Public education takes center stage at Houston lawmakers discussion

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Public education took center stage as three Houston lawmakers Wednesday discussed the state’s takeover of the Houston school district and the prospect of the Legislature creating subsidies for private school tuition next year.

State Reps. Charles Cunningham, R-Humble; Christina Morales, D-Houston; and Armando Walle, D-Houston, discussed those topics in a Texas Tribune event moderated by politics reporter James Barragán at Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies.

The Houston school district, the state’s largest public school system, was taken over by the Texas Education Agency because of low-performing schools for about a year and a half.

“What's transpired since the takeovers, thousands of teachers…the personnel, the staff, feel intimidated,” said Walle.

Morales also said there is no accountability since residents can't vote out the district's leadership appointed by the state. She called the takeover an overreach from Texas's top leaders.

In the last state legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott failed to get a school voucher program that would allow people to use taxpayer money to subsidize private school tuition across the finish line. Abbott and his allies were successful in convincing Republican voters to oust several incumbent GOP House members who opposed vouchers.

Cunningham, R-Humble, said that a school choice bill during this legislative session might differ from the last since the governor will have more support.

"Now, the governor has shown everybody that politics is about votes," Cunningham said. "As we move forward, I would like to see a program...that could marry our two-year colleges, and work with our ISDs to help on workforce development and education.”

Walle said that while, on paper, the governor has the votes, it will be hard for those members to defend the vote to their constituents. Cunningham said it all depends on the election day to see if Abbott will have the votes for school choice.

Morales expressed that she is against any type of school choice legislation. She said it’s impossible for the state to fund two school systems since Texas doesn't have that kind of money.

“This is going to be the No. 1 fight for Democrats going into the session,” said Morales.

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