Greetings PTA leader,

It was an honor to testify on your behalf at the House Public Education Committee Interim Hearings this month.

The Committee heard over twelve hours of testimony on August 12 and more than nine hours on August 13 as they studied the plausibility of Education Savings Accounts once again and relaxed Teacher certification requirements, in response to interim charges issued by the Speaker of the House.

Vouchers: Beyond the out-of-state and invited testimony, the overwhelming response was clear -now is not the time for a voucher program! Texas’ neighborhood schools are so severely underfunded, that the state can't afford to divert precious resources. Nearly 200 pages of testimony submitted online overwhelmingly agreed. In our testimony, we shared your stories and implored the committee to commit to adequately funding our neighborhood schools.

Teachers: Especially for someone without an education degree, this testimony was fascinating. Speakers discussed research on how children learn, the significance of classroom management skills, the exponential benefits of experienced teachers, the value of teacher training and support, as well as the pros and cons of traditional and alternative certification programs. In our testimony, we once again shared your moving stories, asked for an increase to the Basic Allotment, and read an open letter of appreciation to Texas Teachers.

We hope you will make time to watch both hearings. Texas PTA Vice President Advocacy, Rachael Abell, and Director at Large, Ken Kuhl, as well as other PTA leaders testified on day one -mostly in the last hour.

Thank you for all you do to fill the gaps and ensure every child’s potential is a reality!

Sincerely,

The Committee will meet on September 18 to monitor the implementation of HB 3 as passed by the 88th Legislature. 

HB 3, relating to measures for ensuring public school safety, including the development and implementation of purchases relating to and funding for public school safety and security requirements and the provision of safety-related resources.

Engage in the process by watching the hearing live, and make your voice heard by sending your comments to the committee electronically.

For the second year in a row, a judge temporarily blocked the Texas Education Agency from releasing school district ratings, following lawsuits brought forth by school districts over changes to the STAAR test.

In this new lawsuit, school officials questioned the use of AI to grade student essays, calling the results invalid and unreliable. In last year’s suit, districts argued insufficient notice of significant changes to the college, career, and military readiness metrics would result in unfair and inaccurate scores.

Texas’ A-F accountability system evaluates every public school and district across the state. The ratings are a major factor in how the community perceives local schools.

Learn more in this Texas Tribune Article.

After primary campaign expenditure data was filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, it was reported that pro-voucher advocacy groups spent almost $15 million to defeat legislators who supported public education during the 88th Session.

These monied voucher proponents include the School Freedom Fund, a pro-voucher group tied to Club for Growth,  a political action committee (PAC) based in Washington, DC; the American Federation for Children, originally named the Alliance for School Choice; and Americans for Prosperity, a PAC based in Arlington, Virginia. Club for Growth alone reported spending $8.8 million in Texas.

It’s not just good policy to have strong public schools; the Texas Constitution dictates it.  Since 1876 (148 years ago!), the Texas Constitution has required the Texas Legislature to support and maintain free public schools. 

The Texas Constitution
ARTICLE 7. EDUCATION
Sec. 1.  SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE OF SYSTEM OF PUBLIC FREE SCHOOLS.

A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.
(Feb. 15, 1876.)

This month's "Advocacy Starts at Home" brings us to Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, where the GCISD Council of PTAs passed a resolution of support for the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD 2024 Bond Package.

Spotlight on Grapevine-Colleyville PTA Advocacy

Matt Foust, the GCISD Council of PTAs Advocacy Chair for 2023-24, shares his experience:

"Our district put forth a $150 million bond package in the Spring of 2024, addressing safety, aging schools, and infrastructure. As the GCISD Council of PTAs Advocacy Chair, I began making in-person, informational presentations. The initial goal was to inform and educate PTA members before the local PTAs held a formal vote on whether or not to endorse the bond.

Through these campus PTA votes and later the Council of PTAs’ vote to pass a resolution of support, we were 

able to tell the community that the bond package was supported unanimously by our seventeen PTAs representing 8,000 members. This approach not only educated members about the merits of the bond but also advocated for something that would benefit our schools and students.
What inspired me was knowing that our district needed someone to carry the banner and educate the community about why a bond was needed and what it would accomplish.

Rachael Abell
Texas PTA VP Advocacy

PTA leaders across Texas each bring their distinct personalities and approaches to their roles. Whether assertive, cooperative, compassionate, or strategic, they all share a common commitment: to act in the best interest of children. Advocacy takes many forms, but the dedication to supporting our students and schools is a universal thread that unites all our PTA leaders.

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1) Record a 30-second video celebrating the great things going on at your school.

2) Tag your school, district, and Texas PTA, use the hashtag #TYTXPubEd.

3) Share it!

As we launch into the new school year, we want the entire PTA community to join the excitement! Grab your phone, hit record, and tell the world why you love your public school. Every message makes a difference!

Don't miss out – search #TYTXPubEd on social media to see the fantastic support from our PTA family and record. Let's show everyone just how powerful our love for public education is!

Inspire others by sharing the big & small advocacy work you are doing with your family, at your school, or in your community.

PTA leaders take action when they learn of an issue that impacts children. It is the very essence of who we are as PTA leaders and as human beings.

That is why we are proud to feature Advocacy Starts at Home stories. Our goal is to showcase the great work going on in PTA communities around the state.

We encourage you to reflect on the advocacy work you are doing in your own community. Your story could inspire someone else to make a difference.

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Key Election Dates

More Information

On August 1, 2024, your PTA's Local Dues will remain the same, but PTAs will need to collect an extra $.50 for each new member of the 2024-2025 term to cover the increase for the Texas PTA State Dues. For more information: Navigate to the State Dues Change.