Education

It’s not an overstatement to say that Texas teachers are being held hostage by Republicans in our state. Many educators already face fears about their safety due to Republicans’ unwillingness to address gun violence, and now they’re also being forced to...

July 11, 2020

Schoolhouse blues: The pandemic and public education

This article originally appeared in the Austin American-Statesman. Reprinted with permission. Remember when we wished for endless summer? We should have been more careful about what we wished for. COVID-19 is bringing us the longest school vacation ever,...

August 6, 2019

ALEC funds 3 dangerous policies in Texas

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a corporate “bill mill” that drafts conservative bill templates and shops them around to state legislatures across the country. The organization is behind dangerous conservative policies on guns,...

February 26, 2019

Texas Face Off: Texas is due for complete school finance reform

KVUE's Ashley Goudeau speaks with Texas State Teachers Association President Noel Candelaria and Travis County GOP Chairman Matt Mackowiak about the legislature's teacher raise proposal and school finance reform.

January 28, 2019

Fund the schools but cut the strings

This article originally appeared in the Austin American-Statesman. Reprinted with permission. What’s scarier, Texas legislators refusing adequate funding for public schools, or lawmakers providing adequate funding with a veritable cat’s cradle of strings...

August 28, 2018

The sad ABCs of the Texas’ A-F school ratings

This article originally appeared in the Austin American-Statesman. Reprinted with permission. The dream of a universally educated citizenry will be killed in a premeditated attack on perhaps the most important institution of democracy there is. In fact,...

June 5, 2018

Saving lives is the main political mission

Economic Opportunity

First, we save lives. That’s what people of good will do if they gain power or new leverage over the current leadership in Washington, D.C. and Austin. We move to save lives, and the “we” is meant to be as inclusive as it can be. People of good will come...

May 23, 2017

Texas Senate GOP Sneak Vouchers Into Bipartisan School Finance Bill

HB 21 as it was originally filed by Rep. Dan Huberty (R- Houston) was a much-needed and welcomed school finance reform bill with bipartisan support. But when the bill reached the Texas Senate on a Sunday night it was poisoned by a far-right, special...

December 12, 2016

Dan Patrick Loves Vouchers, Hates Public Schools

Privatizing schools reroutes public money to rich, cronies

Ed. note: the following column originally appeared at the Austin American-Statesman. Political cartoon courtesy of M. Scott Byers, also published in the Statesman. Want to know why today’s Trumpian Republicans — Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick among them —...

September 22, 2016

Board of Education, SBOE, Mexican-American Heritage, Textbook, Education

Republican Wants to “Deny the Hispanics a Record Vote” on Racist Textbook

Outrage from students, lawmakers, and activists, led the State Board of Education (SBOE) to hold its first public discussion in regards to the proposed adoption of an inflammatory Mexican-American Heritage textbook last week. Prior to the discussion,...

September 21, 2016

Prospects for Texas school privatization schemes

Prospects for School Privatization Schemes

Ed. note: the following column and the above political cartoon originally appeared in the Austin American-Statesman . Illustration by M. Scott Byers. What is it about public education that some Texas Republican officeholders dislike so much? What has...

September 21, 2016

Texas Democrat Donna Howard Discusses Sensible Budget Opportunities for Texas' Future

Economic Opportunity

It can be hard to see them in a state like Texas that is controlled by Republicans, but there are actually lots of hard-working legislators working at the Texas Capitol - fighting everyday for more affordable colleges, better health care at lower costs,...

October 8, 2015

Texas Latinos Could See Economic Equality - If Republicans Stopped Blocking Progress

Economic Opportunity

From minimum wage and equal pay to education, Texas Latinos are disproportionately impacted by policies that drive income inequality. Texas Democrats have been working to address these issues for years, with one main roadblock: Republicans. On average,...

June 18, 2015

Top 10 Issues From the 2015 Texas Legislature

It wasn't all bad...but it wasn't all great, either. Now that the dust has settled and the 2015 Texas Legislative session is over, we've made a list of the 10 biggest issues under the pink dome. Be sure to share this list with your family and friends! 1...

September 25, 2014

Media Highlights Greg Abbott Lie on School Funding Cuts

Now Texas Journalists are also calling him out. Greg Abbott’s lie about why he's defending $5.4 billion in Tea Party cuts for Texas school children is garnering scrutiny from Texas press, calling it " the most controversial exchange " of the entire debate...

July 24, 2014

Texas Does Not Have Standardized Students

Katie Plemmons is a young teacher from Del Valle ISD. She works 50-60 hour weeks, spending money out of her pocket for classroom supplies. And in a wonderful opinion piece, she articulates the challenges of being a teacher in Texas. From her op-ed, titled...

December 18, 2013

More Teachers Leave Texas Schools Than Are Hired

Maybe this is why Greg Abbott refuses to answer questions about Texas' public schools. For the first time in Texas' history, more teachers left Texas' schools in 2011-2012 than were hired. This occurred at the same time that enrollment increased and Texas...

October 17, 2013

Textbook Publishers Push Back Against SBOE's Phony Science