Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy.
In today’s edition, you’ll find:
- On the issues: The debate over AI
- In your district: Teacher strikes
- What to know about the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of the Fort Worth Independent School District
- Extracurricular: education news from around the web
- Candidate Connection survey
Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas!
On the issues: The debate over AI
In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members deliberate when they set out to offer the best education possible in their district. Missed an issue? Click here to see the previous education debates we’ve covered.
In the three years since ChatGPT was released, the generative AI platform—along with similar tools like Claude and Gemini—has become a major source of both excitement and consternation in K-12 education. The technology has spread rapidly and divided parents, educators, and policymakers. According to a recent RAND report, during the 2024-25 school year, “54 percent of middle school and high school students said that they use AI to some extent for their schoolwork, and 21 percent indicated that they use it at least once per week or more.”
Generative AI tools answer questions and respond to prompts in a strikingly human way, enabling students to explore innumerable topics as though guided by an obliging expert. But AI can also generate entire essays and solve complex math problems within seconds, eliminating much of the effort required for students to develop skills and build knowledge.
Today, we present two perspectives on how to think about AI and learning.
Columbia University linguistics professor John McWhorter says people are overstating the downsides of AI. He argues that modern life is awash with high-quality content, from Substack newsletters to podcasts, suggesting that people are still interested in learning even as they read fewer books than in the past. McWhorter draws a comparison between AI and other tools, like the calculator, that save students time for deeper thinking. He says teachers will need to adapt and rely more on in-class exercises and exams to teach students foundational skills, while understanding that AI will make some traditional assignments, like essay writing, less necessary.
Frederick Hess, director of the American Enterprise Institute's Education Policy Studies, says students need to master foundational skills, including reading and writing, before coming to rely on AI. Hess argues that McWhorter’s essay places him within a long tradition of sanguine education reformers who have contended that new technologies, like cellphones, would revolutionize learning. Hess recommends that parents and educators encourage kids to read more books and spend less time with AI and social media.
My Students Use AI. So What? | John McWhorter, The Atlantic
“Critics will argue that books are more valuable than videos because they demand more imagination—purportedly creating better, stronger thinkers. But this familiar argument strikes me as an ex post facto justification for existing prejudices. If there had always been video, I doubt many people would wish we could distill these narratives into words so that we could summon up our own images. I have also never seen the argument that theater disadvantages viewers by providing visuals instead of letting people read the plays for themselves. Plenty of people used to argue that radio was better than television because it demanded imagination, but who among us thinks that Severance would have been better as a radio show?
“…Sure, it’s disorienting to wonder whether either of my own children will ever embrace long, classic novels. But they now enjoy a richer array of material than I ever did, and my job is simply to encourage them to engage with the best of it as much as possible—even if that means they will likely encounter less Tolstoy than I did. And although I find grammar rules intriguing enough to have devoted much of my life to studying them, I don’t mind that my daughters and students needn’t expend so much energy mastering these often-arbitrary dictates. My hope is that by having AI handle some of this busy work, they will have more time to actually think for themselves.”
Of AI and Our Desire to Believe the Kids are Alright | Frederick Hess, Education Next
“Technology is a tool. Tools can be used poorly or well. Cars are wonderful things for adults. But, used recklessly by a kid, they’re also capable of great harm. The same is true of power drills and electric saws. That’s why we’ve developed norms in which some tools are reserved for use by fully formed adults and recognize that novices need supervision and training from more experienced users. We typically don’t just hand tweens an electric saw or the keys to the car and say, ‘You go have fun now.’ McWhorter seems to have lost sight of that intuition here.
“In a world awash with deepfakes, AI hallucinations, and malicious propaganda, there’s indisputable value in ensuring that youth master offline skills and content knowledge before they’re leaning on AI or burning through their free time watching cat videos. That requires parents and educators to set firm, age-appropriate limits on the use of devices and technology. But this is just the kind of heavy hand that McWhorter deems misguided. I disagree. I’m convinced that youth are better served when they spend more time reading books, less time watching TikToks, and have those expectations reinforced by parents and educators who act accordingly.”
In your district: Teacher strikes
We want to hear what's happening in your school district. Please complete the very brief survey below—anonymously, if you prefer—and we may share your response with fellow subscribers in an upcoming newsletter.
Teachers unions have used the strike as a tool for bargaining for higher compensation, better working conditions, and other factors related to the teaching profession since the early 20th century. According to researchers at the Brookings Institute, nearly 800 teacher strikes occurred between 2007 and 2023.
Last week, we featured two contrasting perspectives on the ethics of teacher strikes, and now we want to know what you think.
Should teacher strikes be allowed, restricted, or prohibited—and why?
Click here to respond!
What to know about the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of the Fort Worth Independent School District
On Oct. 23, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced he was replacing all nine elected members of the Fort Worth Independent School District board of trustees with state-selected appointees, citing poor academic performance at several schools across the district. Morath also said he would replace current superintendent Dr. Karen Molinar and appoint a conservator to monitor the takeover.
Fort Worth ISD is the 10th largest district in Texas, with approximately 71,000 students. Fort Worth ISD is the second largest the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has taken over. In 2023, the TEA assumed control of the Houston Independent School District, the state’s largest district.
Here’s what to know.
The focal point of the takeover is a middle school
In his letter to Fort Worth ISD leadership, Morath said the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak, a middle school, had failed five consecutive times, beginning in 2016, to meet the state’s accountability standards. Morath also said that “20 campuses have been academically unacceptable for multiple years in a row, including two campuses that have earned unacceptable ratings for four consecutive years.”
Morath argued state law required him to either close the district or appoint a board of managers to oversee it.
Morath wrote: “I do not make this decision lightly. As a former elected school board member myself, I understand the importance and impact local school board members can have on the quality of schools in their districts. Ultimately, the Fort Worth ISD school board has, collectively, through action and inaction over many years, failed the students of Fort Worth ISD.”
Governor Greg Abbott (R) appointed Morath to oversee the TEA in 2015.
The district shuttered the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak and assigned students to the Forest Oak Middle School at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
The TEA uses the A-F Accountability System, implemented in 2019, to rate districts and campuses. In 2023, a group of more than 120 districts sued to stop the TEA from releasing performance ratings after Morath announced stricter standards. The districts said Morath did not provide them with enough advance notice of the changing criteria. In April 2025, the Fifteenth District Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit, allowing for the release of the 2022-23 ratings. The TEA released scores for the 2022-23 and 2024-25 school years this August. The Leadership Academy at Forest Oak received an F for the 2022-23 school year. Morath said even though the school no longer exists, the law still requires him to intervene.
The board has asked Morath to reconsider the takeover
On Oct. 30, school board president Roxanne Martinez and attorneys for the district, along with board members Tobi Jackson, Anne Darr and Wallace Bridges, met with Morath in Austin. Martinez said, “We highlighted the great things that are happening in Fort Worth ISD. The progress that has been made, the measurable progress that's been made, some of the initiatives that have been put in place, and that our board is focused and committed on students.”
Superintendent Molinar was absent from that meeting. Morath has said she will have the chance to apply to stay on as superintendent, though he is conducting a national search for a potential replacement.
The board brought Molinar on as interim superintendent in October 2024 and hired her permanently in March. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “The number of campuses with F ratings went from 31 to 11 during the course of the year, and 63 schools gained at least one letter grade.”
The Texas affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the country’s second-largest teachers union, opposes the takeover.
The Fort Worth ISD takeover will be the TEA’s 11th since 2000
Between 2008 and 2025, the TEA has appointed a board of managers for 10 districts for reasons ranging from poor academic performance to financial mismanagement.
The TEA’s takeover of the Houston ISD in June 2023 has received the most attention. As in the Fort Worth case, a chronically underperforming school was central to the TEA’s case against Houston ISD. Click here to read our write-up of the takeover. In June 2025, the TEA extended the takeover through 2027. Morath said the district was making progress but needed more time.
The TEA has defended taking over districts, stating that “in every instance where a Board of Managers has been appointed in Texas, the intervention has met its intended goals” of improving student achievement.
According to Stanford University Associate Professor of Education Beth Schueler, who studies state takeovers in the U.S., “[T]here is considerable variation in the effects of takeovers from district to district. In some districts, takeover has led to substantial improvements in test scores; in other districts, it has substantially harmed test scores; and in still other districts, it has had no impact in either direction.”
Thirty-five states have laws permitting the state to take over districts or schools. Between 1988 and 2023, agencies in at least 25 states assumed control of districts or individual schools. The first time a state assumed control of a school district was in 1989, when New Jersey took over Jersey City Public Schools following years of poor student performance and increasingly dilapidated buildings. Although the state had relinquished much of its control of the district by 2008, the takeover formally ended in 2022.
What happens next
Morath will appoint nine managers from within the Fort Worth ISD to oversee the district. In his letter, Morath said he had directed TEA staff to begin identifying potential appointees. The process includes a call for applications, which are due Nov. 21. Qualified applicants will complete a series of interviews and training. Finally, Morath will select appointees from a pool of finalists.
The elected board will remain involved in district affairs in an advisory capacity. According to the TEA, the district will still hold school board elections. Once the district meets the TEA-established criteria for ending the takeover, the most recently elected board will assume control of the district.
Click here to learn more about state takeovers of districts.
Extracurricular: education news from around the web
This section contains links to recent education-related articles from around the internet. If you know of a story we should be reading, reply to this email to share it with us!
- Mamdani wins mayoral election. Here’s what it means for NYC schools. | Chalkbeat New York
- Fewer students are missing school. These state policies may have helped | NPR
- Why Male Teachers Left Elementary Schools And Won’t Go Back | The Federalist
- We Can't Ignore This for Another Decade: The Screen Problem Destroying Student Learning | Restore Childhood
- Why middle school is ‘an ideal time’ to invest in CTE | K-12 Dive
- English professors take individual approaches to deterring AI use | Yale Daily News
- Child Care Providers Run for Office to Fix a Broken System | The 74
- Far-right political action committee wades into school board races in final days | York Dispatch
- Nearly 99% of public school teachers graded ‘proficient’ or better | Idaho Ed News
Take our Candidate Connection survey to reach voters in your district
Today, we’re looking at survey responses from the two candidates who ran in the Nov. 4 general election for Tahoma School District school board District 5, in Washington.
Zach Butala and Elizabeth Karkoski-Gardner ran in the election. Unofficial results show Butala defeated Karkoski-Gardner with 60-39%.
Butala and Karkoski-Gardner advanced from the Aug. 5 primary, defeating Kelsi Hays.
Butala listed his profession as naval reserve commander and airline captain, while Karkoski-Gardner listed hers as nurse practitioner. Butala’s campaign slogan was, “Vote for Unity – A united community behind our teachers and students gives us the best chance to ensure every student achieves their full potential.” Karkoski-Gardner’s campaign slogan was “Elizabeth Karkoski-Gardner: A Steady Heart and Mind for Tahoma School District 409.”
The Tahoma School District is located in Maple Valley, about 30 miles southeast of Seattle. Approximately 9,200 attend schools in the district.
Here’s how Butala answered the question, “What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?”
“I’m passionate about mental health, student resilience, and creating classroom environments that support learning for all, including adequate space and appropriate student-to-teacher ratios. That includes protecting teachers’ time, advocating for paraeducator support and training, and expanding services for students with special needs. I believe in lifting up those who need help and challenging those who are ready for more so that every student can reach their potential. I also support future bond and levy efforts, including the possibility of a new school, and believe that restoring trust and unity in our community is essential.”
Click here to read the rest of Butala’s responses.
Here’s how Karkoski-Gardner answered the question, “What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?”
“School Boards all over the nation are becoming more political. I am very passionate about keeping an open mind to all viewpoints in the community to build strong, trusting relationships between the district and the community to increase student, family, and community engagement. I believe as a school board director, in times of disagreement or differing opinions, there is always a way to find middle ground with good communication and transparency. I hope that if I am elected as school board director that I will be given opportunities to help with community engagement and communication.”
Click here to read the rest of Karkoski-Gardner’s responses.
If you're a school board candidate or incumbent, click here to take the survey.
In the 2024 election cycle, 6,539 candidates completed the survey, including over 500 school board candidates.
The survey contains over 30 questions, and you can choose the ones you feel will best represent your views to voters. If you complete the survey, a box with your answers will display on your Ballotpedia profile. Your responses will also appear in our sample ballot.