Texas Education Policy Update

View as Webpage • March 20, 2023

Texas Education Policy Alert

Weekly Update

IDRA's weekly email alert includes legislative updates, opportunities for action to make your voice heard, bills to watch and other information through the session until it closes in late May.

Make sure you keep receiving these notices by subscribing to IDRA's Texas Education Policy Alert!

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Coming Up: Week of March 20, 2023

Hearings this week will address:

Improvements to dual credit and community college funding
Book banning and enforcement of classroom censorship concepts through state-approved instructional materials
Private school voucher programs, e.g., education savings accounts
Support for students’ mental health and against hairstyle discrimination

Take Action Against Vouchers

Five private school voucher proposals will be considered on Wednesday by the Senate Education committee. Call your Senator and let them know that Texans should stay in control of public schools! Oppose SB 8, SB 176, SB 960, SB 2354 and SJR 29. Find their information according to your address at Who Represents Me.

See IDRA's new infographic – 5 Reasons Private School Vouchers Would Hurt Students

Take Action to Stop HB 655

The House Youth Health & Safety Committee will have a public hearing on House Bill 655 that would harm students by removing them from the classroom and forcing them into virtual learning – indefinitely. IDRA joins Texas Appleseed in encouraging all Texans concerned and directly impacted by school discipline to testify and/or contact committee members to oppose this harmful bill.

If you cannot make it to the Capitol, you can call or email committee members. Refer to Texas Appleseed's Bill Summary & Call Script and Social Media Kit. For those that plan to go to the Capitol, please feel free to refer to this Guide to Drop a Card and these HB 655 Talking Points.

Monday

Higher Education Committee

10:00 a.m. (See notice)

Monday

Youth Health & Safety Select Committee

2:30 p.m. (See notice)

Tuesday

Public Education Committee

8:00 a.m. (See notice)

Wednesday

State Affairs

10:30 a.m. (See notice)

Watch hearings live

Watch past hearings

Wednesday

Education Committee

9:00 a.m. (See notice)

Watch hearings live

Watch past hearings

Events This Week

Twitter Chat Today at Noon CT

With this week's 50th anniversary of the Rodríguez vs. San Antonio ISD case, IDRA is cohosting a Twitter chat today with the National Coalition on School Diversity to spark conversation around the link between school funding and segregation.

Monday, Noon-1:00 pm CT

Join us by following

#RodriguezAt50

The Fight for School Finance Equity: Past, Present & Future

On the 50th anniversary of this momentous Rodríguez vs. San Antonio ISD ruling, IDRA, Trinity University and its Center for Education Leadership, Edgewood ISD and NCSD are hosting a commemorative event to reflect on the case, its impact, and its legacy of struggle and activism.

Get details to participate virtually or in person.

Highights from Last Week

See video from TLEEC's Townhall about Vouchers

Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition (TLEEC) hosted a town hall on to explain private school voucher programs and major concerns. Regardless of what you call them – education savings accounts, tax credits, or scholarships – private school vouchers take money away from our free public schools and deliver less transparency, community accountability and no protections to students with special needs.

View the video here: TLEEC Town Hall Part 1, and here is Part 2.

See one of the news stories about the bill filed recently to protect students from identity-based bullying and harassment.

Legislation filed to protect students from identity-based bullying in Texas, Jaxie Pidgeon, KLBK-CBS Lubbock, March 17, 2023

Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., IDRA's chief legal analyst, testified for Senate Bill 133 to eliminate the use of harmful restraints in schools.

Read her testimony (PDF)
Watch her testimony video

IDRA is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to achieve equal educational opportunity through strong public schools that prepare all students to access and succeed in college.

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