We might all circle the March 5, 2024 primary election as the beginning of a revolution in Texas education reform that could have major impact across the country. Governor Greg Abbott’s campaign to take out the 21 incumbent Republican representatives who had voted NO on school choice in the most recent legislative session was a resounding success, with 5 of them retiring, 6 defeated, and 4 forced into winnable runoffs. There remains a long way to go, but this means that at long last Texas has a better than reasonable chance at adopting revolutionary universal school choice in the next regular session of the legislature in 2025.
All credit is due to Governor Abbott, and as I noted in my post from last December 16, over the past 30 plus years I have worked on this and related education issues, with the possible exception of Governor Mark White, who led sweeping accountability changes in 1985 including “no pass, no play”, I have never seen a Texas Governor work with as much tenacity and expend as much political capital as he did on this effort.
A battle is won! May final victory be achieved in the next regular session of your legislature.
On the plus side This is a huge win for parents. It is far better to maximize parental choices for one’s children, especially if one is assigned currently to an unacceptable choice of schools.
From all the evidence I’ve been able to see, however, there are no data to prove that achievement will go up for students as a whole in a choice regime.
This is essentially and probably because there is no provable overall improvement in teaching and learning across the system with choice over one without. Generally.
Let’s hope and pray that – with more pervasive changes – there will be.
HOWEVER, let’s hope there will be over time.
I agree, Sandy, and I just have to keep remining myself that whatever the performance enhancements, parental educational choice is its own virtue.
I have strongly supported this for fifty years and have written half dozen articles on it. It is my hope that the legislature will make it mirror our free enterprise system as much as possible.
Speaking of tenacity, my hat is off to you in your lifetime fight for Texas’ schools and the kids attending them.
Thanks, Danny. It’s never over.
Jim, thanks for all your hard work for the school children in Texas.
I hope that school choice does not hurt small, rural school districts. Do you have any forecasts on this scenario?
Good to hear from you, Jim.
The only “hurt” suffered by small rural districts might come in the form of the perceived threat of competition by other providers, which in a free market should be helpful.
I’m In the Lovelady ISD and agree completely Jim.
Patience and Perserverance are your middle name. Good job, old friend!