Tag Archives: Mike Morath

HISD in TEA limbo

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

No one knows how long this might take. Houston ISD is in limbo as the Texas Education Agency weighs how to proceed with a possible takeover of the state’s largest school system allowed under a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling. … Continue reading →

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SCOTx removes injunction blocking TEA takeover of HISD

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what happens next, but there’s a lot more of this to play out. The Texas Supreme Court cleared the way Friday for the state to potentially take control of the Houston Independent School District, which state education … Continue reading →

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SCOTx to rule on the HISD takeover lawsuit

Posted on October 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This feels like something from another era. The Texas Supreme Court on Thursday heard arguments on a yearslong case over whether the Texas Education Agency has the authority to remove all of the Houston school district’s board members and temporarily … Continue reading →

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First school ratings since 2019 released

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

All in all, not too bad. But for poorer schools and school districts, it remains a very hard go. The Texas Education Agency on Monday released its first public school ratings in three years and despite pandemic interruptions, the number … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit tosses mask mandate lawsuit filed by disability rights activists

Posted on July 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Par for the course. A federal appeals court on Monday tossed out a lower-court injunction, issued in November, that would have allowed public schools in Texas to ignore Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel of Austin had blocked Abbott’s order as … Continue reading →

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The STAAR is back

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this last week. For the first time since the pandemic began, Texas public schools will be rated based on how students score on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness — more commonly known as the annual STAAR … Continue reading →

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Our new school library standards

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I am casting a gimlet eye at this, at least for now. The Texas Education Agency released statewide standards Monday for how school districts should remove and prevent “obscene content” from entering Texas public school libraries. In the agency’s model … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit puts school mask order on hold

Posted on November 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This effing court. A federal appeals court has reinstated Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning mask mandates as it weighs a federal judge’s ruling that the ban violates the rights of disabled students. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel previously ruled … Continue reading →

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Federal judge blocks Abbott’s ban on school mask mandates

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order prohibiting mask mandates in schools violates the Americans with Disabilities Act — freeing local officials to again create their own rules. The order comes after a monthslong … Continue reading →

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Federal lawsuit over mask mandate ban in schools has its hearing

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A big case with potential national implications. School district leaders should have the right to make decisions about mask mandates based on the needs of their students and local coronavirus spread data, attorneys argued Wednesday in federal court. Lawyers with … Continue reading →

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Justice Department gets involved in federal lawsuit over mask mandate ban

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this over the weekend. The Justice Department signaled its support on Wednesday for the families of children with disabilities in Texas who are suing to overturn Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in the state’s schools. The department filed a … Continue reading →

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Federal judge will fast-track mask mandate ban lawsuit

Posted on September 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m ready. Federal District Judge Lee Yeakel said Wednesday morning he intends to fast-track a lawsuit filed on behalf of 14 Texas schoolchildren with disabilities who allege that Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates breaks federal law by discriminating … Continue reading →

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Federal lawsuit filed against Abbott’s mask mandate ban

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Disability Rights Texas filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Abbott and Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath over Abbott’s executive order preventing school districts from enacting their own mask-wearing requirements. Abbott’s order, the group alleges in the suit, … Continue reading →

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And the STAAR results ain’t great either

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Oof. The COVID-19 pandemic appeared to undo years of improvement for Texas students meeting grade requirements in reading and math, with students who did most of their schooling remotely suffering “significant declines” compared to those who attended in person, according … Continue reading →

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The pandemic was hard on math

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Math scores on the end-of-course algebra exams, in particular. Texas’ first trove of 2021 state standardized test scores offers early confirmation of what many educators feared: students fell dramatically behind in math during the coronavirus pandemic. Results from spring algebra … Continue reading →

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Millard House officially approved as HISD Superintendent

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome aboard. Millard House II will become Houston ISD’s new superintendent on July 1, following the district’s school board unanimously vote Monday to make his selection official. The pro forma vote follows the naming of House as HISD’s lone superintendent … Continue reading →

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More on Millard House

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron does a profile of the finalist for the HISD Superintendent job. Early in his tenure as an associate superintendent with Oklahoma’s Tulsa Public Schools, Millard House II found himself thrust into an education administrator’s nightmare: closing campuses and … Continue reading →

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HISD may have a reprieve

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

For one year, if this bill passes as is and if the Supreme Court doesn’t intervene. The Texas House advanced a meaty education bill Tuesday that dramatically reduces the stakes of state standardized tests in 2021-22 and gives Houston ISD … Continue reading →

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HISD names its Superintendent

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome to Houston, Millard House II. I hope the state lets you stay. Houston ISD trustees unanimously voted Friday to name Millard House II as their lone superintendent finalist, tapping the leader of Tennessee’s Clarksville-Montgomery County School System to guide … Continue reading →

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HISD has a Superintendent in mind

Posted on May 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They will announce this person on Friday. After that, insert shrug emoji here. Houston ISD trustees expect to name a lone superintendent finalist Friday, three days earlier than initially planned, barring another last-minute intervention by the state. Trustees are expected … Continue reading →

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Anti-transgender sports bill revived

Posted on May 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Screw you, Harold Dutton. Democratic state Rep. Harold Dutton on Friday revived and helped advance a bill that would restrict transgender students from participating in school sports, in what appears to be a retaliatory effort directed at members of his … Continue reading →

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Where HISD stands today

Posted on April 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In a holding pattern, waiting for direction. In the winter of 2019, two committees composed of Houston ISD employees, parents and advocates issued recommendations for how the district should tackle two of its thorniest issues: campus funding practices and access … Continue reading →

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There are still a lot of students doing remote school

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m actually a little surprised it’s this much. Nathan is among 35,127 students in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and hundreds of thousands of students across Greater Houston whose parents opted to keep at home for the fourth and final grading period of … Continue reading →

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HISD Board wins again in court

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They’re still a thing, and Mike Morath can’t do anything about it right now. The Houston ISD school board earned another win Friday in its effort to stave off Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath’s plan to replace it with an … Continue reading →

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Dutton files bill to enable HISD takeover

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever else you may say, this is true to his beliefs. Texas House Public Education Chairman Harold Dutton Jr. filed a bill Tuesday that, if it passes and withstands any legal challenge, would virtually guarantee the ouster of Houston ISD’s … Continue reading →

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HISD Superintendent Lathan leaving

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I wish her well. Houston ISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan plans to leave the district at the end of the 2020-21 school year, ending an unusually long three-year run in the position that was marked by fallout from the pandemic, … Continue reading →

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TEA appeals HISD takeover ruling to Supreme Court

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

One way or the other, this should get a resolution. Lawyers representing the Texas Education Agency filed an appeal Wednesday asking the state Supreme Court to overturn a temporary injunction that has slowed Education Commissioner Mike Morath’s plans to strip … Continue reading →

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HISD Superintendent search is back on

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

For now, anyway. Houston ISD trustees kicked off their long-delayed search for a permanent leader Monday, choosing three superintendent search firms to interview later this week. The initial move comes as the state’s largest district seeks to fill a position … Continue reading →

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TEA still barred from taking over HISD

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Still in a state of limbo. Texas is still temporarily barred from taking over Houston Independent School District, a state appellate court ruled Wednesday, upholding a lower court’s order. In a 2-1 ruling, the Texas Third Court of Appeals upheld … Continue reading →

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STAAR yes, school ratings no

Posted on December 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like this is where we were always headed. Texas public school students will still take the STAAR test this spring, but the state will not rate schools and districts based on their results, the Texas Education Agency announced Thursday. … Continue reading →

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Not everyone wants to skip the STAAR

Posted on November 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There are no kids in this group. Fourteen Texas school superintendents, including those leading Dallas, Fort Worth and Aldine ISDs, joined with several business and education advocacy organizations Thursday to voice support for continuing to give standardized tests to students … Continue reading →

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Legislators call for no STAAR test this year

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me, and very fine by my kids. A bipartisan group of 68 Texas House representatives signed a letter calling on the Texas Education Agency to cancel the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exam or at minimum … Continue reading →

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HISD Board declines to hire Lathan permanently

Posted on November 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A national search will be conducted, with still-interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan encouraged to apply. Houston ISD trustees voted Thursday against committing to Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan as the district’s long-term leader, opting instead to launch a national search before filling … Continue reading →

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An analysis of that Paxton opinion about schools and county health authorities

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Short version: That’s just, like, his opinion, man. The law should mean what it says. Rule §97.6(h) of the Texas Administrative Code says: “The health authority is empowered to close any public or private child-care facility, school or other place … Continue reading →

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