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A conservative Texas think tank is warning against a Houston education advocacy coalition, accusing the group of using socialist-aligned tactics to push radical policies in public schools.
In a report released by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), researchers argue that Community Voices for Public Education (CVPE) — which presents itself as a grassroots group of parents, teachers and community members — acts as a front for teachers’ unions and far-left organizations working to preserve the status quo.
“There are several policies that they’re advocating for which are questionable at best, but very harmful,” Kate Bierly, campaign director for TPPF’s Next Generation Texas Campaign, told Fox News Digital.
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Community Voices for Public Education (CVPE), a local advocacy group in Houston, uses tactics similarly employed by far-left groups like the Democratic Socialists of America in opposition to a state takeover of the Houston Independent School District and pushes for radical reform policies, according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation. (Getty Images)
CVPE has been an outspoken opponent of the state’s 2023 takeover of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), Texas’s largest school district. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) intervened following years of academic underperformance at select campuses — a move that drew sharp accusations of political overreach from critics.
State metrics, however, show noticeable academic gains since the intervention. Reading and math scores on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) improved among grades 3 through 8 over the past three school years, while the number of A- and B-rated campuses in HISD jumped from 93 to 197.
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“F-rated campuses went from 56 to five, and the whole district moved from a C rating to a B rating,” Bierly said. “The results were amazing. But from this, several critics emerged … suggesting destructive replacement policies. One of the main groups behind these proposals is CVPE.”
The local group, Bierly said, uses tactics similar to those employed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which has gained traction in recent years as a political force with the election of several DSA-endorsed candidates across various levels of government.
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HISD presides over 274 schools and 184,109 students. Historically the largest school district in Texas, despite some fluctuations in recent years after COVID, the district has touted academic progress across all grades and subjects and “more than doubled the number of A- and B-rated schools in just two years.” (Houston Independent School District)
Beyond opposing the state takeover, CVPE advocates against mandatory STAAR testing and urges parents to boycott the exams. The group also calls for divesting from campus policing — ending student arrests except in severe cases such as murder — and encourages participation in walkouts and political protests.
TPPF contends that CVPE actively instructs parents on how to organize student demonstrations outside schools, while CVPE maintains that peaceful advocacy is essential to improving school environments and curricula.
“Some of the things they are advocating for is that parents should boycott the STAAR exam because the test allegedly supports racism and inequality,” Bierly added. “Scrapping this testing removes a key pathway for low-income kids to access advanced academic tracks.”
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CVPE defends its platform, maintaining that restorative justice and expanded mental health resources foster safer learning environments than punitive measures, insisting “HISD students should be heard and not herded.”
Ruth Kravetz, co-founder of CVPE, pushed back on both TPPF’s report and the state’s academic claims. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Kravetz dismissed assertions that her group relies on DSA tactics, emphasizing that CVPE supporters span the political spectrum.
“Some of those parents are Republicans. Some are Democrats, some are socialists, and some are unaffiliated,” Kravetz said.
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Kravetz also criticized high-stakes standardized testing, arguing that it fails to improve student outcomes.
“It undermines educational quality,” Kravetz said. “It narrows instruction and reduces deeper, more meaningful learning … I don’t think any parent ever said, ‘I hope my kid grows up to be able to fill in a multiple-choice test well.’”
Kravetz previously challenged the “Texas Miracle” touted by HISD Superintendent Mike Miles and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, alleging that recent test improvements were artificially-engineered.
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“The truth is that HISD’s Mike Miles didn’t allow qualified students to even take Algebra I,” Kravetz said. “This skewed the STAAR results and played a shell game with scores. Most importantly, they denied opportunities to countless kids just to make the numbers look better.”
HISD did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.