School Choice

The Heritage Foundation’s School Choice in America interactive map: http://www.heritage.org/applications/schoolchoice

“Summary:

Texas offers families limited school choice options. The state does not support private school choice. But the state does allow for some choice within the public education system.

Public School Choice:

Texas provides some choice within the public education system, including intra-district and inter-district public school choice.

Private School Choice:

Texas does not offer private school choice.

Charter School:

The Center for Education Reform reports that Texas has a weak charter school law. However, some changes were instituted in 2013, expanding the cap on the maximum number of charter schools that can be open within the state. According to the National Association for Public Charter Schools, about 220,000 students attended the state’s 279 public charter schools in 2013.

Online Learning:

Texas offers students a state-led online learning program, which provides supplemental courses as well as full-time options for students, and several district programs. Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning reports that the state virtual school, the Texas virtual School Network (TxVSN) includes both the full time TxVSN Online Schools program for public school students in grades 3-12 and a supplemental course catalog for students in grades 8-12. Three schools currently operate full-time online learning programs through TxVSN. During the 2012-2013 school year, TxVSN served over 6,000 students, a 17% increase from the previous school year.”

Source: The Heritage Foundation, School Choice in America

What is Greg Abbott’s plan to expand Private School Choice in Texas? Texas needs a robust statewide school voucher program modeled on the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program across the entire State of Texas.