What is the TEA?

The Texas Education Agency—the state agency that oversees primary and secondary education. It is headed by the commissioner of education, who is appointed by the governor.

What is a TEA takeover of a public  school district?

State law requires the Commissioner of Education to take one of two actions if even one district campus receives five F accountability ratings from the state in a row: 1) close the campus; or 2) appoint a board of managers that will govern the district. 

The Commissioner also appoints the superintendent and usually assigns a conservator to manage the takeover.

The board of managers assumes all the duties of the elected board such as decisions over budget, staff, curriculum, and operations, including real estate transactions and campus closures. The elected board remains, but is suspended and has no authority over the district.

Why is Austin ISD under threat of takeover?

Two AISD campuses have received five “unacceptable” ratings in a row from TEA. Under current state law, that triggers action from the commissioner.

What is the impact of takeover on Houston ISD and Fort Worth ISD?

Here’s what’s happened in other takeover districts.

The takeover of Houston ISD started in 2023: 

• Loss of 12,000 teachers over three years—about one in three teachers every year. 

• One in four teachers is now uncertified, compared to 1 percent before takeover

• Rigid, repetitive lessons are tightly timed and scripted, with a heavy emphasis on daily testing. In some cases lessons include inaccurate AI material.

• Full-length books are restricted.

• Children get sorted by academic ability in front of their peers.

• Some libraries have become discipline/team centers, where students complete lessons and tests are given worksheets under the supervision of uncertified staff. 

• Schools have lost electives and extracurriculars. 

• Parent voice is dismissed, campus access is restricted, and parents receive limited communication about district decisions.

• Some special education students have been moved with little notice out of their home schools into “hub” campuses.

The takeover of Fort Worth ISD started in 2026. 

• The district lost more than 1,000 teachers in the first six months and saw a 569 percent increase in uncertified teachers.

• Fort Worth students started the year with lessons that included AI-developed slides that contained factual errors.

If my child’s school is rated A or B, will it still be affected by a takeover?

A takeover affects all schools in the district. Houston cut IB programs, and many high-performing schools lost teachers. Beaumont cut student mental health providers. Fort Worth cut special education and dual-language positions. Teacher loss in these districts impacted all campuses and contributed to additional school closures.

I’m not happy with Austin ISD because they closed my school / did not deliver promised resources / reassigned me to a lower-rated school. How do I know we wouldn’t be better off with TEA in control?

There’s no question AISD has a lot of work to do. But the massive enrollment and staff losses in other takeover districts shows that takeovers make things worse, not better. 

Our state government does not prioritize real, authentic learning and doesn’t know our communities. But we do. Let’s fix our schools, our way.

What can I do? Isn’t a takeover inevitable?

We don’t know the future, but we need to prepare NOW so we don’t lose valuable time getting organized if a takeover happens. We need to be united across the district and ready to act when the time comes.

Go to our Take Action page to find out what you can do right now.

Has Austin ISD made academic progress over the last year?

Yes. Austin ISD’s overall accountability rating increased from a C to a B, its first B rating in four years.  The number of A- and B-rated campuses climbed from 47 to 61.

Did Austin ISD take action to avoid a takeover?

Yes. In addition to implementing a turnaround plan and adding resources to the campuses, AISD submitted an application to TEA to approve the benefits that come with an 1882 partnership. That would have extended the time AISD had to improve these campuses, provided additional financial resources, and put a pause on sanctions for two years. TEA did not approve this application. We were the only district in the state denied these benefits.

Can’t Austin ISD just close Webb or Burnet middle schools now?

No. Any district-initiated closure must happen before the campus receives its fourth F.

What is the parent petition option for closure?

There is only one option in Texas law that allows parents to have any say in what happens to their school. Parents have a legal right to file a Parent Petition of Action that asks the Commissioner of Education to close their school; however, by pursuing this option, the district is allowed to work with parents to create and submit a new plan for their school to the Commissioner.  

The plan must follow certain state requirements, the Commissioner can require changes, and the Commissioner has final approval. There is no perfect solution when a takeover is triggered, only an option that allows for parents to have some say over the future of their school.