TEA extends Houston ISD takeover until June 2027, agency states

HOUSTON - The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will continue their intervention of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) after their initial takeover in 2023 with the appointment of Mike Miles as superintendent.

Commissioner Mike Morath was required to decide on the possible extension on the two-year anniversary of their intervention. Morath made the decision to extend the Board of Managers' authority until June 1, 2027.

Houston ISD under TEA supervision

In a press release, the TEA claims HISD saw significant growth in student academic performance in just the first year of their intervention and it continued to gradually frow in the second year.

Houston ISD allegedly had the highest gains of any large school district in Texas.

Houston ISD reportedly preparing for support staff layoffs

Houston ISD is reportedly preparing for another round of layoffs. Support staff this time may be affected. A memo was sent out Tuesday to staff asking them to attend a conference to discuss a reduction in force.

TEA states continuous efforts are needed to strengthen student support and maintain HISD's academic outcomes so they meet the three established exit criteria:

No multi-year academically unacceptable campuses;
Special education operates in compliance with requirements; and
The board’s procedures align with a focus on students that is consistent with high-performing governing teams.

What they're saying:

"Houston ISD has always been a district with some of the highest-performing schools in the country, but it was also a district that allowed some of its schools to fail students for over a decade. With the changes made in the last two years, Houston ISD is well on its way to being a district where all of its schools provide students with the educational opportunities that will allow them to access the American Dream," said Commissioner Morath.

"Ultimately, two years has not been enough time to fix district systems that were broken for decades. The extension of this intervention will allow the district to build on its progress and achieve lasting success for students once the board transitions back to elected leadership."

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2023 TEA takeover of HISD

The backstory:

On June 1, 2023, the TEA announced the appointment of a new superintendent and Board of Managers for HISD as part of their intervention.

Texas Education Commissioner Morath named Mike Miles the new superintendent. Miles was a former superintendent of Dallas ISD and a district in Colorado, as well as the founder and CEO of Third Future Schools, a network of public charter schools.

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The nine members of the Board of Managers were also announced, including some Houston ISD parents, educators and business owners.

In March 2023, Morath stated, "This action is necessitated because of the conditions of the schools in Houston ISD. Houston has many schools that are outstanding, some of the best schools in the state, and in fact, large numbers of kids in Houston are truly flourishing. But there’s also a number of students in Houston ISD who the district is simply not provided adequate supports for those students to be successful, and in some cases, for extended periods of time."

Dig deeper:

Read more of FOX 26's coverage of the TEA takeover of HISD.

The Source: The Texas Education Agency posted a press release announcing the extension of their intervention at Houston ISD. Previous FOX 26 reports also provided information for the article.

Houston ISD Education