In light of the upcoming legislative session, Texans are taking notes on ideas for education reform being proposed by other states.
Texas Education 911, a grassroots group that advocates for parental rights, transparency, and accountability in government education, says that the current system is not working for Texans, and it is time to debate reforms.
In Oklahoma, State Superintendent Ryan Walters has suggested that the superintendent’s job should be an elected position instead of a school board-appointed one.
Aileen Blachowski, one of the parents leading Texas Education 911, told Texas Scorecard the proposal is worth considering and would give some power back to voters.
“Regarding electing local superintendents, I think, generally speaking, anytime you’re talking about representative government, it’s always a better idea to put those decisions in the hands of voters, as opposed to appointments that can be manipulated by political pressure and power,” said Blachowski.
“We’re going to see a lot of new and novel ideas come forward about how to hold schools accountable, because the last five years has exposed a tremendous amount of bad acting on the part of school districts and the school system,” she continued.
Superintendents have faced criticism for being granted inflated salaries even when their students are performing poorly.
Last week, Grand Prairie ISD’s Superintendent Jorge Arredondo was fired after being put on administrative leave for months, during which time he was paid his regular salary of $317,000. Arredondo only worked for the district for five months.
In Fort Worth ISD, the district will have paid former Superintendent Angélica Ramsey nearly $1 million by the time she officially resigns as an employee on August 30, 2025.
“I’ve looked at a lot of superintendent contracts, and almost none of them are tied to student achievement,” said Blachowski.
A policy like the proposal by Oklahoma Superintendent Walters could also be a solution to capping superintendent salaries, Blachowski added.
Since 2023, a primary goal for Texas Education 911 has been establishing an Office of Inspector General for state education to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in public education.
House Bill 1456 by State Rep. Jared Patterson (R–Frisco) has already been filed and would create an office at the Texas Education Agency to investigate complaints made by parents of children in public schools.
Another priority of Texas Education 911 is to end dangerous discrepancies in statutory code that grant school employees immunity from criminal consequences in cases of sexual misconduct.
“We would love to see an exemption from sovereign immunity for the physical or sexual assault of a student at school. That should never enjoy immunity from civil suit, not for the individual who commits the act, or for the school district that hires the individual or fails to oversee them,” Blachowski told Texas Scorecard.
The 89th Texas Legislative Session begins on January 14.
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