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The Texas governor is making school vouchers, teacher pay raises, and career training priorities this legislative session.
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This week, the Texas Senate will likely pass SB2 the school voucher bill.
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There’s also a plan in the Senate to allocate $5 billion to public schools for teacher pay raises.
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The Texas governor is making school vouchers, teacher pay raises, and career training priorities this legislative session.
-
This week, the Texas Senate will likely pass SB2 the school voucher bill.
-
There’s also a plan in the Senate to allocate $5 billion to public schools for teacher pay raises.
DALLAS—Texas Governor Greg Abbott wants this legislative session to prioritize education.
Abbott outlined his plans for supporting education on Sunday, which include providing school choice, boosting career training, and raising teacher salaries.
Texas School Choice
We know:
There will be a school choice battle in the Texas House if Senate Bill 2 is approved by the Texas Senate this week.
“Every youngster should receive the greatest education possible. During his State of the State address, Abbott declared, “It is time to extend that same opportunity to every family in the great state of Texas.”
Based on a lottery method, an estimated 100,000 kids would have access to the so-called school vouchers or education savings accounts.
Gov. Greg Abbott outlines emergency items in annual State of the State address
In his annual State of the State address, Texas Governor Greg Abbott listed a number of urgent problems, such as property tax relief, improvements in the state’s energy and water supplies, and education.
$800 million of the $1 billion in financing will be allocated to kids with special needs and those with low incomes. Any other chosen student would receive the remaining $200 million.
After that, those pupils would get $10,000 to transfer from public to private education.
During the last session, the plan failed several times. Abbott believes he can fulfill the campaign pledge, nevertheless, given the new environment in the Texas House.
“Schools must respond to parents concerns, and parents should be empowered to choose the school that s best for their child,” stated the governor.
One of the most contentious issues on the agenda for the 89th Texas Legislature is anticipated to be school choice. Rudy Koski of FOX 7 discusses SB 2 with both proponents and opponents.
The opposing viewpoint:
On Monday, Texas House Democrats gathered outside Parmer Lane Elementary for a press conference. This Austin public school is underfunded and in danger of closing.
State Representative Gene Wu, the Democratic House Chair, said, “Call them and tell them I am not interested in giving my tax dollars to rich people so they can send their kids to religious private schools.”
“They can pick and choose students, denying admission based on test scores, discipline history, disability, and even if a student fits their culture,” explained State Representative Rhetta Bowers, a Democrat from Garland.
Texas Teacher Pay Raises
We know:
Both sides have asked for increased funding for public schools, despite the fact that vouchers remain a contentious subject. Abbott wants to increase teacher salaries in order to achieve that.
“To increase teachers average salary to an all-time high, I m declaring teacher pay an emergency item this session,” Abbott stated.
The Senate has a plan to increase financing for public schools by $5 billion.
With that sum, all Texas teachers would receive raises of $4,000, and teachers in rural areas would receive an extra $6,000.
The opposing viewpoint:
Democrats believe that funding legislation for public schools, not vouchers, should take precedence.
“Everyone on the floor is prepared to approve a bill that gives schools more money. Everyone is prepared. So, is Governor Abbott prepared? Wu stated.
The Source: Texas House Democrats’ news conference and Governor Greg Abbott’s State of the State address provided the information for this story.
