The transformation of Houston Independent School District (HISD) has resulted in the biggest education success story in America. Student success metrics have soared for three consecutive academic years, the number of A and B-rated schools has nearly doubled, and teachers are being paid more for their commendable work.
The success of Houston students is worthy of celebration. Teachers, principals, and parents should be praised for raising expectations and delivering results. Instead of standing with Houston students, local politicians and union activists created a fake “commission,” the “Commission of the HISD Takeover,” and released an 81-page report.
The document reads like a campaign document rather than a serious review of Houston schools. The “commission” ignores the fact that the transformation is working, and that tens of thousands of students across Houston are learning in higher quality schools in classrooms led by teachers who are better paid and motivated to ensure students succeed. Students, families, and all Houstonians deserve better.
The name itself — “commission” — is a misleading and deceptive term for this group. This is a politically-motivated entity led by two-recently elected lawmakers – Texas Sen. Molly Cook and Texas Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons – as well as Rev. Colin Bossen, who leads a Unitarian Universalist church in the museum district.
The “commission” has worked alongside anti-reform groups such as Community Voices for Public Education (CVPE), which admits to working with socialists and demands an extreme agenda in schools, including test abolition and defunding the police.
The truth is the state intervention has been life-changing for Houston students. Test scores have increased across grades and subject areas for three consecutive academic years. A and B-rated schools have nearly doubled while nearly all failing schools have been turned around. Teacher pay is up. Reading achievement has increased across all grade levels, math proficiency continues to increase, more than 1,000 8th grade students are now taking algebra, and this is just a snapshot of the impressive tangible improvements that have occurred at HISD in just three years.
Additionally, HISD finances are strong. Prior to the intervention, HISD was facing a projected budget shortfall of more than $520 million. After tremendous reforms, HISD now has a balanced budget for the 2026-2027 school year while continuing to support teachers, staff, and most importantly, students, through their academic development. Meanwhile, what have members of this “commission” done to improve student outcomes over the last decades of students being left behind by a broken system?
The timing of the “commission” report also raises questions about their motivations — less than a month before Election Day. Houston’s students deserve better than being used as pawns in politically-motivated fights. They deserve a quality education that sets them up for success and puts them on a solid path for their future.
We have many questions about the motivation and funding behind the report.