Friends of Texas Public Schools Responds to TEA Release of 2025 A–F Ratings

Organization highlights statewide results, school leader perspectives, and calls for transparency in accountability

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, August 22, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released its 2025 A–F accountability ratings, the first full, on-time ratings since 2019, after litigation delayed previous years. The ratings cover 9,084 campuses across Texas.

According to TEA, 938 campuses received a D and 399 received an F, representing about 15 percent of campuses statewide. At the same time, 31 percent of campuses improved their overall rating compared with 2024, and the share of F-rated campuses decreased from approximately 8 percent to 4 percent.

The agency also identified 348 campuses with consecutive “unacceptable” ratings under Senate Bill 1365. Campuses with five consecutive years of unacceptable ratings face mandatory state interventions, including potential board of managers appointments.

Friends of Texas Public Schools (FOTPS), a nonprofit founded in 2004 to celebrate and promote Texas public education, said the data provides important context for families and communities seeking to understand what the ratings mean.

“Accountability should give families a clear, fair understanding of how schools are doing,” said Leigh Anne Pearson, Executive Director of FOTPS. “A ‘D’ this year doesn’t mean the same thing as a ‘D’ two years ago, but that nuance is often lost. The result is distrust, and distrust is poison for public education.”

School leaders across the state also pointed to the importance of context. Kingsville ISD Superintendent Emeritus Dr. Cissy Reynolds-Perez noted that abrupt accountability changes in 2023 shifted her district’s projected grade from a C to an F. “The accountability system is neither fair nor lawful,” she said, emphasizing the disproportionate impact on high-poverty and high-need districts.

Bryan ISD Board of Trustees President Dr. Julie Harlan added, “Schools are not suddenly worse overnight because of a change in the accountability system.”

FOTPS has called for accountability measures that emphasize transparency, provide schools with adequate support, and consider broader context such as poverty levels, student mobility, and recent system changes.

“Letter grades make easy headlines,” Pearson added. “But easy headlines don’t educate a child. Our children and teachers deserve honesty, stability, and support, not a political scoreboard that shifts the goalposts and erodes public trust.”


About Friends of Texas Public Schools
Founded in 2004, Friends of Texas Public Schools celebrates and promotes the strengths and success stories of Texas public schools. Through honest communication, respectful dialogue, and community engagement, Friends empowers educators and stakeholders to serve as ambassadors for their schools and to strengthen public trust in education.

Leigh Anne Pearson
Friends of Texas Public Schools
+1 512-334-6555
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