Houston state senators file bill to keep TEA from 'subjecting nearly 200,000 students and 27,000 teachers and employees to a takeover'

A cadre of Democratic state senators from Houston have filed a bill in an effort to prevent the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) takeover of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported.

“[Senate Bill] (SB) 1662 offers the agency options to work collaboratively with HISD to address any current deficiencies instead of subjecting nearly 200,000 students and 27,000 teachers and employees to a takeover," Sen. Carol Alvarado told the station.

She authored the legislation with Sens. Borris Miles and John Whitmire with the hope of keeping the entire school board of Texas’ largest public school district intact.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner claimed earlier this month that the TEA could assume control of HISD, citing his sources in the Texas Legislature, Houston Daily reported. 

Turner asserted HISD made significant academic progress. 

“A takeover is not good for students, parents, faculty or [the city],” the mayor, an alumnus of the district, said, the publication reported citing KHOU.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) told KHOU that he doesn’t expect the measure to make an immediate impact even if it were approved by both chambers of the legislature.

“Any change now would take literally years to work its way through the courts, even if it even passed by the Legislature," Bettencourt said.

At least one Democratic legislator expressed support for what would become the first time the TEA takes the helm of a large, urban school district.

Houston FOX affiliate KRIV reported that State Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston) in 2015 wrote a law that allows the state to intervene when a school district experiences a myriad of problems. 

"If a school district lets one school, one campus fail for five consecutive school years, the state had two choices,” Dutton told KRIV. “The state could come and take over the district or the state could close the school." 

Citing Houston ABC affiliate KTRK, Houston Daily reported that Dutton said Turner and other city officials failed to see an underlying problem despite their assertions HISD achieved a B+ state accountability rating and Wheatley High School saw its rating improve by two grades from a lowly F. 

Turner had spoken to TEA head Mike Morath, who couldn’t confirm nor deny the purported plans for a takeover. 

The agency said it was reviewing a Texas Supreme Court decision that paves the way for state control of HISD.