NEW: “Hinojosa blasts HISD’s AI school expansion as Greg Abbott’s ‘experiment’ on kids”

September 24, 2026

Houston Chronicle: Hinojosa’s “populist message for everyday Texans, including teachers, against tech billionaires has made her perhaps the most serious challenger that Abbott has faced during his three terms as governor.”

Houston, TX – This week, Democratic nominee for Texas Governor Gina Hinojosa addressed Texans’ concerns about Greg Abbott implementing AI in Houston public schools on behalf of his billionaire donors at a press conference in front of Houston ISD.

Hinojosa “called for a ‘framework in place to protect kids’ and said elementary school students shouldn’t interact with artificial intelligence,” according to the Houston Chronicle.

Standing among “a group of retired teachers, media, and Hinojosa supporters, retired Klein ISD principal Patrick Huff told press that “AI schools are the next step toward dismantling public education… noting that state takeovers were followed by a $1 billion school voucher program that has diverted funds from public schools to private academies,” wrote the Houston Press.

While in office, “Abbott has accepted millions in campaign contributions from billionaire donors,” the Houston Press added, “including… MacKenzie Price and school choice advocate Jeff Yass, who are financially invested in implementing AI in Texas schools and expanding the ‘voucher scam.’”

“When I am governor, I will give Houston ISD back to the people of Houston, so that there can be accountability again,” Hinojosa said. “Accountability from the voters, accountability from the community, from the parents. Because when there is accountability, this kind of nonsense doesn’t happen.”

Gina Hinojosa made a campaign stop in front of Houston ISD headquarters Tuesday, calling the district’s plan to expand its AI-focused school model to 100 campuses “Greg Abbott’s plan to experiment on our children with AI.”
It’s part of the Austin Democrat’s campaign focused on public education as she takes on Abbott in the race for Texas governor. The former school board member has also pledged to end the state takeover of HISD and other districts, eliminate the STAAR and cut the state’s new $1 billion voucher program for private school tuition while increasing teacher pay.
Her populist message for everyday Texans, including teachers, against tech billionaires has made her perhaps the most serious challenger that Abbott has faced during his three terms as governor.
Hinojosa on Tuesday called for a “framework in place to protect kids” and said elementary school students shouldn’t interact with artificial intelligence.
“I am here to talk about the catastrophic impacts on our children to experimenting — Greg Abbott’s plan to experiment on our children — with AI,” Hinojosa said. “I am here in Houston where the plan under Greg Abbott is to convert 100 schools —100 public schools — into AI schools, and they have already started.”
HISD’s state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles wants to increase the number of so-called Future 2 schools from nine this year to 100 by 2031, according to an email obtained by the Houston Chronicle.
Hinojosa linked HISD’s push towards AI to MacKenzie Price, who has made campaign donations supporting vouchers and who started Alpha School, a private school network with AI at the center. Alpha School recently opened a campus in The Woodlands.
Experts caution the rollout of AI in the classroom, especially when they say more research is needed to examine its effects on children.
The district has also used AI-generated materials in its curriculum, which has drawn criticism from educators and families.
“I think that curriculum needs to be made by human beings. Not this AI slop that we see in our schools,” Hinojosa said. “That’s unacceptable.”
HISD adopted an AI learning platform developed by Alpha School at two of its campuses. Alpha School and HISD’s Future 2 schools follow a similar approach, devoting fewer hours during the school day on core academics.
Hinojosa has committed not just to ending the HISD state takeover, but also firing Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, who put Miles in charge of the state’s largest school district.
“When I am governor, I will give Houston ISD back to the people of Houston, so that there can be accountability again,” she said. “Accountability from the voters, accountability from the community, from the parents. Because when there is accountability, this kind of nonsense doesn’t happen.”

Houston Press: Gina Hinojosa Pulls No Punches on AI School Plan

The Democratic nominee for Texas governor stood in front of the Houston ISD administrative offices on Tuesday morning and didn’t mince words about the current state of public education.
“It’s dystopian,” said Gina Hinojosa. “If we have a generation of kids being taught by AI instead of teachers, we will raise a generation of sociopaths instead of productive citizens. That’s where we are headed right now. It’s a future that none of us want. It’s a future that’s about maximizing profits.”
The press conference was called to denounce the state’s plan to turn 100 public schools, nine of which are in Houston ISD, into artificial intelligence academies. Hinojosa said the transition to AI schools, just in Houston, will cost taxpayers $4.5 million.
A group of retired educators, media and Hinojosa supporters attended the Tuesday morning press conference at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. One of the attendees was Patrick Huff, a retired Klein ISD principal who said he’d been a lifelong Republican until he witnessed what he referred to as the decline of the Texas education system.
“We’re here to support Gina and her plan to right the ship of education and bring back local control and remove the A-F ratings,” he said. “We used to fail students. Now we fail schools. When they fail, they open themselves up for takeover, and that’s where we are now.”
AI schools are the next step toward dismantling public education, Huff said, noting that state takeovers were followed by a $1 billion school voucher program that has diverted funds from public schools to private academies.
“They want to bring all education under one tent and control it,” he said. “Abbott won’t pay attention. Morath won’t pay attention. They’re going to do what they’re going to do. It doesn’t matter what you advocate for. Every part of the agenda that parents and teachers have objected to has been Republican-led for the last 30 years. We’ve got an individual from another party who is saying she’s going to change it, and we’re behind her.”
Hinojosa claims that Abbott has accepted millions in campaign contributions from billionaire donors, including Alpha Schools co-founder Mackenzie Price and school choice advocate Jeff Yass, who are financially invested in implementing AI in Texas schools and expanding the “voucher scam.”
HISD parent Marcia Nuñez Jones said the curriculum in the majority of Houston schools is “AI slop.”
“There are incorrect choices on math worksheets, misspelled words on maps and inaccurate depictions in social studies,” Jones said. “Teachers use precious planning time correcting errors and changing the required slide decks to make them more developmentally appropriate for their students. Our state-appointed superintendent has mismanaged our budget from day one. He invests our precious tax dollars on projects like Future 2 schools, which focus on AI curriculum and limit human interaction.”
Hinojosa said her plan is to “secure the American dream, and we start by saving Texas schools.”
“When there is accountability, this kind of nonsense doesn’t happen. They took the schools away from the people so they could have their way with our kids and use them as commodities instead of the children that they are.”

KHOU: Gina Hinojosa makes campaign stop in Houston to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott on education record

Education has been a point of disagreement between Abbott and Hinojosa, including over the future of Houston ISD and its approach to artificial intelligence.
In Houston ISD, the state-appointed district faces criticism from Hinojosa over its AI policies and its new Future 2 schools.
During a campaign rally outside HISD headquarters Tuesday, Hinojosa criticized the model. “These are schools where teachers are replaced by education guides, where kids spend hours in front of screens, and that is their education,” Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa also criticized Texas’ education savings account program, which is supported by Abbott.
“We refer to them specifically as the voucher scam, because that’s what it is,” Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa served as Austin ISD school board president before being elected to the Texas House, where she has made education policy a major focus.

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