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.
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.
The Houston Independent School District takeover
In June, the state of Texas formally took control of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), a story with a long and complicated backstory. The state's new powers include expanded accountability sanctions and the ability to trigger takeovers based on test scores. The takeover has been met with criticism, with many questioning its true purpose and its impact on democracy. The state's motives and prior steps towards privatization have raised doubts about the state's commitment to the improvement of public education in Houston.
The impact of takeovers in Houston schools
The state takeover in Houston has led to a scripted curriculum, strict discipline, and an emphasis on standardized test scores. Teachers are required to follow lesson scripts and perform assessments every four minutes, leading to a loss of autonomy and diminished student engagement. Many educators and parents argue that the approach is detrimental, creating an environment of fear and diminishing the joy of learning. The implementation of these policies reflects a broader neoliberal agenda and a labor discipline that restricts teachers' autonomy.
Houston's takeover and its impact on democracy
The state takeover of the Houston school district is seen as an anti-democratic tactic that undermines the city's diverse political power. Critics argue that it is a part of a broader project to impose certain policies, such as privatization and vouchers, on a city with strong black and brown political participation. The absence of bipartisan respectability and the disregard for legitimacy in justifying takeovers reflect a long-term goal of dismantling public education and replacing it with a privatized market-based system.
Have You Heard heads to Houston, where the state now controls Texas’ largest school district. We’ll meet teachers and parents who say the takeover of the schools in this Democratic city is fundamentally about politics. And we’ll try to make sense of how the takeover fits into the efforts by Governor Greg Abbott to bring private school vouchers to the Lone Star state. Spoiler: it does.
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