Have You Heard
#165 The Politics of State Takeovers
Oct 19, 2023
Explore the politics behind state takeovers in Texas education, specifically in Houston, where the state controls the largest school district. Learn about the motivations, consequences for teachers and students, and lack of improvement in educational outcomes. Discover the limited bargaining and strike rights for teachers, as well as the resistance and pushback from parents and educators against Superintendent Mike Miles. Delve into the relationship between state takeovers, conservative cultural programs, and the privatization agenda, which leads to the dismantling of public education and de-professionalized teachers. Lastly, hear a success story about top-performing schools run by the US military.
38:54
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Quick takeaways
- State takeovers of school districts can lead to narrow curriculum and non-ideal teaching practices, harming schools instead of improving them.
- The state takeover of the Houston school district is seen as an anti-democratic tactic that aims to dismantle public education and replace it with a privatized market-based system.
Deep dives
State takeovers and their effectiveness
State takeovers of school districts are not generally recommended by scholars and practitioners. State takeovers often strip locally elected officials of power and render communities voiceless. The expectations set during takeovers, such as improving standardized test scores, can lead to narrow curriculum and non-ideal teaching practices. There is empirical evidence that state takeovers do not improve schools and can have harmful effects.
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