Failing schools will face harsher punishments sooner, Texas education commissioner says

Failing schools will face tougher sanctions sooner as the state's education commissioner looks to cut the number of such schools in half over the next five years.

The remedy most often used for struggling schools is the lightest touch, but that's usually the least effective, Commissioner Mike Morath told the Senate Education Committee during a hearing Tuesday morning. The harshest sanctions — which can include replacing campus staff or even district leadership — are the least-used option but the most effective, he said.

"If the medicine tastes particularly bad, you're less likely to take it," Morath said.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20160816-failing-schools-will-face-harsher-punishments-sooner-texas-education-commissioner-says.ece