HOUSTON — Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II said he's not letting the Texas Education Agency takeover drama deter him from doing what he was hired to do.
He issued a statement Thursday at the beginning of a board meeting saying the district had not received any official notice from TEA regarding taking over HISD and when he does get any information, he will provide updates.
"I remain laser-focused on fulfilling my duties as Superintendent alongside our Board of Trustees to provide the best possible educational outcomes for all HISD students," House said. "My team and I will continue to implement our community-informed strategic plan, which is delivering results for HISD students and families."
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was the first to reveal the possible imminent takeover during Wednesday's council meeting. He said his legislative sources told him it could be as soon as next week.
Turner said the takeover will totally obliterate local control. He also said the HISD Board of Trustees and House could be replaced.
So far, the TEA has only said it continues to review a recent court ruling to determine the next steps, confirming a final legal box that needed to be checked was completed on Wednesday. That cleared the way for intervention based on 2019 data when the initial takeover threat first surfaced.
"If you intend to do it, there needs to be a considerable amount of community engagement and transparency," Turner said. "And not hide behind the walls."
The news of the TEA taking over HISD is not surprising. The TEA launched its takeover efforts in 2019 due to perpetually failing schools, and among other things, alleged misconduct by certain trustees. In January, the Texas Supreme Court issued an opinion ruling that cleared the way for the TEA takeover.
Turner admitted he had reservations about HISD back in 2019, but there have been significant gains since then that should be considered.
House had remained quiet about the news until Thursday when he made a short statement at the beginning of the meeting.
"I would like to take a moment to address the information that has been making the rounds this week regarding a potential intervention by the Texas Education Agency.
"As of today, the district has not received any official notice from the TEA. I remain laser-focused on fulfilling my duties as Superintendent alongside our Board of Trustees to provide the best possible educational outcomes for all HISD students. My team and I will continue to implement our community-informed strategic plan, which is delivering results for HISD students and families.
"The district will provide an update for our students, families, and community as soon as we receive new information from the TEA."
After making the statement, the board went into a closed-door meeting.