Power Inequities and Silencing “Naysayers”: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the HISD (Houston Independent School District) Takeover

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Research on School Closures, Zoning Policies, and De/Segregation (Table 9)

Abstract

This study examines the use of discourse during the state takeover of Houston Independent School District (HISD). Through the lens of critical discourse analysis (CDA), state-appointed superintendent Mike Miles utilizes discourse as power to enforce new policy measures and school reform. Through the analysis of news artifacts and public board meetings, discourse as power is used through urgency, suppression, and authority to enact widespread reform throughout the district. This paper will discuss how these themes of discourse lead to an imbalance of power between the community and district leaders.

Author

• Leiflyn Gamborg, University of Connecticut