Why Gina Hinojosa wants to fire Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath – Houston Public Media

Why Gina Hinojosa wants to fire Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath  Houston Public Media

Texas' governor-elect has pledged to replace the state's top public education official when she takes office in January. Here's why. Democratic Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa has made it clear that replacing Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath will be one of her first priorities when she takes office in January. "In case you have not heard, on day one, I will fire Mike Morath," Hinojosa told supporters during her victory speech Tuesday night, drawing cheers from the crowd. But Morath, who's led the Texas Education Agency since 2016, is already nearing the end of his third term. His current appointment expires Jan. 10, nine days before Hinojosa takes office. That means Hinojosa could appoint a replacement rather than formally fire Morath.

She said Thursday that her transition team is already interviewing candidates, although her nominee would need confirmation from the Republican-controlled Texas Senate. The promise reflects Hinojosa's longstanding criticism of how Texas oversees its public schools, particularly the state's takeover of struggling school districts and its approach to school accountability. But who is Morath, what does he do and why does Hinojosa want him gone? Morath has served as Texas education commissioner since January 2016, when Republican Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him to lead the Texas Education Agency, or TEA. The agency oversees the state's public education system, which serves roughly 5.5