Greetings PTA leader,

It is election season in Texas. Here is what you need to know: the party primaries come early and are high stakes for pro-public education voters. Wondering why? Watch the Texas PTA Votes video and keep reading! 

How Do the Primaries Work? Over the next two weeks, Texans will vote to narrow the candidate pool to one Democrat and one Republican for each contested seat on ballots across the state. In some races, three candidates could force a run-off if no one receives a majority of votes. A little-known fact is that registered voters may vote in either party's primary election. Then, in November, the winner from each party will face off in the general election. 

Why Are the Primaries High Stakes? Most districts are heavily Democratic or heavily Republican, meaning the November election winners are largely predictable. Contested primaries are the place where public education will likely win or lose. 

What Races Are Contested? Eighty percent are in the House Republican party. This is where the real action is unfolding as Governor Abbott has publicly endorsed opponents to Republican incumbents who opposed his voucher legislation.

Why? In the last special session, twenty-one Republicans and all Democrats supported the Raney Amendment that removed a private school voucher program from the House bill that would have also increased teacher pay and improved school accountability. 

In his remarks to the House, Representative John Raney, Bryan/College Station, said the following.

NOW: Early voting!

2/23 : Last day to apply to vote by mail.

3/1: Early voting ends.

3/5: Election Day
Check your county elections office's website or VoteTexas for early voting locations and times.

5/28: Primary Runoff Election.

“Our public school system is our town.”  “I believe in my heart that using taxpayer dollars to fund an entitlement program is not conservative, and it’s bad public policy,” Raney, who is not seeking reelection, said on the House floor. “Expanding government-defined choice programs for a few without accountability… undermines our constitutional and moral duty to educate the children of Texas.”

When vouchers were removed from the bill, the author sent it back to committee, and the full House was not allowed to vote for either of those two critical issues. Five of the twenty-one Republicans, including Raney, are retiring, and the remaining sixteen incumbents are embroiled in battles against opponents endorsed by Governor Abbott. 

What Can I Do? Vote in the primary election to ensure the Republican and Democratic candidates who make it to the November ballot will protect all of the 5.4 million children served by Texas's public schools.

Sincerely,

In recognition of their unparalleled courage in safeguarding our public schools and keeping tax dollars where they belong, Texas PTA is proud to name these representatives our Champions for Children for the 88th Legislative Session. Thank you for helping make every child's potential a reality.

Alma Allen, Steve Allison, Rafael Anchia, Ernest Bailes, Keith Bell, Diego Bernal, Salman Bhojani, Rhetta Bowers, John Bryant, John Bucy, DeWayne Burns, Liz Campos, Terry Canales, Travis Clardy, Sheryl Cole, Nichole Collier, Phillip Cortez, Drew Darby, Yvonne Davis, Jay Dean, Harold Dutton, Lulu Flores, Erin Gamez, Josey Garcia, Charlie Geren, Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, Jessica Gonzalez, Mary Gonzalez, Vikki Goodwin, Bobby Guerra, Ana Hernandez, Abel Herrero, Gina Hinojosa, Justin Holland, Donna Howard, Ann Johnson, Jarvis Johnson, Julie Johnson, Jolanda Jones, Venton Jones, Kyle Kacal, Ken King, Tracy King, John Kuempel, Suleman Lalani, Stan Lambert, Oscar Longoria, Ray Lopez, Christian Manuel, Trey Martinez Fischer, Armando Martinez, Terry Meza, Joe Moody, Christina Morales, Eddie Morales, Penny Moreales Shaw, Andrew Murr, Victoria Neave Criado, Claudia Ordaz, Lina Ortega, Mary Ann Perez, Mihaela Plesa, Four Price, Ana-Maria Ramos, John Raney, Richard Raymond, Ron Reynolds, Glenn Rogers, Ramon Romero, Toni Rose, Jon Rosenthal, Carl Sherman, Hugh Shine, Reggie Smith, James Talarico, Shawn Thierry, Ed Thompson, Senfronia Thompson, Chris Turner, Gary VanDeaver, Hubert Vo, Armando Walle, Gene Wu, and Erin Zwiener.

The Fourth Special Session of the 88th Texas Legislature ended December 5, 2023, without any additional funding for public schools, school safety, or teacher pay raises.  The good news was that, once again, vouchers did not pass the House of Representatives. There have been rumors of the governor calling additional special sessions to try to enact “educational savings accounts,” but at this time Special Session #5 does not seem likely.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the preliminary injunction of HB 900, known as the Restricting Explicit and Adult-Designated Educational Resources (READER) Act, granted by the U.S. District Court in a written opinion issued in September.

HB 900 would have required all bookstores, online book retailers, and book publishers to review and rate millions of books according to sexual content if those books are sold to school libraries.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals noted that the READER Act likely restricts booksellers’ First Amendment rights, and they were “likely to sustain economic and constitutional injuries” if the law continued in effect.  It is expected that the State will appeal the injunction to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Customarily, the House Speaker and the Lt. Governor announce interim study issues that standing committees in the House and Senate are required to study during the year between regular sessions. Usually, these interim charges are assigned soon after the regular session is over, but they still have not been announced. When they are announced, expect a number of charges to study public education. Texas PTA will be following those studies through the interim.

What an amazing discussion at the third bi-annual Straight Talk event, Navigating the Smartphone Era!

Thank you to our expert panelists Tabitha Branum (Richardson ISD), Titania Jordan (Bark Technologies), Marvin Ruiz-Martinez (Robert Turner College & Career High School), and Jennifer Wagner (Round Rock ISD) for sharing your wisdom about how parents and educators can successfully support our children.

A big shoutout to our 40 fabulous watch party hosts who rolled out the red carpet and welcomed students, parents, teachers, and administrators to community events.

Finally, thank you to all who joined the conversation! We hope you gained a better appreciation for how critically important healthy digital habits and boundaries are, and walked away with a few steps you can take to help our children navigate this terrain at home and school. So, what is next?

Texas PTA delegates will be in Washington D.C. in early March and plan to share the pledge with legislators to encourage them to continue prioritizing digital and cell phone safety.

Check out the full recording of Straight Talk '24! The recording includes a brief introduction and video from National PTA President Yvonne Johnson, a Q&A with the panelists, and a few questions from the virtual audience.

Participate in discussions in your community about how to keep children safe in the cell phone era! Use our discussion points to get the ball rolling.