High costs, dwindling enrollment: Is Houston ISD’s playbook under takeover sustainable?

Fonville Middle School hired learning coaches to help students falling behind in the classroom. It bought new state-of-the-art technology, such as webcams and smart boards. The school days are longer.
All that aggressive change earned the north Houston school its first ever A rating, a coveted stamp of approval from the state. It has been a dramatic climb since the state seized control of the district three years ago, when students were so behind in math and reading that the campus received the