A significant transformation in Texas education policy appears imminent following last week’s landmark midterm elections.
Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa positioned public education as a cornerstone of her platform throughout her campaign, announcing that among her first official acts in office will be the removal of Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath and the reversal of state takeovers affecting underperforming school districts. These anticipated actions carry considerable implications for districts currently operating under state intervention, Fort Worth ISD among them.
**Why Mike Morath matters**
Commissioner Morath was appointed to lead the TEA by outgoing Governor Greg Abbott. In this capacity, he holds extensive authority over school districts placed under state intervention, including the power to appoint superintendents and boards of managers to govern those districts. Fort Worth ISD is one of several school districts presently functioning under such state oversight.
As Hinojosa prepares to assume office in January, growing attention is being directed toward the possibility that existing state takeovers could be reversed under her administration.
**Hinojosa’s top education priorities**
Throughout her campaign, Hinojosa committed to sweeping reforms within Texas public education, including the following priorities:
– Removing TEA Commissioner Mike Morath from his position
– Restoring local community control to districts currently under state intervention
– Eliminating STAAR testing, which she has publicly characterized as inequitable and fundamentally flawed
– Discontinuing the state’s private school voucher program and redirecting those funds toward neighborhood public schools
– Increasing teacher compensation by reducing vendor contracts and reallocating existing resources
**Fort Worth ISD takeover and the midterms**
In the days following Election Day, a number of Fort Worth ISD parents shared with CBS Texas their belief that widespread frustration over the district’s state takeover served as a significant motivating factor for voters. These parents cited deep concerns regarding the TEA’s expanding role in public education and what many perceived as an insufficient commitment to supporting local schools.
Fort Worth ISD parent Dionna Deardorff expressed her view that education-related concerns transcended traditional party affiliations during this election cycle.
“I think that you saw people saying, ‘I am no longer for my party. I am voting for my child. I am voting for all the children in this city,’ and so I think it made an enormous impact,” Deardorff said.
Fellow Fort Worth ISD parent Keith Annis echoed this sentiment, suggesting that widespread dissatisfaction with the state takeover likely influenced both voter turnout and broader political engagement across the region.
“I would never say I was in support of anything Mike Morath brought forward,” Annis said. “I certainly don’t agree with any of the outgoing governor’s opinions, ideas and approaches to public education. Namely, I think he is opposed to true public education and wants to privatize the whole thing. I absolutely believe that the energy and unhappiness with the takeover fed into things like voter turnout and voter opinion.”
**What could happen next?**
Commissioner Morath’s current term was already scheduled to conclude in January, coinciding closely with Hinojosa’s assumption of office. The governor-elect has pledged to appoint a credentialed educator to serve as the new TEA commissioner, signaling a meaningful departure from the current leadership approach.
The more pressing question facing stakeholders now is what specific course of action the incoming administration will pursue with respect to Fort Worth ISD and other districts currently operating under state control. Pete Geren, president of the district’s state-appointed Board of Managers, is expected to address these outstanding questions and speak to whether a restoration of local governance may ultimately be forthcoming.
