A conservative Texas policy organization is criticizing a Houston education coalition, alleging that it uses tactics associated with socialism to advance what the group describes as radical changes in public schools.
In a report from the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), researchers contend that Community Voices for Public Education (CVPE) presents itself as a grassroots alliance of parents, educators and residents while functioning as a vehicle for teachers’ unions and left-wing organizations seeking to protect the existing system.
“There are several policies that they’re advocating for which are questionable at best, but very harmful,” Kate Bierly, campaign director of TPPF’s Next Generation Texas Campaign, told News Outlet.
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The Texas Public Policy Foundation says Houston advocacy organization Community Voices for Public Education (CVPE) has adopted tactics similar to those used by far-left groups such as the Democratic Socialists of America while opposing the state’s takeover of the Houston Independent School District and promoting sweeping education reforms. (Getty Images)
CVPE has vigorously opposed Texas’ 2023 takeover of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), the state’s largest school system. The Texas Education Agency stepped in after years of weak academic performance at several campuses, prompting critics to accuse the state of political overreach.
State data, however, points to academic improvement since the intervention. Reading and math results on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) rose for students in grades 3 through 8 over the last three school years. During the same period, the number of HISD campuses receiving A or B ratings increased from 93 to 197.
Demonstrators display a Democratic Socialists of America banner before a Rent Guidelines Board vote at El Museo del Barrio in New York on Thursday, June 25, 2026. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“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.”
Bierly said CVPE’s organizing methods resemble those of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which has expanded its influence in recent years as DSA-backed candidates have won elections at multiple levels of government.
HISD operates 274 schools serving 184,109 students. Although enrollment and district size have shifted somewhat since the COVID-19 pandemic, the historically largest school system in Texas has highlighted academic gains across grades and subjects, saying it has “more than doubled the number of A- and B-rated schools in just two years.” (Houston Independent School District)
In addition to rejecting the state takeover, CVPE opposes mandatory STAAR testing and has encouraged parents to boycott the exams. The organization also supports reducing campus policing, ending student arrests except in serious cases such as murder, and joining student walkouts and other political demonstrations.
TPPF says CVPE gives parents guidance on organizing student protests near schools. CVPE, meanwhile, argues that peaceful activism plays an important role in improving school conditions and shaping curriculum.
“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 said. “Scrapping this testing removes a key pathway for low-income kids to access advanced academic tracks.”
CVPE stands by its agenda, arguing that restorative justice and greater access to mental health services can create safer schools than punitive approaches. Its slogan is that “HISD students should be heard and not herded.”
Ruth Kravetz, a CVPE co-founder, rejected the TPPF report and disputed the state’s portrayal of HISD’s academic progress. In an interview with News Outlet, Kravetz denied that the coalition follows DSA organizing methods and said its supporters represent a broad range of political views.
“Some of those parents are Republicans. Some are Democrats, some are socialists, and some are unaffiliated,” Kravetz said.
Kravetz also questioned the value of high-stakes standardized testing, saying it does not produce better outcomes for students.
“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 has previously disputed the “Texas Miracle” promoted by HISD Superintendent Mike Miles and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, arguing that the district’s recent test-score gains were engineered rather than the result of genuine academic progress.
“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 News Outlet’s request for comment.
