In Austin, the team of conservators will help the special education team catch up on evaluations and deliver services, the district’s board of trustees said, adding that educators there have been working for many months to make improvements, including:

Creating a centralized database to track evaluations and implementing new systems to support special education services on campus and at the central office.
Working closely with a nationally recognized special education expert to provide training for campus teams and central office staff.
Launching an aggressive recruitment effort to hire educational diagnosticians and licensed specialists in school psychology, including annual incentives of up to $20,000.
Forming an ad hoc committee of our board that meets multiple times a month to monitor activities and progress.
Communicating with the public with new openness and transparency about the needs the district is working to address.

The board of trustees was set to review the Texas Education Agency’s report at a special meeting on Monday night. In Houston, meanwhile, a coalition of civil rights groups has filed a federal complaint against the state, claiming the takeover violates the rights of district voters to choose their own school leaders.

Instant Insights /

One more Texas takeover: State seizing control of special ed in Austin ISD

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