “prevent imminent and substantial harm to the welfare of the district’s students.”Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath sent a letter to Houston ISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan and Board President Diana Davila giving two principal reasons for the decision: the school board’s “failure of governance” and the repeated low academic performance of Wheatley High School, which received its seventh failing rating this year.
In addition to appointing a board of governance to replace the elected school board, Morath will also appoint a superintendent to lead the district. The timeline of the takeover action is unclear.
“Given the inability of the board of trustees to govern the district, these sanctions are necessary to protect the best interests of the district’s current and future students,” he wrote. The decision means the state will be taking over its largest public school district, which contains more than 270 schools and educates more than 200,000 students.
Houston ISD officials still have a slim chance at averting the takeover and have two weeks to request a formal review challenging it, according to a Texas Education Agency spokesperson.
The announcement of a takeover was far from unexpected. Last week, a final state investigation report recommended Morath replace the school board, finding that it had violated state open meetings law, attempted to influence how contracts were awarded, and took action on district issues individually without consulting other board members.
Just yesterday, the state denied Houston ISD’s appeal of Wheatley High School’s state accountability rating, killing one of its last hopes of remaining independently governed. A 2015 law requires Morath to penalize a district with a school that has been failing for more than four consecutive years, by either shutting down the school or taking over the entire district. This is the first time that law will be used to take over a district.
The same law also led Morath to inform two small, rural school districts Wednesday — Shepherd ISD, in East Texas, and Snyder ISD, in West Texas — that he would replace their elected school boards with appointed boards. Snyder Junior High and Shepherd’s elementary and intermediate schools received their fifth consecutive failing ratings this year.
The districts will also be assigned state conservators, who will attend all board meetings, oversee district operations and submit monthly progress reports to the state. Houston ISD has had a state-appointed conservator since 2016, initially appointed to oversee another long-failing school.
“Given the inability of the board of trustees to govern the district, these sanctions are necessary to protect the best interests of the district’s current and future students,” he wrote. The decision means the state will be taking over its largest public school district, which contains more than 270 schools and educates more than 200,000 students.
Houston ISD officials still have a slim chance at averting the takeover and have two weeks to request a formal review challenging it, according to a Texas Education Agency spokesperson.
The announcement of a takeover was far from unexpected. Last week, a final state investigation report recommended Morath replace the school board, finding that it had violated state open meetings law, attempted to influence how contracts were awarded, and took action on district issues individually without consulting other board members.
Just yesterday, the state denied Houston ISD’s appeal of Wheatley High School’s state accountability rating, killing one of its last hopes of remaining independently governed. A 2015 law requires Morath to penalize a district with a school that has been failing for more than four consecutive years, by either shutting down the school or taking over the entire district. This is the first time that law will be used to take over a district.
The same law also led Morath to inform two small, rural school districts Wednesday — Shepherd ISD, in East Texas, and Snyder ISD, in West Texas — that he would replace their elected school boards with appointed boards. Snyder Junior High and Shepherd’s elementary and intermediate schools received their fifth consecutive failing ratings this year.
The districts will also be assigned state conservators, who will attend all board meetings, oversee district operations and submit monthly progress reports to the state. Houston ISD has had a state-appointed conservator since 2016, initially appointed to oversee another long-failing school.
To read rest of story, click on link: https://www.texastribune.org/2019/11/06/tea-take-over-houston-isd-school-board-replace-superintendent/
11 comments:
Nope... BISD might be full of corruption... Especially if you are in the know... But as far as scores and testing... BISD is the bomb!!!
State to take over Houston ISD by replacing school board, superintendent
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED HERE! THAT'S WHAT WE NEED HERE!
dale gas cheez call the state!
9:22 AM is correct. Not a chance. BISD got great numbers in their performance ratings. Zendejaa hit it out of the park. Now its up to Gutierrez and the current Board to continue to perform.
Hellcat (Patricia "Patsy" Walker) is a real superhero appearing in this blog and other books published by unknowns
Defender of insults to gringos, hillbillies, the mayor and sometimes meskins. I wonder if he will defend mcnair?
may a change could be a welcome of fresh air
Wow, 11:04 states that BISD needs a new supt. I can see replacing the board, but how can you replace the superintendent of 5 months when just last week the board brown-nosed him with such a favorable evaluation. I have yet to see what he has done except allow for SPA to manipulate him. How come at all other supt evaluations done before Gutierrez, the board never made personal comments on the results of the closed door evaluation. Like 9:22 says, TEA can close BISD due to board stupidities buy never because of scores. Esperanza Zendejas left them so well set in their efforts to provide the best education for our children, but the board decided she knew more than SPA and got her to resign. She was always a good leader and would think out of the box both times she was here. Our teachers are hardworkers and our kids like to shine and they do. Some administrators are real instructional leaders, but we still have some that need to be replaced when teachers complain and complain about their dictatorship style of leadership.
If Esperanza stepped on toes, those toes deserved to be smashed and crushed but because the board micromanages, they did not allow her to do her job.
It would be great for TEA to listen to all of us who have written to them and made reports on incidents that have been pushed under the table, thanks to Luis Saenz - pay for play actions.
BISD has always been good (thank you teachers and campus leaders and bus drivers)--- it doesn't matter who the supt is...or our crazy boardmembers.
This new supt and his out of town deputies are making BIG MONEY.
Yet, they table the item to hire an asst supt-because locals just aren't good enough.
Local board, doesn't think the workers are worthy of the good jobs. Just wait on me...and i'll tip you what I think you deserve.
Drue Brown and Atkinson (lawsuit partners) only want people they can control and who they deem as worthy. Fooled the voters ONCE.
Promised transparency and all we get is Micromanagement, backdoor deals....same old...same old.
I rather castro in Bisd, than have a someone like racist Coco hillbilly jotito parrot! The parrot needs to fly to Mexico and stay there or to Washington to be with his lovers Biden and Sanders! He loves dead worm penises lol
@November 8, 2019 at 12:34 PM
Hellcat (Patricia "Patsy" Walker) is a real superhero appearing in this blog and other books published by unknowns
Defender of insults to gringos, hillbillies, the mayor and sometimes meskins. I wonder if he will defend mcnair?
Montoya, call TEA and ask them why they haven't taken matters into their hands about the cover-up of two coaches sexually assaulting students and that the ex-superintendent who is at Region 1 in Edinburg knew about it and covered it up along with board members? Then they lie to the CCDA and nothing is done yet!
You want fresh air use another name tonto
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