Gonna keep escalating, I guess.
The Texas Education Agency has ordered Houston ISD’s state conservators to review its plans for 5,000 special education students, highlighting tensions over the treatment of students with disabilities in the state’s largest district.
The district has announced plans to consolidate special education services in fewer school campuses. But in a July 7 letter obtained by the Chronicle, the state agency told HISD to review thousands of students’ individualized education programs and meet with families before reassigning students.
If HISD does not take all corrective action by Oct. 9, it could face state sanctions, the TEA said.
In response, HISD said it was already reviewing student learning plans and would schedule meetings with parents, as needed, during the 2026-27 year — contradicting TEA’s order. Special education experts have said the conversations with parents should happen before such changes are made.
[…]
“Recent public reporting has raised significant concerns regarding Houston ISD’s Success Program and the potential movement of students with disabilities to different campuses for the 2026–2027 school year,” the state agency said in the letter. “TEA is aware that families have publicly requested that Houston ISD pause implementation of these changes, and the agency is investigating multiple special education complaints related to this matter.”
In the letter, TEA acknowledged that school districts have the authority to move students in special education programs to different campuses. But since specific campus assignments are often written into students’ individualized education plans, the district should consult with parents before making such moves, the agency said.
The district should also consider the potential harmful effects of reassigning students with special needs, especially if a new campus is further from home, the TEA said.
See here and here for the most recent updates. I really don’t know what to make of this. HISD has already been taken over – fixing its special ed program was a part of the reason for the takeover, though that’s often overlooked – and the district has had a TEA-appointed conservator overseeing its special ed program since 2020. I have no idea where the TEA can go from here if HISD continues with its “no, we’re fine, leave us alone” stance. One could argue that the next logical step, if the TEA still believes HISD is shining it on, would be to threaten to replace Mike Miles, whom the TEA appointed in the first place. Is that even a viable possibility? Again, I have no idea. This has the feel to me of a parent making increasing threats of punishment to its recalcitrant child, with both the child and the parent knowing that it’s a bluff because the threats are not credible. (Ask me how I know what this feeling is.) It usually doesn’t end well for the supposed authority figure. Maybe this time will be different.