Too Many State Lawmakers Are Not Strong Supporters of Public Education

Texas parents are rightfully upset that local school boards are proposing to close neighborhood public schools, increase class sizes, and lay off valued school teachers and librarians. The parental blame for these potentially harmful circumstances must be aimed at state leaders, not local school trustees.

Too many state-level elected officials in Texas are not strong supporters of public education. They seem to have more concern for tax relief and small government ideology than for the 4.8 million children enrolled in our neighborhood public schools.

Today’s school finance problems were caused primarily by poor policy decisions made by the Texas Legislature over five legislative sessions. These decisions covered many areas related to the funding and operation of public schools—from unsustainable property tax reductions to overemphasis on standardized testing, from costly unfunded mandates to failure to plan how to pay for student enrollment growth.

While many state legislators deserve a grade of A for consistent advocacy for public education, many others deserve grades of C, D, and F. Some ideology-driven legislators have publicly denigrated the public schools in order to push schemes for tax-funded private school vouchers and for-profit elementary and secondary schools.

The only silver lining to today’s school finance problems is that Texas parents are waking up, and this formerly sleeping giant is now roaring. Parents must continue to speak with loud and firm voices throughout the 2011 legislative session as they call on lawmakers to fund high quality public schools. Lawmakers also must be held accountable for every vote they take on public education, with electoral consequences when warranted.

There are many things parents can do immediately and through the 2012 election cycle:

--Write or call your state representative and state senator and urge him or her to make it a top priority to adequately and equitably fund public education. To find out who represents you, go to www.capitol.state.tx.us

--Participate in lobby days and rallies at the Capitol

--Write a letter to the editor or an op-ed for a local newspaper

--In 2012, research candidate positions on public education and support those who will speak for children at the Capitol. You can help pro-public school candidates to win by volunteering at campaign headquarters, distributing literature, putting up a yard sign, contributing funds to campaigns, and encouraging others to vote.

--Make a pledge to vote in every election for candidates who will be strong advocates for public schoolchildren. That includes voting in the March primary election and runoff, May municipal and school elections, and the November general election.

--Talk with your children about the importance of parent involvement in public school advocacy and elections, and take kids along when you block walk for candidates, attend rallies, and vote.

--Make a contribution to Texas Parent PAC, a bipartisan political action committee that supports state legislative candidates who stand up for children and public education. To learn more, go to www.txparentpac.com.

All 181 state representatives and state senators will be up for election in 2012 because of redistricting. Legislators need to be told now that Texas moms and dads are closely monitoring their actions at the Capitol and will hold them accountable at the election polls.

There is power in numbers. Moms and dads must unite to elect state leaders who parents can trust to look out for all Texas children as if they were their own.