As Texas conducts its primaries, the issue of school choice remains a top issue for voters and will either be upheld or destroyed.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and allies are actively trying to defeat the state Republicans who allowed unions to make educational decisions for parents and children. The Texas governor, thus far, has endorsed challengers to incumbents who opposed his plan for a universal education savings account that would have helped millions of K-12 students in the state.
In 2023, the Texas State House struck down Abbott’s plan, which would have allocated taxpayer funds to help children and families choose their place of education, strongly benefiting children stuck in failing government-run schools.
The Blaze pointed out that “gold-standard” control trials have repeatedly shown that allowing children and families to choose where they go to school improves academic performance. Everyone but the teachers unions benefit from school choice, with such organizations actively opposing this reform in the Lone Star State.
A school choice showdown in Texas https://t.co/wRAveWU93N pic.twitter.com/Oa3sZPz2CD
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) March 5, 2024
The Texas Senate approved Abbot’s plan in the fall of 2023, but the legislation was blocked by establishment Republicans in the state House and Democrats. More than 20 Republicans voted against the bill that would have provided children and families with the ability to choose their place of education.
Abbott had consistently called on the House to pass the school choice plan. The state legislature went out of session without passing the measure.
With primaries ongoing in Texas, voters can choose contenders willing to fight for school choice or reelect those who denied children and families educational opportunities.
Abbott’s pro-school choice efforts come after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) endorsed GOP primary contenders who support providing American families with a voice in education.
The Texas Tribune recently pointed out that a survey found more than 60% of Republican primary voters said they would oppose state House legislators who voted against the school choice plan in 2023, which would have increased teacher salaries and allocated more funds to government schools.
Despite such advancements, teachers unions want to control children, influencing them as they see fit. As a result, they oppose school choice.
