State Constitutional Mandate

The Texas State Constitution mandates that Congress provide “an EFFICIENT system of public free schools. ”

Do we currently have that?

Do the Bills being introduced increase or decrease the efficiency in our state system of public free schools?

Sen Donna Campbell’s voucher Bill, doesn’t it add the complexities of regulating private schools (certifying them to receive vouchers), distinguishing eligibility of students (those currently attending public school) and dividing the money between the current system and a newly established one? Doesn’t this add all kinds of inefficiencies and opportunities for crony profiteering of tax dollars? Doesn’t the “students currently in public schools” qualification penalize the many strapped parents already sacrificing much to educate their children outside the state system of public free schools? How long would these need to put their children in public schools in order to earn vouchers (school stamps) in this new system? This frustrated, conservative tax payer voted and campaigned for Legislators, including Sen Campbell, she believed would work to make the system more efficient not less.

Please, Governor Abbott, be a grenade against apathy with respect to education. Encourage law makers to get busy reducing the complexity, resources and state employees/agencies needed for our state system of public free schools. Streamline the process of certifying teachers, let locally elected school boards hire teachers and administrators to run local schools. Reduce or eliminate STAAR exams and let parents work with state certified teachers in creative ways to better classrooms free of pressures to “teach to the test.” Please, get rid of the top down model running off great teachers and snuffing out the genius capacity of our children! Parents do know best but “choice” under more state control, in this case of private schooling, is really less choice.