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MUMBAI: Power consumers in the island city will soon get real-time alerts on their phones and social media of outages, BEST general manager Lokesh Chandra announced on Friday. The decision came after several consumers on Thursday evening complained that they were unable to contact the electricity control rooms during the outage that lasted in parts of island city for more than an hour. Chandra said the department will look into consumer grievances on non-functional helplines across the island city. He added that the department will now have engineers on the ground alerting the control room about any outages and citizens will be informed about the nature of outage, the possible cause and estimated time of restoration via SMS and social media channels, including Twitter. Though BEST officials had said that "damage to Tata Power cable due to some digging work" had led to the outage at Shivaji Park on Thursday, a Tata Power official on Friday clarified that its cable was not damaged. "Our systems supplying power from the Dharavi receiving station were functioning normally," the official said. Chandra said: "We are conducting a probe on what went wrong... We are also strengthening our cables so that there are minimum outages."

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Soon, real-time alerts by BEST on outages in the island city - Times of India

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) through the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA)to establish an outbreak response network for disease forecasting to support decision makers during public health emergencies.

The NOFO establishes a new program via cooperative agreement that is intended to support state and local decision-makers in developing and implementing new analytical tools that are best suited for their jurisdictions, based on the best available information. The program supports building and scaling needed capabilities, working with the private sector, academic, and jurisdiction partners, to use data effectively before and during public health emergencies. With these additional capabilities, our communities will be able to use data more effectively to detect, respond, and mitigate public health emergencies. Much like our ability to forecast the severity and landfall of hurricanes, this network will enable us to better predict the trajectory of future outbreaks, empowering response leaders with data and information when they need it most.

Infectious disease outbreaks have and will continue to threaten our communities, friends and families, said Dylan George, Director of CDCs Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics. This network will increase our national capacity to use disease models, analytics, and forecasts to support public health action, prevent infections, protect people, and safeguard economies. The network will also provide desperately needed tools to fight outbreaks quickly and effectively in our communities, where critical response decisions are made.

The new program will support advanced development of modeling, forecasting tools, and outbreak analytics through three critical operations: innovation, integration, and implementation. Funding recipients will work alongside CFA to establish a national network to support jurisdiction decision makers before and during future public health emergencies. Additionally, the cooperative agreement will fund recipients to plan, prepare, and respond to future infectious disease outbreaks.

The innovation component will support the development of a pipeline of new analytical methods, tools, or platforms for modeling efforts and will ultimately be used to provide information to public health decision makers.

The integration component will take the most promising approaches from the innovation pipeline and pilot test one or two approaches at the state, local, tribal, or territorial level to gauge the success of the technique in practical application by public health decision makers.

The third component, implementation, will take pilot projects that have proven successful and scale them for use across jurisdictions. The goal is to have new, effective analytical tools and approaches to deploy at the local level where critical public health action takes place.

Prospective funding recipients can apply here to one of the three components and may also apply to serve as coordinator between recipients for each of the three operational components.

The network is the next step for CFA to improving decision support at the jurisdictional level, where many key public health decisions are made during an infectious disease outbreak. This funding opportunity will amplify CFAs mission to support decision makers during public health emergencies using advanced modeling, forecasts, and outbreak analytics.

For more information about these funding opportunities, visit CFAs website before the July 14, 2023, application deadline.

To learn more about CFA, visit Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics.

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New Funding Opportunity to Strengthen Outbreak Response ... - CDC

May 15, 2023

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS).

Prof Nita Forouhi, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, said:

The findings of the WHO report are justifiable for general populations of people without diabetes, based on the inclusion of all eligible evidence from multiple research study designs, but are limited by several factors, many of which the report acknowledged. Notably, the WHO recommendation on avoiding the use of non-sugar sweeteners for longer term weight management or chronic disease prevention is conditional, therefore context and country specific policy decisions may be needed rather than necessarily being universally implemented as they stand. The role of non-sugar sweeteners as a way to reduce calories in the short-term is, however, supported by evidence so using sweeteners can be part of interventions to manage weight in the short term.

The risk for bias and quality of the studies included in the review were explicitly assessed using established frameworks. Overall, the majority of studies, including RCTs, were of low or very low certainty, with only a few of moderate or higher certainty. Also, the duration of most of the RCTs was very short, mostly a couple of weeks or under 3 months, while very few were longer than six months and of around 50 RCTs, only five were of one year or longer duration. These are challenges to the research community to improve upon. Moreover, research specifically focused on people with diabetes is also needed as the current review did not appraise that.

Some specific limitations include the fact that most of the RCTs did not explicitly compare the replacement of sugar consumption with non-sugar sweeteners, so the conclusions about avoiding non-sugar sweeteners are based on indirect deduction. Moreover, a head-to-head comparison of non-sugar sweeteners versus water as replacement for sugar sweetened beverages was not conducted. Also, individual non-sugar sweeteners were not explicitly assessed and were likely to include those that have been available on the market for many years and newer sweeteners were less represented. So, for the guideline the non-sugar sweeteners have been considered as a class of compounds collectively without distinguishing between individual types of non-sugar sweeteners.

It is important to note that the WHO have stated clearly that the target audience for this guideline includes policy makers, non-governmental and other organisations, health professionals, researchers, educators and representatives of the food industry. By deduction, it is not intended for direct dissemination to individual members of the public in its current form and it would be better for information to be formulated appropriately by national and local agencies to be made context specific in a global context.

The most critical issue is the how factor. Translating the guideline into action will require concerted action from many players including policy makers, public health agencies, food manufacturers and ultimately also require a degree of behaviour change by individuals. The goal is to reduce free sugars in the diet by replacing them with healthier, naturally occurring sweeteners such as from fruits and through unprocessed or minimally processed foods and drinks that improve overall diet quality.

Additional notes:

This extensive review by the WHO adds meaningfully to the scientific understanding on the relationship between NSS consumption and multiple indicators of human health. The key take-away is that for longer term weight management and for chronic health conditions such as the development of future type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the use of NSS is not advisable.

For the observational studies, the scientific review was explicit in describing the potential confounders that each study took account of, and mostly this was done fairly comprehensively such as by including factors like age, sex, body mass index and others. Still, acknowledging limitations, the guideline recommendation is stated as conditional.

It is really important to be clear that the guideline is not suggesting banning the use of NSS as the scientific review the WHO undertook was not about the chemical or safety issues, which is assessed separately in toxicological assessments that pronounce on safe limits of intake.

This review excluded research on polyols (sugar alcohols) because these are not non-nutritive as theycontain carbohydrate, though they have lower calorie content than table sugar.Polyols such as sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol and others are extensively used in sugar-free foods and beverages. There is emerging evidence for potential adverse associations with chronic disease endpoints but this has not been systematically studied and should be further researched going forward.

Prof Tom Sanders, Professor emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics, Kings College London, said:

This guidance by WHO is based on a systematic review of trials/prospective cohort studies which show that artificial sweeteners per se neither result in weight loss nor weight gain. It is to be noted that quality of evidence was rated as low for any disease relationships.

What the review does not consider is the impact of replacing sugar sweetened drinks with artificially sweetened drinks. There are high quality randomized controlled trials that show that when artificially sweetened drinks covertly replace sugar sweetened drinks in children they help prevent unhealthy weight gain.

In my opinion this advice, which is based mainly on a null effect of artificial sweeteners on weight gain, is likely cause a lot of confusion in the public health arena because the sugar levy in the UK has drinks manufacturers replacing some or all of the sugar with artificial sweeteners.

Dr Ian Johnson, Nutrition researcher and Emeritus Fellow, Quadram Institute, said:

This new guideline is based on a thorough assessment of the latest scientific literature, and it emphasises that the use of artificial sweeteners is not a good strategy for achieving weight loss by reducing dietary energy intake. However, this should not be interpreted as an indication that sugar intake has no relevance to weight-control. A better alternative to the use of artificial sweeteners is to reduce consumption of manufactured products containing free sugars, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, to use raw or lightly processed fruit as a source of sweetness, and perhaps, in the longer term, to try to reduce ones overall taste for sweetness.

Dr Duane Mellor, Registered Dietitian and Senior Lecturer, Aston Medical School, Aston University, said:

This is an interesting report which highlights that non-sugar sweeteners are not inert metabolically, they have some effects so do not always provide the energy deficit that might be expected to help weight control. This could explain why although safe to usethey are not recommended as a simple swap for sugarsin a number of dietary guidelines, such as the British Dietetic Association (BDA).

The report could be criticised as it focuses heavily on the observational studies which can only show an association between non-sugar sweeteners and a health outcome, in this case largely weight control, rather than clinical trials which are better at showing causal links. In the case of sweeteners, a number of trials have showed that they can help with weight control, whereas observational studies may not show an association between sweeteners and weight control. The reason observational studies do not suggest a benefit from switching to sweeteners could be that people who are trying to lose weight may choose sweeteners so from only observing it might look like those who use sweeteners tend to be overweight something called reverse causality.

However, overall this report highlights that universal replacement of sugar with sweeteners is not necessarily ideal, as this alone is unlikely to improve diet quality and produce the necessary changes to control weight long term. It is probably best not to stick with sugars to avoid sweeteners though the answer is to try and reduce sugar intake. For some that might include using small amounts of sweeteners in foods and drinks as a way to reduce overall sugar intake.

Sweeteners may still have a place as a transitional or stepping stone to help people reduce their sugar intake.

WHO guideline: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240073616

WHO press release: https://www.who.int/news/item/15-05-2023-who-advises-not-to-use-non-sugar-sweeteners-for-weight-control-in-newly-released-guideline

Declared interests

Prof Nita Forouhi: None.

Prof Tom Sanders: No conflicts of interest in the last 8 years that are relevant but I used to be a consultant to Nutrasweet about 15 years ago.

Dr Ian Johnson: No conflicts of interest.

Dr Duane Mellor: I have previously worked with the International Sweetener Association.

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expert reaction to new WHO guideline which advises not to use non ... - Science Media Centre

Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson takes questions from the news media after meeting with Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday, April 6. (Heather Cherone/WTTW News)

When Brandon Johnson is sworn in as Chicagos 57th mayor on Monday, he will complete a flat-out sprint that started the moment he declared victory on April 4 and vowed to lead the city in a new direction as it struggles to emerge from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemics peak while coping with a surge in crime as well as unfulfilled demands for racial justice and economic equity.

Johnson had just 41 days to put together his administration and lay the foundation for an ambitious agenda the shortest mayoral transition in Chicago history. To complicate matters, that six-week period was studded with difficult moments: unrest on springs first warm weekend, the resignation of the citys interim top cop and fraught negotiations with members of the Chicago City Council.

It would have been better to have more time, Johnson told WTTW News Friday. But well be ready.

Because of the short transition period, Johnsons administration will be staffed with holdovers picked by Mayor Lori Lightfoot for at least the first few months, including Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, whom Johnson vowed to fire during the campaign.

But the decisions Johnson made during the transition offer a glimpse into how he seeks to govern Chicago during a generational shift at Chicagos City Hall: as an unapologetically progressive politician with a practical streak.

To deliver the type of transformation we have promised, we are going to have to be effective at delivering services to make good on those promises, Johnson said, once again vowing to make Chicago a better, stronger, safer place to live.

The clearest sign of the mayor-elects pragmatic streak was his decision to pick Rich Guidice, the former head of the Office of Emergency Management Communications under Lightfoot and former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, to serve as his chief of staff. That decision won acclaim from many of those who backed Johnsons defeated rival, Paul Vallas, shortly after they warned Chicago was sure to descend into chaos on the mayor-elect's watch.

Guidices appointment came just a few days after unrest swept downtown, ratcheting up fears that the coming summer months would see a spurt of violence downtown that would thwart the citys uncertain economic recovery from COVID-19 by scaring away wealthy visitors and tourists from the citys central business district.

Even though Johnson was nearly a month away from taking office, he faced strident demands to take immediate action to stop future incidents.

That anxiety reached a fever pitch after Johnson condemned the violence but said it was not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.

Johnsons remarks represented a sharp break with the typical reaction of elected officials after such incidents. They usually call for a crackdown on teens and young adults who broke the law as well as penalties for their parents all notes sounded by Lightfoot in her statement.

Johnson has said he is determined to unite Chicagoans around a holistic public safety plan that takes a new approach to the surge of crime and violence that began during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to fully recede.

An Anxious Business Community

Many of the leaders of Chicagos corporations lined up behind Vallas and contributed millions of dollars to his campaign, only to see him lose. Many worried they would find their access to the corridors of power limited under Johnson, who won after vowing to represent the interests of working-class Chicagoans and is poised to be the most progressive mayor in the city's history.

Johnson also faced concerns that because he has never served as an executive or worked in city government, he would confront a steep learning curve as mayor that the city could ill afford at a moment of crisis. Even though Lightfoot had not held public office before being elected mayor, and Emanuel had spent most of his career as a presidential aide and member of Congress, they did not face similar criticism.

Guidices appointment helped allay both concerns, and tamped down the barrage of criticism facing the mayor-elect.

The politically powerful Illinois Restaurant Association praised Guidices strong understanding of the complex issues we face and said his appointment signaled that Johnson was committed to prioritizing solutions to some of the most pressing concerns facing our city, including safety and security.

As the head of Office of Emergency Management Communications, Guidice stood alongside Lightfoot as she raised all but one of the bridges into and out of downtown for the first time in modern Chicago history during the unrest triggered by the police murder of George Floyd during the summer of 2020.

We certainly learned a lot from that situation, it was certainly challenging times, Guidice told WTTW News during an April 21 interview after his appointment.

City officials are now prepared with a plan designed to respond to widespread unrest, said Guidice, who also worked for Daley.

We are in better position to make informed decisions if that was to happen, Guidice said.

Guidice said the decision to raise the bridges was made at the last minute, but did not answer a question about whether he advised Lightfoot to raise the bridges.

Guidice also implemented Lightfoots order to encrypt all police communications and delay them for 30 minutes, citing officer and victim safety.

Johnson has vowed to reverse that order. Shortly after joining Johnsons team, Guidice said he looked forward to discussing the issue with the mayor-elect.

Guidice will work with John Roberson, tapped by Johnson to serve as the citys chief operating officer. Roberson held more than a half-dozen positions under former Mayor Richard M. Daley, and went on to work for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Johnsons close ally.

Despite Johnsons pragmatic decisions during the transition, the fears of Chicagos business community swelled once again after Johnson named SEIU Healthcare Illinois Vice President Jessica Angus to lead his transition, alongside other union officials and prominent progressive political leaders.

And once again, that apprehension faded once Johnson named his transition committees and 11 subcommittees, led by University of Illinois at Chicago Professor Barbara Ransby and Charles Smith, an insurance executive. Several corporate leaders agreed to serve on transition subcommittees, including Michael Fassnacht, the president of World Business Chicago and a close adviser to Lightfoot.

While Guidices appointment might have alarmed Chicagos progressive political community, his reputation as a nonpartisan member of the city staff capable of executing directives and knowledgeable about how to get the citys massive bureaucracy to move muted those concerns, along with the simultaneous announcement that state Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas will serve as Johnsons first deputy chief of staff. Pacione-Zayas will resign from the Illinois Senate.

A former vice president of the Erikson Institute, Pacione-Zayas helped push state lawmakers to increase funding for education before winning a seat in the Illinois Senate and joining the progressive caucus and becoming a reliable supporter of their initiatives.

Pacione-Zayas appointment not only delighted members of Chicagos progressive political community, but also ensured that one of the mayors top aides would be Latina, with an expertise in education an issue at the top of Johnsons agenda.

Johnson taught middle school before working as an organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union and serving on the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Pacione-Zayas said her appointment alongside Guidice is a down payment on Johnsons campaign promise to create a Chicago for all.

Hes going to be the mayor for everyone, he is going to invite everyone to the table, the different perspectives, and work collaboratively, Pacione-Zayas said.

But Johnson will have to walk a political tightrope as he works to deliver on that promise without offending or angering the progressive voters who launched him into the runoff and then into the mayors office on the fifth floor of City Hall.

Many progressive Chicagoans spent much of Lightfoots time in office furious that she failed to support many of their priorities after campaigning on a platform that echoed many of their demands. During the campaign, Johnson accused Lightfoot of breaking every single promise she made.

Since his election, Johnson has faced consistent questions from the news media about whether he will reopen the mental health clinics closed by Emanuel, and terminate ShotSpotters contract with the city, as he promised.

Johnson told WTTW News he is committed to reopening the citys publicly run mental health clinics, fully funding Chicagos schools, making sure Chicagos public transportation system is clean, safe and efficient and Chicagoans have access to clean water and fresh food.

I understand those demands for change as evidence that the citys political system has been a disappointment for some time, Johnson said, acknowledging that many Chicagoans question whether true change is even achievable.

I believe it is possible, and Im going to lead by example, Johnson said.

Public Safety an Early Focus

Two members of the Chicago Police Department who left during Lightfoots administration, also joined Johnsons transition team: Brendan Deenihan, the former chief of detectives, and Robert Boik, the former head of the departments Office of Constitutional Policing and Reform.

Johnson tapped a third former member of the Chicago Police Department, who left the Chicago Police Department in July 2020 after serving as its third-highest ranking official, to lead the beleaguered department on an interim basis.

Waller will replace interim Supt. Eric Carter, who will step down on Monday after just two months as Chicagos top cop. Carter replaced former Supt. David Brown, who quit after Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her bid for reelection. Johnson had promised to fire Brown.

While Johnson praised Waller as caring, collaborative and competent, Waller described his approach to policing as old school alarming advocates for police reform, including journalist Jamie Kalven, who exposed the 2014 police murder of Laquan McDonald.

Senior Staff

With less than a week to go before taking office, Johnson began filling out his senior leadership team by naming S. Mayumi Umi Grigsby, as director of policy and Jennifer Jen Johnson as his deputy mayor of education, youth and human services. Neither position requires City Council confirmation.

Johnson, a former history teacher at Lincoln Park High School, was Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates chief of staff and was on the front lines of the unions bitter contract fights with Lightfoot. The current teachers contract expires in 2024.

In addition, Johnson tapped Jill Jaworski, managing director and partner at PFM Financial Advisors, as the citys chief financial officer. Jaworski, whose appointment must be confirmed by the City Council, would replace Jennie Huang Bennett, who Lightfoot has credited with putting the city on firm financial footing despite the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the citys massive pension debt.

Johnson also selected Annette C.M. Guzman to serve as budget director. Guzman, who also must be confirmed by the City Council, served as Cook Countys budget director, reporting to Preckwinkle.

Johnson Puts Stamp on City Council Reorganization

The mayor-elect also spent considerable time negotiating with powerful members of the Chicago City Council and convinced them to step back from a declaration of independence made five days before he defeated Vallas.

That plan, approved over the opposition of two leading organizations championing government reform, called for the creation of nine new committees for a total of 28 committees, likely costing the city $8.4 million.

Instead, Johnson on Friday announced a City Council organizational plan that will create just one new committee for a total of 20 committees. The new plan also sees the ouster of several Lightfoot allies who were hoping to keep their plum positions of power as committee chairs that come with an average budget of approximately $300,000.

Whether the City Council continues to assert its independence after Johnson takes office is an open question, even though he has backed an effort to transform it into a legislative body responsible for setting policy for the entire city and not a rubber stamp.

Johnson touted his City Council reorganization proposal as a unity plan that will align the mayor's office and City Council around shared values and priorities. It must be ratified by the City Council at its first regular meeting after the inauguration, which is set for May 24.

The flexible budgets of City Council committees have long been a coveted perk for some of Chicagos most powerful politicians, allowing them to hire political supporters without running afoul of rules that normally prohibit coveted jobs from being awarded to friends and, in some cases, family members.

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward) lost his powerful perch as Finance Committee chair after publicly warning Johnson not to attempt to change the plan approved by the City Council.

I was a little bit disappointed, but the mayor has an opposite direction he wants to go, Waguespack told WTTW News. Were gonna work to make sure the city moves forward despite not having that position.

Waguespack will be replaced by Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd Ward), who endorsed Johnson on Feb. 3, giving his campaign a much-needed endorsement from a moderate member of the City Councils Black Caucus. Dowell had also been a close ally of Lightfoot, serving as her budget chair for four years.

Ald. Jason Ervin (28th Ward), who endorsed Johnson in the runoff after backing Lightfoot, will become chair of the Budget Committee.

Ald. Michelle Harris (8th Ward) will remain as chair of the Rules Committee, even after backing first Lightfoot and then Vallas, only to see Johnson win an overwhelming majority of votes in her South Side ward. Harris also served as Lightfoots floor leader.

Ald. Carlos Ramirez Rosa (35th Ward) will not only lead the powerful Zoning Committee but also serve as Johnsons floor leader, making him the most powerful member of the City Council. That represents a remarkable rise to prominence for Ramirez Rosa, who was just 26 years old when he defeated a powerful incumbent politician tied to the City Councils Democratic machine in 2015, and was once the only Democratic Socialist on the Chicago City Council.

On Monday, seven Democratic Socialists will be sworn into office, including Ald.-elect Angela Clay, who will represent the 46th Ward, which includes Uptown.

Including Ramirez Rosa, five Democratic Socialist members of the City Council are set to lead committees starting in May, a massive expansion of their power at City Hall. Under Lightfoot, no members of the Democratic Socialist Caucus served as committee chairs.

Eleven of the 20 committees will be led by City Council members who endorsed Johnson.

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward), a prominent supporter of Vallas, will lead the City Councils Public Safety Committee.

But others who backed Vallas, including Ald. Walter Burnett (27th Ward), will find themselves on the outside looking in. Burnett, who has led a committee since Daley was mayor, will now serve as vice mayor, a ceremonial position with no real power or budget.

Tense relationship with Lightfoot

Even as Johnson worked to set up an administration in approximately six weeks, he faced escalating tensions with Lightfoot, who leaves office as the first mayor not to win a second term since 1983; the second woman to serve as Chicagos mayor following in the footsteps of its first, Jane Byrne.

Lightfoots frustration over her loss appeared to boil over during an appearance on MSNBCs Morning Joe program on Monday, when she incorrectly described Johnson as a Democratic Socialist and slammed Vallas as a member of the GOP.

Unfortunately, the people who are jumping on the bandwagon of a Republican posing like a Democrat now got a Democratic Socialist as the mayor, Lightfoot said. So, careful what you wish for.

The day after that interview, Lightfoot declared a state of emergency, with the citys shelters at capacity and officials amid an escalating humanitarian crisis caused by a surge of migrants from the southern border.

Despite her status as a lame duck, Lightfoot did not hesitate to exercise her power as mayor by signing 14 executive orders after her defeat, including 11 on Friday, her last full weekday in office.

Johnson told WTTW News he would review each order signed by Lightfoot, and decide whether to revoke them.

Chicago has a tremendous opportunity to unite around the values I ran on, and thats what Im focused on, Johnson said, dismissing a question about whether he thought Lightfoots actions were aimed at kneecapping his administration before it started.

She is well within her rights to exercise her authority, Johnson said.

In four years, Lightfoot signed 27 executive orders, while Emanuel signed 21 executive orders during the eight years he was mayor of Chicago.

And after a slew of appointments were blocked from advancing through the City Council by Ald. Anthony Beale (9th Ward), Lightfoot selected Kevin Barszcz to lead a re-established Office of Veterans Affairs.

By comparison, the last executive order issued by Emanuel came in January more than a month before the election.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [emailprotected]

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As Brandon Johnson Takes Control of Chicago City Hall, Massive ... - WTTW News

A screenshot of HISDs April 13, 2023 meeting.

Houston ISD trustees met Thursday morning for what was likely their final hearing before their decision-making power transfers to a state-appointed Board of Managers.

Steve Lecholop, deputy commissioner of governance for the Texas Education Agency, updated trustees on the transition process. He promised no immediate disruptions to district operations.

"The current district staff will continue to be employed by the district. Current district operations will continue to run just as they're running," Lecholop said. "The trains are still going to run on time."

Trustee Elizabeth Santos characterized the takeover as "taking away our democracy," and she pressed Lecholop on the tight timeline between the installment of the Board of Managers and the end-of-June deadline to approve a budget.

"I'm going to ask that you get your math together," Santos said. "When you have nine people that don't know the ropes, it can get pretty complicated."

227 of the 462 applicants for the Board of Managers completed TEA's mandatory Lone Star Governance training over the past few weeks, according to Lecholop. Nine of them will take control of the state's largest school district in June.

After the takeover, the current trustees will continue to meet, and November elections will proceed. But policymaking including finalization of next school year's budget will rest with the state-appointed managers and superintendent. Lecholop encouraged trustees to act as community liaisons, to advise board members and to help update the district's goals.

"This is a temporary intervention," Lecholop told trustees. "The board will return to elected leadership. I suspect many of you will continue to run, will continue to be engaged, and will transition back onto the board after the timeline of the intervention takes place."

In order for Houston voters to regain control of their schools, the district must check three boxes: full compliance with special education laws, no schools that fail to meet state standards for two years, as well as board procedures and conduct that "focus on student outcomes." Once all criteria are met, three elected trustees replace three managers each year until the district exits state management. In the best case scenario, Houston ISD residents won't have complete control of their public education system until 2027 at the very earliest.

Rumors and unanswered questions swirled ahead of the Thursday hearing.

On Saturday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner claimed former Dallas ISD superintendent Mike Miles had been chosen to replace Houston ISD superintendent Millard House II. But this week, a TEA spokesperson said no selections have been made and that there were "no updates regarding BOM or superintendent search to share at this time." A spokesperson for Mayor Turner did not respond to a request for more information on his claim.

Mike Miles served as superintendent in Dallas from 2012 through 2015, coinciding with Education Commissioner Mike Morath's tenure on the DISD school board. Miles' leadership style and reforms, including performance-based pay for teachers, led to some controversy ahead of his resignation. After departing the district, he founded Third Future Schools, which describes itself as "a network of public charter schools serving 4500 students across Colorado, Texas, and Louisiana." He did not respond to a request for comment.

On Tuesday, Morath directly engaged with a group of Houston ISD teachers for the first time. TEA said it invited about 200 teachers, and that it selected invitees based on previous nominations by campus colleagues for the District Advisory Committee.

Morath again said that any policy changes will be made by the superintendent and Board of Managers who he said have not yet been chosen.

"I find that very difficult to believe," said union president Jackie Anderson, with the Houston Federation of Teachers. "But if that is the case, it shows a very lax attitude about who's going to run the district."

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Houston school board holds final hearing ahead of takeover, TEA presents update on transition - Houston Public Media