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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
George Chidi in Houston, Texas

Texas took over a failing Houston school district. Will its militaristic structure work?

Two tall, skinny Black high school students, wearing matching white T-shirts, jeans, and white sneakers, smile and walk together toward a stone and brick building.
Students arrive for the first day of school at Phillis Wheatley high school in Houston, Texas, on 28 August 2023. Photograph: Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

In the fashion of American democracy, when someone believes there’s a problem with their local school, they may decide to make a call or send an email to their elected school board members, whom they almost always have to look up first.

Parents might take these minor elected officials by the figurative shirt collar and gently shake them, saying: “I want this thing to change.” They may then gather their surly neighbors and gang up on the school board to not-so-gently threaten their re-election until someone is thrown out of office or everyone else gives up.

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