Betsy DeVos, former President Donald Trump's education secretary, told Newsmax that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is "championing" greater educational opportunities for children.
Joining "Rob Schmitt Tonight" on Thursday, DeVos praised Abbott for ordering the Texas Education Agency to take over the Houston Independent School District after it continually failed to meet state standards.
"This is a good and important move for the kids in the city and district of Houston. Over 200,000 kids there," DeVos said of the Texas Republican governor's decision. "For years, many of them have been failed. They've been failing the kids, and it's time for a change."
DeVos also insisted that Abbott was "really championing what we know the solution is" to failing schools and districts — "putting parents in charge."
"It's time to end the government monopoly on schools. The union-controlled, top-down, status quo-oriented, protect our own resources and our own power at the expense of kids," she continued. "Houston is just another example of where this has been happening."
Her comments arrive one day after the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced it would remove Houston Independent School District's (ISD) school board and Superintendent Millard House II, The Texas Tribune reported.
The agency, which initially tried to take over Houston ISD in 2019, says the action is motivated by allegations of misconduct from board members and years of poor academic outcomes.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled in January that the TEA could move forward with the takeover after over three years of intense legal battle, according to the Houston Chronicle.
"Even with recent improvements and despite good intentions from many, Houston ISD as a system continues to allow chronically low achievement in multiple schools," TEA Commissioner Mike Morath stated.
"State intervention is necessary ... in an attempt to shore up support for students in those schools," he added.
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