Tag Archives: HISD Board of Trustees

Endorsement watch: Miscellania

Posted on October 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We cover three endorsements today: HD148 (I presume the Chron is not endorsing in HD28), HISD IV, and City Council District C. Endorsements for the constitutional amendments were in the print edition on Saturday, I’ll run them on Tuesday. That … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: One more HISD, two in HCC

Posted on October 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Some pretty easy calls for the Chron here. In HISD VII, they go with Judith Cruz. Houston Independent School District does not need more of the same in its leadership. The embattled district must move away from the dysfunction that … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Two in HISD

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron goes against the incumbent in District III. [Incumbent Sergio] Lira, who was elected in 2017 after the death of longtime trustee Manuel Rodriguez, has 30 years of experience in education, with a doctorate in educational leadership and policy … Continue reading →

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HISD’s appeal of the Wheatley rating

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not much there. You can read whatever you want into that. If Houston ISD trustees expected the district’s administration to make an impassioned, detailed appeal to the state for an accountability reprieve at Wheatley High School — a last-ditch effort to avoid … Continue reading →

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Two HISD candidates fail to qualify for the ballot

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We revisit a periodic issue. Two applicants seeking to replace Houston ISD Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones have failed to qualify for the November ballot, leaving five candidates running for the open seat, according to HISD officials. Michael Maloney, an athletics coach, … Continue reading →

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Interview with Matt Barnes

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Like I’ve said, the HISD Trustee elections still matter this year. One could argue, they’ve never mattered more. With two of the four Trustees that are up for election this year deciding to step down, we will get some change … Continue reading →

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Interview with Judith Cruz

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

As we’ve discussed, there are still HISD Trustee elections this year, despite the uncertainty surrounding the TEA takeover. While the Board may not have much authority during the time that the TEA-appointed board of managers is in charge, it still … Continue reading →

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Why would you run for HISD Board of Trustees this year?

Posted on September 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a good question. As she campaigns door-to-door to become the newest member of Houston ISD’s school board, Reagan Flowers is encountering many confused voters. They ask whether school board elections matter this year, given the growing likelihood that state officials will … Continue reading →

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The TEA delivers its terms to HISD

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. The Texas Education Commissioner has put the state’s largest school district on official notice that it could lose its locally-elected school board because of failing grades at one Houston high school. The commissioner, Mike Morath, notified Houston’s interim … Continue reading →

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Bonus commentary on 2019 lineup

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

There was a lot of last minute activity at Monday’s filing deadline, as there usually is. Probably more so this year, as approximately ten percent of Houston adults are running for office this November. The point here is that the … Continue reading →

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The 2019 lineups are set

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Barring any late disqualifications or other unexpected events, we have the candidates we’re getting on our 2019 ballot. More than 125 candidates turned in paperwork to run for city office by Monday’s filing deadline, setting up a packed November ballot … Continue reading →

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HISD has a lawsuit against the TEA over that ethics investigation

Posted on August 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I missed the first act of this story, but that’s okay because this is where it gets interesting. Lawyers for Houston ISD’s school board are seeking to stop the Texas Education Agency from replacing the district’s elected trustees following a … Continue reading →

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We await HISD’s fate

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, I think we know what it’s going to be, but there are still some questions. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath came to and left the Greater Houston area Thursday without addressing one of the biggest issues on his agenda: the … Continue reading →

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HISD misses on accountability ratings

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

There’s now a second reason for the TEA to step in and take over HISD. Houston ISD moved a major step closer to temporarily losing local control over its school board Thursday, as long-awaited state academic accountability ratings showed one … Continue reading →

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July 2019 campaign finance reports: HISD and HCC

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

One last look at July finance reports. I’m lumping together reports for HISD and HCC, in part because there’s some crossover, and in part because there’s not all that much to these. As always, refer to the Erik Manning candidate … Continue reading →

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So what’s the goal of a TEA takeover of HISD?

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The history of TEA takeovers of school districts is mixed, so we ought to be clear about what the forthcoming takeover of HISD is supposed to do. In recent years, districts subject to state-appointed boards successfully have balanced budgets and … Continue reading →

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Previous interviews with current candidates

Posted on August 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve said a few times that I’m going to be doing just a few interviews this fall. I will start publishing them tomorrow. I may pick up some more for the runoffs, but for now my schedule just does not … Continue reading →

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Initial reaction to the TEA action on HISD

Posted on August 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of wait and see so far. Houston-area political and community leaders offered muted response Thursday to a state recommendation issued this week to replace Houston ISD’s school board, reserving judgment until more details are known about a Texas Education … Continue reading →

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It looks like we’re getting a new school board

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

What a mess. Texas Education Agency officials have recommended that a state-appointed governing team replace Houston ISD’s locally elected school board after a six-month investigation found several instances of alleged misconduct by some trustees, including violations of the Texas Open … Continue reading →

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An update on the races in HISD and HCC

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, there’s been a lot of action not just in the Houston City Council races but also in the 2020 election races. That doesn’t mean things have been dull in HISD and HCC, which of course have elections … Continue reading →

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How long will that TEA ethics investigation of HISD take?

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Could be months, but they don’t really know. The state investigation into allegations of Open Meetings Act and procurement violations by some Houston ISD trustees could last months, a top Texas Education Agency official said Saturday, potentially leaving the district … Continue reading →

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Achieve 180 schools showing progress

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I hope it’s enough. Houston ISD schools covered by the district’s $16 million campus turnaround plan saw modest improvements in the program’s first year — enough to outpace gains reported across the district, but not nearly enough to pull chronically … Continue reading →

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HISD conservator suspends superintendent search

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Halt! A state-appointed conservator ordered Houston ISD trustees on Monday to suspend their search for a permanent superintendent, an unprecedented intervention in the state’s largest school district. In a letter sent to HISD trustees, the conservator, Doris Delaney, said she … Continue reading →

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Not so open meetings

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll have to see how big a deal this is. In a major blow to the state’s government transparency laws, Texas’ highest criminal court has struck down a significant provision of the Texas Open Meetings Act, calling it “unconstitutionally vague.” … Continue reading →

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Superintendent search will continue

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

For the time being, at least. Houston ISD’s pursuit of a permanent superintendent will continue after trustees rejected a motion Thursday to suspend the search amid a recently launched state investigation into potential violations of open meetings laws. Trustees voted … Continue reading →

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January 2019 finance reports: HISD

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Odd-numbered years mean three types of elections in Houston – city, HISD, and HCC. We’ve looked at the finance reports for city candidates, now let’s have a look at the reports for HISD trustees, which I’ve separated into those up … Continue reading →

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How much more danger is HISD in of being taken over?

Posted on January 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hard to say for sure, but they’re not in a good place right now. The threat of state takeover has loomed over Houston ISD for months, largely due to chronically low-rated schools and mounting frustration with its much-criticized school board. … Continue reading →

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HISD back under scrutiny

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s hope this turns out to be no big deal. The Texas Education Agency is investigating possible open meetings violations by some Houston ISD trustees last year when they engaged in private discussions that led to the abrupt ouster of … Continue reading →

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HISD’s last stand

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

They have their work cut out for them. Houston ISD’s four Hispanic trustees took hold of the school board’s top officer positions Thursday, led by Trustee Diana Dávila winning election as president of the much-maligned governance team. Dávila, who has … Continue reading →

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The 2019 elections

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We haven’t forgotten that there are some big elections on tap for us this year, have we? Let’s go a quick rundown. May elections Election campaigns are already in progress in the cities that have May elections, which includes big … Continue reading →

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Give your input on the HISD Superintendent search

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Public meeting notice. The Houston Independent School District Board of Education is conducting a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent, and trustees are seeking input from the community about the qualities and traits they would like to see in their … Continue reading →

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The TEA could have already taken over HISD

Posted on January 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I had not known this. For more than a year, Houston ISD leaders have fretted over the possibility of a state takeover mandated under a recently passed law, known as HB 1842. The statute directs the Texas Education Agency to … Continue reading →

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Greg Abbott to HISD: Drop dead

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. A post sent from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Twitter account Thursday lambasted Houston ISD’s leadership as “a disaster” that has failed children in the state’s largest school district — a rare public … Continue reading →

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Orlando Sanchez’s bizarre press conference

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

What a weird thing. It was an absolutely wild afternoon for Harris County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez. He planned to have a news conference across the street from the HISD administration building, but things didn’t go as planned. Protestors showed up … Continue reading →

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