While attending a rally in San Antonio on Monday night, Texas Governor Greg Abbott voiced support for a school voucher program.
Under the proposed program, Texas students could utilize government funds to pay for tuition at private or charter schools. At the same time, Abbott reassured parents if they were satisfied with their child’s current school, they would still see the school fully funded.
Abbott stressed that he is looking to support and empower parents in Texas. His announcement comes at a time when parents across the country are expressing greater concern over their children’s curriculum.
Last year in Virginia, questions over what children are being taught and at what age had a significant impact on the race for governor. Glenn Youngkin was behind in the polls until his opponent commented that parents “had no business” in the classroom.
One particular critic of Abbott’s proposal, the Texas School Alliance, offered a prepared statement in which it stated: “You can’t fully fund public schools and address the worst teacher shortage in Texas history by siphoning off public dollars to private schools. The math doesn’t work.”
This is not the first time that Abbott has introduced a proposal giving parents a major part in the educational decisions of their children. In January, Abbott proposed a Parental Bill of Rights. Like similar proposals in other states, the proposal addressed the ways in which “race and sexuality” are addressed in public schools.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis encouraged similar legislation, finally signing the bill in the last month. The law holds that students should not be taught about sexuality before the third grade.
DeSantis also prohibited the teaching of critical race theory (CRT), banning some textbooks within the last month due to their CRT-inspired content.
Gov. Abbott additionally announced plans to amend the state constitution so that parents are reinforced as the primary decision-makers in their children’s education.