Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa said she will fire Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath on her first day in office. She said, "The days of treating our public schools like they are for sale are over." Morath has led the agency for 10 years. The TEA oversees about 1,200 school districts and nearly 5.5 million students.
Tyler ISD Superintendent Marty Crawford said he is watching the TEA and what lawmakers do when they return to Austin in January. He said funding and attracting teachers are the most important issues. He said he hopes the state keeps the teacher incentive allotment and that lawmakers should look at starting teacher pay.
Former state Rep. Travis Clardy, a lifelong Republican who served with Hinojosa in the Texas House, called Morath a personal friend. Clardy said the agency has been "off course for a while now" and said he thinks it is time for a change. He also criticized the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, a billion-dollar voucher program that started this year. Clardy said he supported trying vouchers with guardrails while in office, but now has concerns about the program's scope and growth. He said taxpayer money should not pay for private school.
Crawford said the voucher program is "baked into statute right now" and that changing it would require negotiation between the governor's office and the Legislature in the next session. Crawford said Tyler ISD will inform families about any changes that come from that session.