Small government takeover: The politics of Public-School Board dissolution and the Impact on Student Achievement

ABSTRACT

State takeovers of public-school districts are a controversial method to help fix struggling schools across the United States. This article considers the reasons behind takeovers, their effects on schools and communities, and both the positive and negative aspects of state involvement. We examine various state laws and specific examples from 3 Texas public school districts to understand how takeovers influence school performance, community participation, and district operations. Additionally, we consider the role of factors like socioeconomic conditions and political climate in determining the success of state interventions. Our goal is to contribute to the ongoing conversation about whether state takeovers are an effective solution for the complex challenges facing underperforming schools and school districts. To that end, we conclude by offering recommendations for future policy development and implementation.

Disclaimer

As a service to authors and researchers we are providing this version of an accepted manuscript (AM). Copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proofs will be undertaken on this manuscript before final publication of the Version of Record (VoR). During production and pre-press, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal relate to these versions also.

Notes

1 Note that Mike Miles was previously the Superintendent of Dallas ISD and Commissioner Mike Morath served on the Dallas ISD school board that hired him in 2012.

2 Note: North Forest ISD was closed in 2013 and merged with Houston ISD. The data for “North Forest ISD” is from the current enrollment of North Forest High School, since the school district no longer operates as a separate entity.