The takeover felt like a \u201cwake-up call,\u201d said Mike Coffey, president of Imperative Information Group, a company that conducts background checks. In a city that has earned high rankings in economic success<\/a>, Coffey urged business leaders to play larger roles in local schools. <\/p>\n \u201cIf the schools are bad, the employers won\u2019t come here,\u201d Coffey said. \u201cWe\u2019ll be left with just a low-performing community. It\u2019s not the kind of place we want to raise our kids.\u201d <\/p>\n The Education Lab<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n During a takeover<\/a>, TEA appoints a new board of managers and a new superintendent to govern the district. The state has stepped in for reasons including fiscal mismanagement, cheating scandals and consistently failing academic performance at a campus.<\/p>\n Houston ISD, the state\u2019s largest district, went under state control in 2023<\/a>. The three business leaders spent a couple hours and observed about five classrooms at Milne Elementary School<\/a>. <\/p>\n Milne Elementary School, where 96% of students are economically disadvantaged, has seen jumps in its Texas A-F accountability grades<\/a>. In 2023, the school had an F rating, and in 2024, it received a B \u2014 just shy of earning an A. <\/p>\n The executives were impressed by what they saw during their visit: timed lessons, rubrics and engagement from students. Tom Harris, executive vice president of Hillwood, a real estate investment and development company, called the system \u201cincredibly regimented.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou really need to do something drastic, and this is drastic,\u201d Harris said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to have some people that are going to be mad along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n The state intervention has received much criticism from Houston ISD community members. They say that the curriculum leans too heavily on test preparation and scripted lesson plans, and they point to drops in teacher retention. In the 2024-25 school year, Houston ISD saw a teacher turnover rate of 32.2%, compared with the statewide average of 18.8%, the Houston Chronicle<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n Some Fort Worth teachers, parents and students worry that Houston ISD\u2019s experience will foreshadow their own. They also say the district has improved in recent years. In 2024, the district had 31 F-rated campuses, and last year, it had 11. Of its 135 campuses, 63 improved by at least one letter grade. <\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n TEA is still determining Fort Worth ISD\u2019s board of managers, which will take over the responsibilities of the elected trustees. The managers work with the appointed superintendent to bolster academics and operations. <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/HKQM5AOUDFE5POB2TZPHQKHQVU.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772113094_158_YBHCILM54ZAMNNSC7HQY7NZGFQ.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Steve](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/557G6VRP3ZC2ZG26TUDL72CAZU.jpg\")
<\/p>\n