By: d-mars.com
EDBuild.org & NBC News
The Texas state government has taken control of approximately 85 schools in the Houston district, most of which serve Latino or Black communities. They’ve standardized teaching methods and curricula, converted some school libraries into discipline centers, and reassigned or removed teachers and librarians. This intervention was purportedly done to address long-standing educational failures, particularly in literacy and math, among the district’s predominantly Latino and Black student population. However, critics argue that these actions echo past practices of unequal education for minority communities, which were historically underfunded and underserved.
Thomas Saenz from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) emphasized that solving educational inequities requires comprehensive attention and resources. The state’s recent actions, including the conversion of school libraries and removal of staff, have exacerbated existing inequalities within the district. While some schools have not been affected, the changes disproportionately impact schools serving minority communities.
“The problems that created educational inequities can’t be solved by one element,” said Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF. He added, “You need comprehensive attention, resources, monitoring. To turn around a school, much less a district,” he said, “that takes resources and that’s the real problem. These overwhelmingly Black and brown districts are starved of resources.”
The state’s history of discriminatory educational policies, including segregation and underfunding, has perpetuated disparities in education. These systemic inequities, coupled with biased standardized testing and inadequate funding, continue to hinder the academic success of students of color and those from low-income backgrounds.
Parents have voiced concerns about the abrupt changes imposed on their children’s schools, including scripted curricula and the removal of essential resources like libraries. They perceive these changes as detrimental to their children’s education and well-being, feeling marginalized and powerless in the decision-making process.
“A school district that has one budget, one governing body, one superintendent, should ensure that every school at a particular level, every high school, every middle school, every elementary school has the same services, the same access and that’s what this does not provide,” Saenz stated.
While state officials defend the changes as necessary to improve academic performance, critics argue that such reforms overlook systemic issues and exacerbate existing inequities. The ongoing struggle for equal education in Texas reflects a broader national challenge in ensuring equitable access to quality education for all students, regardless of race or socioeconomic background.
