The Texas Legislature will convene today to consider passing new laws to create educational savings accounts for Texas students.
A law along such lines would promote school choice by enabling parents to send their children to private schools that normally would be too expensive for them.
Gov. Greg Abbott instructed lawmakers in the special session call to consider “legislation providing education savings accounts for all Texas schoolchildren.”
“Together, we will chart a brighter future for all Texas children by empowering parents to choose the best education option for their child,” he added.
Abbott has been a staunch supporter of school choice programs, saying the state needed to “empower parents to choose the best education path for [their] child,” as reported by The Dallas Express.
In a statement provided to The Dallas Express, Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, applauded Abbott’s special session call.
“As a mother of four, I know that it’s parents who know what’s best for their child,” she explained. “By providing educational freedom in Texas, families can take control of their future and secure access to high-quality education.”
“After facing tough opposition from well-funded and coordinated teachers’ unions, Governor Greg Abbott has boldly restored Texas’ chance to prioritize educational freedom for all,” she continued. “Every child, regardless of zip code or background, should have access to a quality education, and it’s time Texas students receive this opportunity.”
The push for school choice has been fiercely denounced by public school systems and teachers’ unions. They claim school choice legislation would undermine public education.
Mansfield ISD recently passed a resolution opposing any school choice initiative, claiming such policies would “give private schools, not parents, the right to choose” and “eliminate public accountability of schools and tax dollars,” as reported by The Dallas Express.
Similarly, the Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers said, “Our position and that of the rest of our public education allies has not changed: There can be no deal on vouchers.”
“Vouchers are a scam,” the teachers union claimed. “Vouchers are not popular with Texas voters.”
Contrary to the group’s claim, polling appears to show that most Texans across most demographic groups generally support school choice legislation.
In June, a poll by The Texas Politics Project found that 58% of Texans supported “establishing a voucher, educational savings account (ESA), or other ‘school choice’ program.” The majority included 77% of Republicans, 56% of independents, and 36% of Democrats. Most white, black, and Hispanic respondents registered their approval, as did most people living in urban, suburban, and rural locations.
Similarly, a University of Houston poll found that 53% of Texans would support a school choice program that helps all families without any income limitations or restrictions on religious school attendance. Black Texans who identified as Democrats logged the most support at 68%, followed by Latino Republicans (64%), then white Republicans (61%).
Still, opposition by Democrats to any school choice measures is expected to be tough, with the state party denouncing Abbott’s special session call.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said, “While Texas Republicans work to defund public schools … Democrats in the Texas House will propose data-driven legislation that champions communities and addresses the shortfalls of our education and immigration system head-on — not divert funds from struggling schools and other state agencies to fund swanky private schools that are run by shady billionaires.”
Many public schools have been struggling when it comes to student achievement outcomes. Dallas ISD, for instance, underperformed across a number of metrics, according to the latest Texas Education Agency (TEA) accountability report for the 2021-2022 school year.
Only 41% of students scored at grade level on their STAAR exams, and almost 20% of the district’s graduating Class of 2022 did not earn a diploma in four years, despite the hard work of the district’s teachers and principals.