A new Texas education advocacy group rolled out a broad school reform package this week as lawmakers, staffers, and policy groups gathered in Austin ahead of the next legislative cycle.
Texas TransformED released proposals focused on school finance, literacy instruction, public transparency, and teacher quality. Founder Robbye Kirkpatrick was scheduled to meet with lawmakers Tuesday, one day before the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Texas Policy Summit begins Wednesday in Austin.
“We believe Texas can and should lead the world in student outcomes,” said Robbye Kirkpatrick, founder of Texas TransformED.
Texas TransformED describes itself as an independent, nonpartisan movement working to make Texas the top state in the nation for public education. On its website, the organization says it wants to unite business leaders, teachers, and parents around data-driven reforms. The site’s privacy policy identifies Texas TransformED as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, and the organization says contributions support political advocacy work and are not tax-deductible.
The package calls for a comprehensive review of the state’s school funding formula, more options for financing school facilities, stricter financial accountability for school-related entities, a restructuring of English Language Arts and Reading instruction in grades K-8, a statewide education transparency platform, and incentives designed to attract and reward high-performing teachers.
Kirkpatrick framed the effort around a gap between Texas’ economic strength and its academic outcomes. She said the current public school system is not producing enough students prepared for college, careers, the military, or skilled trades.
Texas TransformED points to weak performance in key academic areas in making its case for reform. The Texas Education Agency’s 2025 Annual Report says Texas ranked 44th nationally in eighth-grade reading, 34th in eighth-grade math, 37th in fourth-grade reading, and 8th in fourth-grade math on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress. A Dallas Fed analysis published in August 2025 found Texas’ relative standing improved significantly after demographic adjustment.
One of the group’s most notable ideas is the “Million-Word Miracle.” The proposal would split current ELAR instruction into separate reading/literacy and writing/public speaking courses in grades K-8. It would also require students in grades 2 through 8 to read 1 million words per year and place stronger emphasis on handwriting, grammar, spelling, logic, structure, and multi-draft writing.
Texas TransformED also wants a more transparent, outcome-driven approach to school finance. Its proposal calls for a review of spending on special education, construction, procurement, and administration, along with alternatives to the traditional property tax-based funding structure. The proposal also wants a public-facing data platform built around reading, math, graduate readiness, and financial efficiency.
The package also pushes for more flexibility in how districts finance school facilities, including public-private partnerships and other long-term arrangements. Texas TransformED says school construction projects need tougher scrutiny for waste, delays, and procurement issues.
The proposal also calls for stronger enforcement tools for financial misconduct involving public schools, charter schools, education service centers, nonprofits, vendors, consultants, and construction firms.
According to the organization’s website, Kirkpatrick is a commercial real estate professional, former teacher, and parent who launched Texas TransformED in 2025 after growing frustrated with her children’s public school experience. Her biography says she previously worked in commercial real estate, taught in Los Angeles, and later returned to Texas, where she developed the reform vision behind the organization.
The Dallas Express did not independently verify the full scope of the group’s Tuesday meetings with lawmakers before publication. The rollout comes as school finance, academic performance, and accountability remain major issues in Texas ahead of the next legislative session.