AUSTIN, Texas -- Today, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa released the following statement on the state takeover of Houston Independent School District:

“For a party that claims to exemplify ‘small government,’ these Republican politicians sure have a strange way of respecting local control— shoving their agendas down the throats of every local community and every family in their sights. This bad-faith ‘takeover’ of a local school district is state overreach – plain and simple.

“Republicans claim they’re swooping in and rescuing poorly-performing schools, but that’s a lie – the schools in question have been improving at a rapid pace over the past several years. Houston ISD now has a B+ rating in every category. 40 of the 50 schools flagged in 2019 as ‘underperforming’ are now performing leaps and bounds better, just 4 years later. 

“So let’s be honest about Republicans’ true intentions here: they want to demonize public schools, manufacturing a crisis to make them look weak and incompetent, using Houston kids’ education and families’ stability as pawns in their sick game. It’s no coincidence that Houston ISD is among the most diverse school districts in Texas, or that it’s located in one of the biggest Democratic strongholds in the state – and it’s also no coincidence that Republicans are pulling this shameful stunt right as they’re trying to kneecap support for public education to rally folks around their school vouchers agenda.

“This takeover will cause enormous disruption in the education and lives of Houston kids. Hardworking Houston families – who already have so much on their plates – will be left to navigate through the chaos this takeover will impose on their day-to-day lives. 

“We as Texas Democrats, echoing what the Texas Legislative Black Caucus members stated this morning, strongly urge the state to reconsider this boondoggle of a political stunt – and we urge the Texas Legislature to quickly pass Rep. Alma Allen’s H.B. 3780 to prevent the TEA from being able to so quickly move to take over a school district in the future and bring accountability to the agency.”

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