Make it Matter Monday 3/3

Don't despair - vouchers are not a done deal!

I know enough House members have signed on as co-authors to HB 3, the voucher bill, that it seems like game over. But it's not. First of all, not everyone who signs on to co-author a bill ends up voting for it - there are still opportunities to add amendments that would make supporters want to vote against it, for example. And it could just be politics. State leaders have deep billionaire pockets are a putting a lot of pressure on House members. Signing on as co-authors gives them a chance to get a little breathing room. If state leaders had the votes, they would sit back and let the process play out. Governor Abbott's not even talking about the border right now, he's so freaked out. So don't despair. Let him do that for you. 

In the meantime, keep calling your House representatives with your No to Vouchers and Raise the Basic Allotment to $7500 per pupil messages and then call House Pub Ed Committee members, if you feel like you are ready to tell them your stories. 

Learn

House Bill 2 is being heard twice by the House Public Education committee. To prepare to respond to the calls to action this week, please read more about HB 2 from the Texas Tribune, 02/20/2025. 

Overview of HB 2

Do

Last Monday you registered on TLO, right? Now that you have an account, you can monitor and set alerts for bills, committees, and meetings. Go to My TLO and follow the directions for creating a Bill list or set of alerts by clicking the links and then clicking through the tabs. Start with House Pub Ed committee alerts and then any bills, like HB 2 and  HB 3, that come up that you're interested in. 

My TLO - Create lists and alerts

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During this week's State of Texas Education hearing, Rep. Gina Hinojosa was able to get Texas Education Commission, Mike Morath, to explain that the reason our bi-lingual education is doing well is because of financial resources coupled with certified and experienced teachers. We already know this is the secret to success. Share the video with your friends so they can keep reminding our representatives what we expect from them! 

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SPILLING THE CAPITOL TEA

House

The House met to hear about the State of Texas Schools with invited guest, Texas Education Agency Commissioner, Mike Morath, last . Our friends at Teach the Vote captured the day in their blog post but the general gist is he promised the largest investment in public education in the history of this state! It remains to be seen if our state leaders' "the largest investment" gets us even with inflation. He did say we would get rid of the STAAR test and reform the A-F system. And he wants to give "parents the power to be the primary decision maker's in their kids' education future." Vouchers. As if we aren't already the primary decision makers. Who makes the decisions for his children's education, do you suppose? It's a headscratcher. 

Thank you to those of you who took the time to comment. Here is the full list of comments from 330 mostly angry Texans. You can find info about meetings you miss by going to the committee meeting date after it's passed and read Minutes, Witness List, Handouts, and Comments, in addition to the Hearing Notice, which is there before the meeting. 

Senate

The Senate met to discuss SB 12, Senator Creighton's anti-DEI bill on Thursday, and a whole bunch of other bills that prove how disconnected from reality our Christian Nationalist victims of teacher indoctrination are. These included a bill increasing restrictions on school libraries. SB 13 by Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney) would add “indecent” and “profane” content to the list of prohibited library materials and require creation of local school library advisory councils to address challenges to library books. The committee also heard SB 12, an omnibus “parental rights” bill by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), which states that parents have the right to review all curriculum and instructional materials (a right parents already hold and have long held) as well as student academic and health records. 

Needless to say, the bills were not very popular with the folks who testified or registered an opinion. Here's the list for your reading pleasure and also so you can see for yourself and show it to your friends, family, and the media, if the opportunity arises.

Mark your Calendar: Tuesday is not just for tacos anymore

The House Pub Ed committee announced they'll be meeting every Tuesday at 8am, so mark your calendar. They're going to be in the Reagan Building (JHR), room 140, which is right there on the ground floor of a building that is on the grounds but slightly northwest of the Capitol building, closer to UT. You don't need to go through security but the same rules apply. There are kiosks for registering right in the lobby outside of that room. 

Join our ACPTA Testimony Team Signal group to share testimony ideas and stay connected on Testimony Tuesdays. No experience necessary - we train anyone who wants it. 

House Committee meetings this weekTuesday, March 4House Pub Ed Committee8am, JHR 140 (Reagan building)

The committee will meet to hear invited testimony on HB 2, Buckley, relating to public education and public school finance.

The bill proposes a (somewhat meager) increase of $220 to the Basic Allotment (BA), raising it from $6,160 to just $6,380. Certified teacher requirements: HB 2 contains language on mandates for districts around employing certified teachers for core curriculum courses starting in the 2026-27 school year, with a one-year exemption (excluding reading and math courses above fifth grade).  

Some of the key HB 2 provisions in the bill:Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA): The bill expands the current TIA program and creates a local optional teacher designation system grant. Special education funding: HB 2 allocates $1.8 billion to transition special education funding to an intensity of service model. HB 2 also provides districts $1,000 per special education evaluation, implements procedures to audit and monitor dyslexia program implementation, and increases outcome bonuses tied to College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) for special education students.Pre-K expansion: The bill expands eligibility to students who require special education services and funds prekindergarten programs managed by the Texas Workforce Commission and Texas A&M University System. Compensatory education: HB 2 raises the compensatory education allotment by approximately $32 per student. Small and mid-sized district support: HB 2 provides $1.1 billion to significantly increase the small- and mid-sized district allotment.Fine arts funding: The bill establishes a fine arts allotment of $51 per student, or $102 per educationally disadvantaged student, in average daily attendance (ADA), but caps the allotment at $15 million annually, which likely greatly reduces the per-student amount. Longer school year: The bill creates incentives for districts to provide additional days in the school year. 

Invited testimony only. 

Texas residents who wish to electronically submit comments related to agenda items on this notice without testifying in person can do so until the hearing is adjourned by visiting: https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c400

CALL TO ACTION! Submit comments! And show up to the hearing to show your face and let them know we're paying attention. 

House Pub Ed CommitteeThursday, March 6, 20258 am, in Room JHR 140, (Reagan Office Building)

The committee will meet to hear invited testimony on HB 2, Buckley, relating to public education and public school finance (see description above)

Public testimony will be limited to two (2) minutes per witness.

Texas residents who wish to electronically submit comments related to agenda items on this notice without testifying in person can do so until the hearing is adjourned by visiting: https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c400

CALL TO ACTION! Submit your comments, show up and let them know we're paying attention, and/or sign up for our Testimony Team Signal group to prepare for Thursday's testimony opportunity. 

House Pub Ed Committee Tuesday, March 11, 20258 am, in Room JHR 140, (Reagan Office Building)

The committee will meet to hear invited and public testimony regarding HB 3, Buckley | et al., relating to the establishment of an education savings account program.

House Bill 3 is the largest and most expensive private school voucher bill ever proposed in the Texas House, diverting taxpayer dollars out of our public schools and into unaccountable private and religious schools. 

Eligibility: Universal eligibility for every school-aged child and PreK-eligible child. HB 3 does not include an income cap, meaning millionaires and billionaires are eligible for voucher money.

Voucher Amount: The voucher can be used for private school expenses OR high-quality PreK, though the PreK eligibility remains unclear in the bill text.

All students: Eligible to receive 85% of the estimated statewide average state and local funding per student in ADA — $10,198 in 2026 and nearly $10,500 in 2027.

Homeschoolers: Eligible to receive $2,000.

Special Education Students: Eligible to receive their full public school entitlement amount, up to $30,000.

Prioritization: Despite voucher proponents’ rhetoric, HB 3 does not prioritize students who are currently in public schools. Students who are already in private schools are equally eligible for this money. The bill includes a series of prioritization criteria, but if low-income students and students with disabilities (categories 1-3 below) do not apply for a voucher — or apply and are not granted admission into a private school — most of the voucher seats will go to wealthier families with kids already in private schools (category 4). Students with a disability AND who are members of a household at or below 500% of the federal poverty line (FPL)Students who are part of a household below 200% of the FPLStudents who are part of a household above 200% and below 500% of the FPLStudents who are part of a household at or above 500% of the FPLIf a child ceases to use a voucher, then they are moved to the bottom of the waitlist if they wish to use a voucher againFor reference, currently, 500% of the FPL for a single parent with one child is $105,750 and 500% of the federal poverty line for a family of 6 is $215,750.

Accountability: Participating students would be required to take either the state-required assessment or a nationally norm-referenced exam.https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/20/texas-house-school-vouchers/

Public testimony will be limited to two (2) minutes per witness.

Texas residents who wish to electronically submit comments related to agenda items on this notice without testifying in person can do so until the hearing is adjourned by visiting: https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c400

CALL TO ACTION! Submit your comments, show up and let them know we're paying attention, and/or sign up for our Testimony Team Signal group to prepare for Thursday's testimony opportunity. 

Senate Committee meeting this week

Tuesday, March 4, 202511am, E1.028

The Senate K-16 Education Committee is bringing SB 10, the Ten Commandments in public school bill, up again and you have a chance to comment on it in person. They'll also be discussing SB 11, which is about praying in school, and SB 569, which is somehow about virtual education during a crisis and not at all about religion, which makes me suspicious, somehow. 

CALL TO ACTION! Go down and testify. 

The Goss'

The powerful chairman of the House Pub Ed committee, Brad Buckley, has been getting his ass handed to him all week. First at the Rally Day adult caucus, then in his hometown of Salado, where there was also a throng of protesters outside, and then at Palestine, TX, with Rep. Cody Harris. Look for videos on social media. The first thing I noticed in the videos I watched was how confused Buckley looks. I really think they got so used to store bought moms who were brought in by the busload, fed brunch in the Governor's reception room, then dispersed across the Capitol clutching scripts about schools they'd never set foot in. He's getting a taste of real moms now and it's clearly a shock. It'll be interesting to see how he treats folks at the hearings on Thursday, funding, and the following Tuesday, vouchers. 

Local Action

AISD, like virtual all the rest of the districts in our state, is in financial crisis. Look for more meetings to talk about how this affects our district and school budgets. Here is the presentation shared at the last budget meeting. 

Let's get ready to share our stories, y'all! We have three opportunities to share our stories and raise our voices for our schools and teachers over the next couple of weeks. Let's do it!