Because private schools are not required to comply w/fed laws that protect students in special education, a Special Education ESA/voucher would enable TX to wash its hands of this responsibility. It may save $ but it will rob vulnerable kids of their right to an education.
Yes, Texas can & we must achieve a free & appropriate education for every student in Special Education. It is every child’s right. Those rights & protections are not a burden, they are a saving grace for Texas families.
Texas falls short honoring the rights of our #txed students in special education primarily because we choose to underfund formula funding for our special education students. @katyisd @friscoisd #txlege
Texas public schools take all kids. They are the choice of 5+ million families. Enough w/the gimmicks. Enough w/vouchers. It’s time to fully fund our public schools so that every TX child has access to a solid education. It is our legal & moral obligation to our kids & our future
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After horrific tragedy in Uvalde, Abbott & TX GOP leadership talked about investing in mental health supports & school "hardening" but graph below shows how little they invested compared to their political priority Operation Lonestar.
.@TexasHDC repeatedly called on @GovAbbott to convene a Special Session on school safety in response to Uvalde, but Governor Abbott was AWOL & no laws were passed.
With school starting, parents are understandably concerned.
But know this: School communities are taking school safety seriously. Because state funding is inadequate, school districts are even deficit spending to keep our kids safe. And, ALL SCHOOL CAMPUSES HAVE UNDERGONE SAFETY AUDITS THIS SUMMER.
On the morning of May 30, 2021, the last day to pass bills in the TX House in the 87th Legislative Session, House Dems faced near certain defeat against our voters & democracy w/the passage of SB 7.
My colleague @TMFtx pulled me aside & said: “I know the play to break quorum.”1
On that bill deadline day @TMFtx continued: “We break quorum, fly to Washington & tell Congress to pass the #JohnLewisVotingRightsAct.”
Always game for #GoodTrouble, I said: “Yeah, let’s do THAT!” 2/
Later that day a coalition of Black & Brown TX House Members convened & decided to kill the voter suppression bill. We heard a powerful story from @Senfronia4Texas about her lifetime struggle for voting rights. @RepDeshotel counted members willing to leave. We had the #s! 3/