- Houston Independent School District
- TEA Information
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On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, State Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced the Texas Education Agency will replace Houston ISD’s s Board of Trustees and Superintendent Millard House II.
The announcement comes after the Supreme Court of Texas issued a decision Jan. 13, 2023 regarding a lower court’s temporary injunction which halted the Texas Education Agency’s ability to proceed with the appointment of a board of managers to oversee and manage Houston Independent School District. This litigation between the HISD school board and TEA began in 2019, and a temporary injunction was granted in 2020. The recently issued Supreme Court Decision cited updates to the law at the center of the litigation made in 2021 as a basis to throw out the injunction which removes the prohibition against TEA’s exercise of its authority to proceed with appointment of a board of managers.
You may receive questions from your students, staff, and parents regarding what this means for their schools and the district at large, and we want to be sure you have accurate information. More importantly, we want our employees and families to understand that for HISD, it is business as usual. Our collective focus will continue to be on providing an exceptional educational experience for all students and providing the necessary support to ensure academic success.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why is the Texas Education Agency taking control of Houston ISD?
The Commissioner notified the district on March 15, 2023, that he was ordering a Board of Managers to oversee governance of Houston ISD for two reasons: (1) the district has a campus that has had an unacceptable performance rating for 5 consecutive school years and (2) the district has had a conservator or management team assigned for two consecutive school years.
This is the presentation Commissioner Morath shared with the elected officials in the Texas Legislature who represent Harris County: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/houston-isd-and-tea-interventions_0.pdf
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Does appointment of a Board of Managers mean my job is at risk?
The Board of Manager appointment does not change your employment status. HISD employees should continue reporting to their designated school and/or office and perform their duties.
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What does this mean for our schools?
It is learning as usual. Students should continue reporting to class and achieve academic success at their current school. Your principals and educators will continue to support our students on their academic journeys as they have since the beginning.
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What does this mean for “low performing” schools?
Many HISD schools have made significant improvements since July 2021, thanks to our community driven five-year strategic plan which is in its second year of implementation. We look forward to continuing our improvements to ensure all schools are fully supported.
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Who will be the new board of managers and superintendent?
In a letter to Houston ISD families and staff, Commissioner Morath said he will focus on recruiting a group of Houstonians to serve on the Board of Managers.
The TEA’s job description says appointed managers would have to be eligible voters within district boundaries. It also outlined that the board should include some members from across the district, current district parents, people with leadership experience, and people with backgrounds in fields such as teaching, social work, psychology, business, finance or law.
The TEA is accepting applications for managers for Houston ISD until April 6. HISD does not play a role in the assignment of board managers. For more information click here.
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Does this mean I will have a new district trustee?
Currently, all trustees remain in their positions representing their respective districts until the TEA appoints the board managers. When the Board of Managers is appointed, the current elected trustees will maintain their seats and can continue serving in an advisory capacity, but they will have no authority.
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How long will Houston ISD remain under TEA control?
The new board of managers will be appointed for at least two years.
The state will look at three main factors before releasing the district back to elected control:
- No campuses receive a D or F state rating for multiple years.
- The district's special education program must be in compliance with federal and state requirements.
- A school board that is highly focused on student outcomes. For example, one measure is how much time at a school board meeting is devoted to discussing student outcomes versus how much time is devoted to discussing administrative factors.
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What are the next steps?
HISD students, families, and staff will continue to be laser-focused on positive academic outcomes, student safety, and college and career readiness. Any updates concerning the HISD board will be updated through the district’s various communication channels.
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How does this affect my child?
It is learning as usual. Students will continue to receive instruction and support at their schools from their principals, educators, support staff, and the district at large.