Texas Democrats React to TEA Taking Over HSID

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is officially taking over the HSID, and Texas Democrats had negative reactions to the news.

Texas Representative Sylvia Garcia (D) tweeted, “I’m disappointed to learn that the TEA will proceed to take over HISD -- the takeover will remove the democratically elected school board and its superintendent.”

”This decision is a betrayal of parents' rights to elect their governing board.”

https://twitter.com/RepSylviaGarcia/status/1636086636831465474

Texas Representative Joaquin Castro (D) had similar statements.

“.@GovAbbott is a hypocrite. By stripping away local control of Texas' largest school district, Houston ISD, Republicans are setting the stage to undermine the public school system and risk the futures of our students and teachers,” tweeted Rep. Castro.

”So much for the party of small government.”

https://twitter.com/JoaquinCastrotx/status/1636108549687214082

The TEA is led by their commissioner Mike Morath. Morath told news outlet KHOU-11, that they “are choosing nine individuals who are Houstonians who will be the Board of Managers and they will assume all the powers and duties of the elected school board, so it’s essentially a shift in local control from the current locally elected board to an appointed board of nine.”

“They then have all of the duties and obligations to govern the school system like any governing body in the State of Texas, so they’ll oversee the superintendent. They’ll set strategic direction. They’ll set budget. Their job as a team is to be focused like a laser on the needs of students above all else.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has faced extensive criticism over his handling of the state’s school system.

Though the governor has focused on making changes to the school system, he has spent much of his focus on issues at the border.

The governor recently gave a “legislative boost” to Operation Lone Star, a multi-agency effort aimed to stop massive immigration at the border.

“We’re sending a message today: If you're coming toward the United States of America and thinking about making a border crossing in the State of Texas, you're picking the wrong state to try to enter into,” stated the governor.