At the request of the board of Great Hearts Texas, the Texas Education Agency has appointed a conservator to oversee the San Antonio charter school network after a series of mishaps in recent months. The invitation is unique, with past interventions across the state following contentious battles with the agency.
In April, an undisclosed number of Great Hearts Texas employees were sent home after the TEA found that fingerprints were not properly filed as required by the state. Board members voted that same month to invite state oversight.
Paul Pastorek, a former Louisiana Superintendent of Education and the former president of the University of Arizona Global Campus, will serve as conservator.
The board of directors provided a statement to the San Antonio Report on the appointment, which was first reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
“In light of recent events, the Great Hearts Texas Board has taken a proactive step by inviting the TEA to appoint a conservator for HR compliance,” the statement said. “This decision, made at our April 17 board meeting, underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring a safe and secure learning environment for all our students.”
In a letter sent to the network superintendent and board president dated May 29, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath reminded the network of an ongoing formal investigation into allegations including failure to report employee misconduct and failure to complete criminal history verifications. The appointment of the conservator will not close or stop those inquiries, or any future potential investigations, he said.
The district will be required to pay the conservator $125 an hour plus travel expenses, according to the letter, which was provided to the San Antonio Report by the TEA.
Great Hearts Texas has schools in North and South Texas including seven in San Antonio. Overall the network serves just under 10,000 students according to federal data.
The role of conservators is to oversee the operations of the district. They have the power to direct the action of a campus principal, superintendent, or board of trustees, according to the Texas Education Agency’s website.
In the statement, the board of directors said “the GHTX Board and team are committed to working collaboratively with Mr. Pastorek.”
The network has previously come under state scrutiny following a disagreement between the Texas network and the parent organization that oversees it, which is based in Arizona.
