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Urgent Call to Action: Texas House Public Education Committee Hearings on 08/12 and 08/13
The Texas House Public Education Committee is holding critical hearings on Monday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 13 on issues that are having or will have a profound impact on the future of public education in Texas. Perhaps most critically, the committee will consider the implementation of taxpayer-funded private school vouchers and the effect that the increasing quantity of uncertified...
Read More88th Texas Legislature: Good Bills of the Week
HB 1974 and SB 764 by Rep. Caroline Harris (R-Round Rock) and Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), respectively, would establish a statewide Imagination Library program in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library or a similar book distribution program to encourage children to develop a love of reading via monthly mailed books...
Read MoreFeb. 3, 2023: The Fight Against Defunding Public Schools
This week's Hotline is sponsored by Texas AFT corporate supporter Horace Mann. Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 Gov. Abbott Ups the Ante on ‘School Choice’ Debate Despite National Voucher Horror Stories State funding for public education is under siege on several fronts. The specter of school privatization threatens the foundations of...
Read MoreGov. Abbott Ups the Ante on ‘School Choice’ Debate Despite National Voucher Horror Stories
State funding for public education is under siege on several fronts. The specter of school privatization threatens the foundations of our public schools — along with the raises our school staff so desperately need. Illustration by Sierra Wiggers. On Tuesday night, as most Texans were preparing for a severe ice...
Read MoreState Board of Education Reverses Course on Vouchers and Charters
The new State Board of Education met this week in Austin. Ever a more conservative body, the election of four new hard-right members was immediately felt in the boardroom this week. Republicans LJ Francis (District 2), Julie Pickren (District 7), Evelyn Brooks (District 14), Aaron Kinsey (District 15), along with...
Read MoreJan. 27, 2023: Raises for All Texas School Employees
Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 As Texas public schools beg for funding, Texas charter schools … buy luxury horse ranches. This year, National School Choice Week fell just a week after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proclaimed before the Legislature that he and Gov. Greg Abbott are “all in” on “school choice.” ...
Read MoreAs Texas public schools beg for funding, Texas charter schools … buy luxury horse ranches.
This year, National School Choice Week fell just a week after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proclaimed before the Legislature that he and Gov. Greg Abbott are “all in” on “school choice.” What’s normally a week in which voucher proponents and charter school operators share the alleged benefits of school privatization...
Read MoreGood Bills of the Week: Rep. Talarico Announces Bill to Give Raises to Teachers, Support Staff
At a press conference at the Capitol this past Tuesday, Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) announced a bill, HB 1548, that would provide certified educators with a $15,000 raise and all other full-time, non-administrative school staff with a 25% raise. Talarico was joined by several legislators who signed onto the bill,...
Read More2023 Poll Finds (Again) That Texans Love Their Public Schools
The Charles Butt Foundation has released its 2023 poll on Texans’ attitudes toward public education, and, once again, the results confirm what we already know: Texans overwhelmingly support and value their public schools and those who work in them. Among the key findings of this year’s poll: 89% of Texans...
Read MoreLt. Gov. Dan Patrick Announces Senate Committee Assignments
This past Monday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced assignments for Texas Senate committees for the 88th legislative session. The 31 Texas senators were each assigned to the 15 standing senate committees and a 16th special committee on redistricting. In order to guarantee compliance with the Texas Constitution, which mandates that...
Read MoreIowa General Assembly Passes Controversial Private School Voucher Legislation
This past week, the Iowa General Assembly passed a bill to use public tax dollars to fund private school education scholarships. Gov. Kim Reynolds, an outspoken supporter of private school vouchers, signed the bill Tuesday, just hours after it was voted out of the Iowa Senate. This school voucher bill...
Read MoreThe ‘School Choice’ Fight Has Begun at the Legislature
Source: Texas Parent PAC poll, May 2022 This past Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott delivered their inaugural addresses to the 88th Legislature in Austin. Both — for all their previous "linguistic gymnastics" — made one thing clear: a private school voucher push is coming. Now, we...
Read MoreLegislative Lowdown: News From the Capitol
The second week of the 88th Texas legislative session kicked off with the inaugurations of Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Both gave speeches that had serious implications for Texas public education. Apart from both Abbott and Patrick signaling support for private school vouchers, which would take money...
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