Education in Action

The 88th Texas Legislature's regular session began on January 10th and will continue until May 29th . During this session, the state's two-year budget and other significant legislation will be determined. Governor Greg Abbott and other prominent members of the Texas Republican Party have identified "school choice" as a priority for this legislative session.

Gun violence in our classrooms is an ongoing public health crisis which necessitates immediate, preventive actions both inside and beyond our schools; current research does not support that increased surveillance or crisis-response protocols are effective strategies in preventing gun violence, but does support whole-community responses and proactive school safety measures such as threat assessment programs and mental health supports.

We urge the Texas State Board of Education to deny the proposal to adopt the edTPA exam due to the lack of evidence-base, weaknesses in conceptual design, and potential negative impact on Texas teachers and schools, such as increased financial burden, additional oversight, and stress on a dwindling workforce.

Districts, in consultation with their democratically elected school boards, should not be prevented from implementing policies that allow families who wish to reduce their exposure to the Covid-19 virus to do so while attending school and receiving quality instruction within the parameters of the law. In order to enable all families to make the choices that are right for them, we therefore, encourage government leaders to avoid blanket executive orders, such as the ones issued by Governor Greg Abbott related to masks and vaccines, as these orders make it difficult for school districts to implement policies which reflect the needs of each specific community through the established democratic process.