San Antonio, Texas Mar 23, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - info@teamldhowardfortexas.com
Texas House District 124 candidate **L.D. Howard** is calling on Edgewood ISD trustees to reject the proposed partnership that would hand control of four neighborhood campuses to the Colorado-based charter operator **Third Future Schools**. Howard warns that the plan mirrors other recent charter experiments in San Antonio that ended in disruption, instability, and school closures.
Edgewood ISD and San Antonio ISD are both facing end-of-month deadlines to select a charter partner as a strategy to avoid potential state intervention, leading trustees to consider turning over operations to Third Future. Families have raised concerns about placing struggling schools into the hands of an operator with no roots in the community and a rigid, test‑focused academic model. [1](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/why-third-future-being-tapped-150000374.html)
“Edgewood families deserve investment—not disruption,” Howard said. “Instead of empowering teachers and strengthening our public schools, this proposal outsources our children’s education to an outside organization with a rigid, test‑driven model that has already raised red flags across the state."
Third Future’s founder previously implemented a model in Houston ISD characterized by scripted lessons, daily quizzes, and deep changes to campus culture—approaches that drew criticism from educators and families concerned about their impact on students. [2](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/edgewood-isd-board-may-charter-215721409.html)
Howard noted that San Antonio has already experienced the fallout of charter models that promise innovation but deliver instability. **Essence Prep**, founded on a similarly reform‑oriented philosophy, was ordered closed by the Texas Education Agency after posting repeated failing ratings, extremely low proficiency rates, and chronic absenteeism. In its final year, only **16%** of students met grade‑level standards, with **no fifth- or eighth‑grade students** meeting expectations in science or social studies. [3](https://hoodline.com/2025/12/tea-pulls-plug-on-east-side-charter-leaving-hundreds-of-san-antonio-kids-scrambling/)
“When a charter experiment fails, it’s our students, our teachers, and our neighborhoods that suffer,” Howard said. “Edgewood cannot afford another failed experiment. Our community schools deserve sustained, community‑driven support—not quick fixes or outside control.”
Howard calls for the state and local leaders to prioritize **evidence‑based investments**, including
- Strengthening teacher recruitment and retention
- Adding counselors, reading specialists, and other student support personnel
- Expanding high‑quality tutoring and literacy programs
- Deepening family engagement and community partnerships
“These are the strategies that produce long‑term success—not high‑pressure charter contracts negotiated under the threat of state takeover,” Howard said.
As Edgewood ISD prepares to vote, Howard urges trustees to stand with families, educators, and community stakeholders.
“Edgewood’s children are not a project,” Howard said. “They are the heart of our community, and I stand firmly with the parents and teachers demanding real investment—not another destabilizing takeover.”
**About L.D. Howard**
L.D. Howard is an independent candidate for Texas House District 124 committed to strengthening public education, supporting working families, and ensuring every child in Greater Lackland and San Antonio's West Side has access to a stable, high‑quality neighborhood school.
Media Contact
Team L.D. Howard for HD 124 Campaign info@teamldhowardfortexas.com 210-578-1316 P.O. Box 760024 http://teamlldhowardfortexas.com
