School Choice Policy Suggestions for the 88th Texas Legislature

School choice has become part of the national conversation due to the increased parental awareness of their child’s education during the COVID-19 lockdowns. 

Parents on both sides of the political aisle came to find that they didn’t agree with everything their children were being taught and in the manner in which it was being delivered. 

“It’s, without a doubt, caught a grassfire of support and I think it’s just different than before,” Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-TX4) 

Proponents of school choice argue that it provides parents and students with the opportunity to select the best educational option that suits their needs, while opponents argue that it leads to further segregation and inequality in the education system. 

Now, that the 88th Texas Legislature has convened, school choice has become center stage for lawmakers this session. The needle that lawmakers will need to thread is somewhere between the teacher organizations and the parents. There will most likely be a fight that could turn parents against the teacher lobby and vice versa. However, there is hope that the school choice laws we see made law in September are those that give parents more options versus laws that fire up the divide. 

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick recently said, “We should not leave here this year until we pass school choice,”

So the view is clear that the legislature is committed to following through with meaningful policy that gives parents more educational choices for their children. 

As I’ve watched the news, and policymakers, and listened to conversations from parents, I have developed some policy suggestions for policymakers regarding the wider implementation of school legislation.  

1. Increase funding for charter schools: Charter schools are publicly funded schools that operate independently from traditional public schools. Increasing funding for charter schools would allow them to expand and provide more educational options for students.
2. Implement voucher programs: Voucher programs allow parents to use public funds to pay for private school tuition. This would provide families with more educational options and create competition between schools, which could improve overall education quality.
3. Create education savings accounts: Education savings accounts (ESAs) are accounts that parents can use to pay for educational expenses, including private school tuition, textbooks, and tutoring. ESAs would provide families with more flexibility in how they use their education dollars.
4. Encourage inter-district school choice: Inter-district school choice would allow students to attend schools outside of their home district. This would provide students with more educational options and promote competition between schools.
5. Increase transparency and accountability: It is important to ensure that all schools, including private schools, are held to the same standards of transparency and accountability. This could be achieved through mandatory reporting requirements and regular audits of private schools that receive public funding.

Here is a sampling of currently proposed school choice legislation: 

• http://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=88R&Bill=HB263
• https://capitol.texas.gov/Search/DocViewer.aspx?ID=88RHJR000371B&QueryText=%22Home+school%22&DocType=B
• https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB01924I.pdf#navpanes=0
• http://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=88R&Bill=HB97

Finally, to support this effort by contacting legislators, you can contact House members here and members of the Senate here. 

CITATIONS

• Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Texas Public Policy Summit 2023, March 2nd, 2023. Lt. Gov. backs special sessions to pass school choice (kxan.com)
• Senator Brandon Creighton, WFAA, R-TX4 (2023).  Momentum for Texas school choice growing, state senator says | wfaa.com