Texas AFT was proud to join with other public education supporters for a press conference hosted by Texas Freedom Network on Tuesday, March 11. It was a strong show of solidarity and Texans’ opposition to the private school voucher bill being heard in committee that day.
Hundreds of witnesses testified deep into the night this week in yet another hearing on school vouchers. The House Public Education committee heard House Bill 3, a school voucher scam that garnered nearly unanimous opposition from hundreds of witnesses and in 12,000 public comments into the House portal. Instead, commenters and witnesses voiced their emphatic support for Texas public schools, a support echoed in freshly released polling.
In polling results released Monday by Z to A Research and Unified Texas, over 1,200 likely Texas voters were asked about private school vouchers, public school funding, and education priorities. In the poll, 63% believe we spend too little on public education overall and 73% say we spend too little on educators’ salaries. If asked to choose between funding and vouchers, 78% of voters say lawmakers should prioritize funding education and educator pay.
The public comments on HB 3 reflect this bipartisan opposition to the proposed voucher program. These comments aren’t just from teachers or public school employees, but also parents and community members expressing their concerns that diverting funds to private institutions through vouchers could further undermine our already underfunded public education system. Commenters highlighted the need for increased funding to support teacher salaries, reduce class sizes, and enhance overall school resources, emphasizing that public schools are foundational to a prosperous and democratic society. There was also apprehension that vouchers might primarily benefit wealthier families, leaving public schools with diminished resources to serve the broader student population.
In the hearing itself, which lasted 22 hours, Rep. James Talarico rightly noted “a disconnect between the rhetoric and what the bill actually says.” He emphasized that the proposed vouchers would primarily benefit affluent families whose children already attend private schools, rather than assisting students in low-income households, the bill’s stated intent. Rep. Harold Dutton echoed this sentiment, pointing out that with average private school tuitions around $27,000 in areas like Houston, a $10,000 voucher would still leave a substantial financial gap, making private education inaccessible for many low-income families. These perspectives underscore the need for a more equitable approach to educational funding that truly serves all Texas students.
Dr. Josh Cowen, professor and researcher of education policy at Michigan State University, was an invited witness and singlehandedly debunked the so-called research of self-interested voucher with real facts. Cowen stated that, initially in his research, he was open to the possibility that a voucher program could be a solution for some children. However, after reviewing the data over time, Cowen said it became clear that voucher programs are a miserable failure, and researchers like him thought the argument was over. Vouchers don’t work and the data proves it over and over again.
Cowen made such an impact with real facts, that subsequent witnesses with varying political leanings cited his research and asked the committee to listen to the objective facts from real researchers, not the stories from paid voucher proponents that the committee has invited over and over.
Texas AFT Members Testify
These sentiments were echoed again and again over the course of the hearing, with hundreds of educators, parents, students, and community members testifying. The list included several Texas AFT members, whose testimonies are below:
Bree Rolfe, Education Austin member
Taylor Cavin, Education Austin member
Megan Vasquez, Education Austin member
Lori Douglass, Spring AFT member
Traci Dunlap, Education Austin member
David DeLeon, Education Austin member
Chrissy Hejny, Education Austin member
Osman Moradel, UT Austin student & Texas AFT Bridges Fellow
Voucher Impact on TRS
Dan Doonan, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS), warned Texas lawmakers that House Bill 3 (HB 3) could destabilize the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS). While much of the voucher debate focuses on school funding, his written testimony highlighted a long-term financial risk for Texas educators.
Public pensions rely on steady payroll contributions from participating employers—Texas school districts. But if HB 3 shifts a significant number of students and teachers to private schools, which don’t contribute to TRS, it could leave public schools shouldering a larger share of pension costs. The financial strain wouldn’t be evenly distributed, either. In Louisiana, for example, as charter schools expanded in New Orleans, the city’s share of teacher pension costs shrank, shifting the burden to other districts. Texas could face the same issue if some regions privatize faster than others.
Doonan also raised concerns about fairness. If private schools opt out of TRS, should they still share responsibility for existing pension liabilities? If not, public school taxpayers will be forced to cover the gap. The scale of the problem depends on how many teachers leave TRS, but if the shift is significant, Texas could see major funding shortfalls—especially in economic downturns when pension obligations remain fixed, but payroll contributions drop.
HB 3 isn’t just a question of school choice; it’s a threat to the financial future of Texas educators. Lawmakers must address this hidden cost of privatization before forcing Texas taxpayers—and retired teachers—to foot the bill.