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?
Who is Mike Morath, and what does the Texas Education Agency do?
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 million students.
Among other responsibilities, the TEA distributes state and federal education funding, oversees standardized testing and assigns A-F accountability ratings to public schools and districts. It also has the authority to intervene in struggling school districts, including replacing locally elected school boards with state-appointed managers.
As commissioner, Morath leads the agency and plays a major role in how those policies are carried out.
Before becoming commissioner, Morath served on the Dallas Independent School District’s board of trustees. He has limited classroom teaching experience and didn’t pursue a career as a teacher.
Why does Hinojosa want to replace him?
Hinojosa, a former Austin Independent School District board president, has repeatedly criticized Morath’s leadership, arguing that Texas public schools have struggled under his watch.
“I don’t have anything against the man personally, but I do believe we need an educator in that position to get us back on track,” Hinojosa told The Texas Standard in October.
Hinojosa has also criticized the state’s A-F school accountability system, which uses standardized test scores and other measures to grade public schools. She’s pledged to pause the system, arguing that it relies too heavily on a flawed standardized test.
“It is created by the Texas Education Agency that then decides how to grade it after the kids have already taken the test,” Hinojosa said in October. “We need an objective outside measure of our kids’ performance. I still have a son in public school. I crave that accountability for his education, and all our kids’ education.”
Another major point of contention is the TEA’s authority to take control of local school districts.
The most prominent example is Houston ISD, the state’s largest school district. In 2023, the TEA replaced the district’s elected school board and superintendent with state-appointed leaders, citing years of poor academic performance.
The takeover has remained controversial. Supporters point to improvements in academic performance and school accountability ratings, while critics argue that the state has stripped parents and communities of a say in how their schools are run.
Hinojosa has sided with critics of the takeover and has called for restoring local control of public schools. She has specifically pledged to return Houston ISD to local control.
“I will give the school district back to the people of Houston,” Hinojosa said during a July interview with the Houston Press.
Her opposition also extends to the possibility of a state takeover in Austin ISD, where she previously served as school board president. The district has faced the threat of state intervention over special education failures.
Her broader education agenda includes increasing public school funding, raising teacher pay and opposing the state’s new private school voucher program, which provides public money to help eligible families pay for private education.
The Texas Education Agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
What happens next?
Morath’s current term is scheduled to expire before Hinojosa takes office on Jan. 19, giving her an opportunity to choose a new education commissioner.
But her nominee would need confirmation from the Texas Senate, where Republicans retained their majority in Tuesday’s election. And replacing Morath wouldn’t automatically reverse the policies implemented during his tenure.
Many of the agency’s responsibilities, including its authority to take over struggling school districts and administer the state’s accountability system, are established by state law.
Changing those laws would require support from the Texas Legislature. Democrats won control of the Texas House in Tuesday’s election, but Republicans retained their majority in the Senate.
That divided Legislature could complicate Hinojosa’s efforts to overhaul public education. Still, a new commissioner could change how the agency carries out existing laws and works with local school districts.
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