The Texas Education Agency announced on July 16 that Houston ISD school board member Michelle Cruz Arnold has resigned after three years of service and that the agency has appointed Karen Duffy to fill the seat, effective immediately.
According to a July 16 TEA news release, the change continues the state’s ongoing oversight of the Houston Independent School District. Duffy, a former teacher, community volunteer, and parent of two current Houston ISD students, brings more than 20 years of experience to the district’s governance team, the agency said.
In the release, Cruz Arnold said she joined the board to support the district “through a critical and unprecedented chapter” and had decided this was “the right and natural time” to conclude her service. She thanked her fellow board members for their partnership and work ethic, describing their collaboration as “incredibly intense, but always deeply rewarding.”
Duffy said she was “humbled by the opportunity” and, as an HISD parent, called the role “deeply personal,” pledging to help “maintain a relentless focus on student outcomes.” The agency said Duffy currently serves on the Houston ISD District Advisory Committee, has held board roles with the Travis Elementary PTA including two years as president, and is a member of the leadership team at the Oak Forest Foster Closet, which serves foster, kinship, and adoptive families.
Houston ISD School Board President Ric Campo welcomed Duffy, saying her experience “as a former educator and current Houston ISD parent” would “bring incredible value to the board.” Campo also thanked Cruz Arnold for her three years of service, saying board service “is not easy, but her commitment to keeping students first was unwavering.”