A Critical Policy History Analysis of Student-Led Resistance Against Houston ISD State Takeover Policy

• In Event: Shifting Paradigms: Understanding Critical Policy Analysis as a Lens for Equity-Focused Education Policy Research

Abstract

In June 2023, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) suspended the democratically elected board of trustees and installed a board of managers to set policy and educational goals for Houston Independent School District (HISD), the largest district in Texas. This, along with a newly appointed superintendent, was part of a state takeover triggered by provisions in House Bill 1842, which was met with immediate resistance from local stakeholders. In this study, we employ a critical policy history approach through the construction of a microhistory and cultural history to understand 1) the dominant logics of the state takeover as reflected in HISD policy, practice, and discourse and 2) how students have engaged in politics of resistance around state takeover policy and practice.

Authors

• Alison Wilson, University of Houston

• Detra DeVerne Johnson, University of Houston