Tag Archives: Texas Education Agency

Schools could be closed for the rest of the academic year

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of school-related news on Monday. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath told school superintendents and lawmakers Sunday to be prepared for long-term school district closures, potentially through the end of the school year, especially in areas where the new coronavirus … Continue reading →

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Shepherd ISD update

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

They’re the other district being taken over by the TEA due to failing performance. Four days after a court order temporarily stopped Texas from taking over Shepherd Independent School District, elected school board members voted to effectively cede their control … Continue reading →

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School could be out for awhile

Posted on March 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We got the news on Thursday that HISD schools were going to be closed until March 31 due to coronavirus. (This week is spring break, so the kids got an extra day off before the start of break, then a … Continue reading →

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The other TEA takeover

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A preview of things to come, perhaps. The Texas Education Agency announced a new appointed board and a new superintendent Friday for a tiny East Texas school district with two schools that had failed to perform well for years. Although … Continue reading →

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HISD takes a step towards a bond referendum

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just a step. If there’s to be a bond referendum on the ballot, this year or later, they’ll have to vote again to authorize that. Houston ISD trustees kept hopes alive for a November bond election during Thursday night’s board … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of the HD142 primary

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Also known as the How Mad Are People At Harold Dutton? primary. Longtime state Rep. Harold Dutton is facing the most serious re-election test of his 35-year political career in an acrimonious primary against two Democratic opponents. The race, which … Continue reading →

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Meanwhile, the HISD Board of Trustees is still a thing

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the new Board, not the same as the old Board. Hours after Houston ISD’s four recently elected trustees took office, enshrining the district’s first all-female school board, the new-look governing team on Thursday made its first big decision. Trustees … Continue reading →

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Meet your Board of Managers wannabes

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of people want that gig. [Frank] North is one of nearly 250 people who applied for positions on the prospective replacement board, which Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath plans to install in the coming months. Morath announced in November … Continue reading →

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TEA appeals takeover-delay injunction

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This isn’t settled just yet. Texas Education Agency officials said they filed an appeal Thursday to overturn an injunction by a Travis County judge blocking it from replacing Houston ISD’s trustees with a state-appointed board of managers. The appeal was … Continue reading →

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HISD gets another injunction

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In state court this time. A state judge Wednesday evening immediately blocked Texas from taking over the Houston Independent School District until she issues a final ruling on the case, complicating the state’s plan to oust the district’s school board … Continue reading →

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Morath’s big talk

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

But can he back it up? In his first public comments about plans to strip power from Houston ISD’s elected trustees, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said Tuesday that the district’s leaders have engaged in “chronic neglect” of children in … Continue reading →

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HISD attempt to stop TEA takeover denied

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Possibly only a temporary setback, however. A federal judge on Wednesday denied Houston ISD’s request for a preliminary injunction and dismissed its lawsuit aimed at stopping the Texas Education Agency from replacing the district’s elected board, delivering a temporary victory … Continue reading →

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HISD and HCC results

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the HISD runoffs: Early election results showed Houston ISD school board candidates Kathy Blueford-Daniels and Patricia Allen with comfortable leads in their runoff races Saturday, as they aim to fill the final two seats on the district’s closely watched … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of the HISD runoffs

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We had overviews of all the Council runoffs, but there are other races to consider. Voters in parts of Houston ISD return to the polls next Saturday to complete an overhaul of the district’s much-maligned school board, which will have … Continue reading →

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HISD lawsuit to stop TEA takeover has its day in court

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes. As Houston Independent School District fights for its independence, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel gave little indication Thursday of whether he would tap the brakes on the state’s plans to strip power from the elected … Continue reading →

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Why not appoint newly elected Trustees to the Board of Managers?

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a perfectly reasonable question, posed recently in the Chron op-ed pages by two of those new Trustees-to-be, Judith Cruz and Dani Hernandez. As former Houston Independent School District educators, a product of HISD, and a parent in HISD, we … Continue reading →

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HFT may join lawsuit to block TEA takeover

Posted on November 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a lot of acronyms, so just read this. Houston ISD’s largest teachers union is considering whether to join a lawsuit filed by the district’s school board that aims to stop the expected ouster of elected trustees by the Texas … Continue reading →

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So how are those TEA public meetings going?

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

About as you’d expect. Residents of Houston ISD peppered state officials with questions Wednesday night about the potential replacement of the district’s elected school board, voicing frustration about the lack of immediate plans for students and staff during the Texas … Continue reading →

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The LBB report on HISD

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

There’s less here than you might think. Houston ISD’s inefficient, poorly organized and unwieldy bureaucracy is shortchanging the district’s 209,000 students and city taxpayers, requiring structural changes across virtually all corners of the district, the Texas Legislative Budget Board said … Continue reading →

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How the TEA takeover is going to work

Posted on November 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron answers your questions. The complex process has raised several questions among community members. Here are answers some of the most common queries: What is the process for identifying and selecting candidates? TEA officials on Wednesday released their plan … Continue reading →

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TEA announces its takeover intent

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. 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 … Continue reading →

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TEA recommends HISD takeover

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not finalized yet, but you can see the way it’s going to go. The Texas Education Agency is recommending that the state take over Houston Independent School District — the state’s largest public school system — due to its elected … Continue reading →

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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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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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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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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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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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