Houston ISD teachers and staff head to Austin to advocate for schools

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Four bus loads of Houston ISD teachers and support staff are headed to Austin on Monday to meet with state legislators as the debate rages over the possible state takeover of the district.

SEE RELATED STORY: State representative says lawmakers to meet with TEA commissioner ahead of possible HISD takeover

Lawmakers plan to meet with officials from the Texas Education Agency this week to discuss the takeover and the future of Wheatley High School.

Wheatley High School in Houston's Fifth Ward received a passing grade in August 2022 for the first time in eight years. Three years ago, Wheatley nearly drove HISD to a state takeover.

SEE RELATED STORY: HISD's Wheatley High School receives passing grade for 1st time in 8 years

It was with that backdrop that dozens of HISD teachers and support staff left for their trip to Austin. The teachers ABC13 spoke with did not specifically address the takeover, but it is a concern to staff and parents.

Meanwhile, there are other things happening in the legislature that HISD teachers tell us could have a massive, negative impact on local schools. One issue is allowing parents to use state money to send kids to private schools, that is something members of the Houston Federations of Teachers union are against.

"End this nonsense about vouchers, and stop charter schools from stripping funds away from public schools. Public schools are the heart of the community, and when neighborhood schools leave, it strips the community, they are the life blood of the community," Jackie Anderson, the president of the union, said.

She also tells us the Houston Federation of Teachers would like to see a $10,000 pay raise across the board for teachers, 15% pay hikes for support staff, and an end to the classroom size waiver.

As for the possible state takeover, there's nothing official yet.

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