TEA announces extension of Houston ISD takeover following 'comprehensive evaluation'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Texas Education Agency has announced an extension of its takeover of Houston ISD.

A letter sent out by TEA head Mike Morath on Monday morning states that the state's takeover of the district will now be extended until June 2027.

It also announces four new members to the state-appointed board of managers, which essentially acts as a school board.

According to Morath, the decision to extend the takeover comes following a "comprehensive evaluation."

"Ultimately, two years has not been enough time to fix district systems that were broken for decades," Morath said in a release. "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."

He added that the TEA wants to see the following three things:

• No campuses that are academically unacceptable for multiple years

• Special education operating in compliance

• The board's procedures are consistent with high-performing governing teams

ABC13 spoke to parents outside Harvard Elementary School, which didn't fall under the HISD "New Education System," also known as "NES," but did undergo several rounds of unexplained leadership changes.

"What I did expect was that at least teachers are going to stay and they would be happy, and they wouldn't be as affected as they have been," HISD parent Antoinette Redguard said.

Harvard grandparent, Melva Suarez, told ABC13 she was surprised the takeover would continue, saying she's not feeling hopeful after the first two years.

"Hectic, craziness, all over the place. Everyone is so on pins and needles, not knowing what is going on at their campuses. It's just a real sad situation, I think," Suarez said.

Morath said a decision about an extension had to be made at the two-year mark of its implementation, which was in June 2023.

The takeover was first announced in 2019 but was stalled by litigation.

READ MORE: 'Ultimately, this intervention is necessary': State announces official TEA takeover of Houston ISD

The president of the teachers' union, Jackie Anderson, responded to Monday morning's announcement, saying, in part:

"You may think you can wear down our community's opposition to this reckless, unwanted, and unwarranted occupation of our district. You will not. Our kids are worth too much, and we will never stop fighting for the schools they deserve."

Some of the many issues flagged by teachers and parents about the takeover include the New Education System, job cuts, a record number of employees leaving, uncertified teachers, and a decrease in student enrollment.

However, the TEA praises "significant" improvements in academic performance during the takeover. ABC13 reached out to HISD, which sent the following statement:

"The Houston Independent School District is focused on providing an excellent education to all our students. Over the past two years, our students, educators and staff achieved remarkable progress. The District is profoundly grateful to the four outgoing Board Members' commitment to HISD students and their two years of service. HISD looks forward to working with the returning and new Board members to advance student learning and serve families."

A number of public education advocates also reacted to the takeover's extension. Ruth Kravetz is a lifelong educator and co-founder of Community Voices for Public Education. She's been against the takeover since its inception, and said she plans to continue demanding more from the state-appointed administration.

"No, I'm not surprised. It's unfortunate. At every turn, Morath and Miles have done things that are antithetical to the needs of children, teachers, parents, and our city."

Meanwhile, Houstonians for Great Public Schools, which tends to take a more middle of the road approach, said, in part that "the path forward must include deeper, more transparent engagement with the communities that HISD serves," and that "real transformation will require collaboration - not just from the district itself - but from all of us who care about public education in Houston."

SEE PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
HISD takeover: 1-year review steeped in controversy
Leadership of HISD amid TEA takeover under fire by National Teacher's Union: 'Making it much worse'
TEA takeover of HISD to last at least 2 years, transition back will take 3
Houston ISD's state takeover could end sooner than expected, TEA-appointed superintendent says
Where Houston ISD stands 6 days into TEA's takeover with 1st board meeting ahead