SAN ANTONIO—Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation applauded Gov. Abbott for leading Texas toward fully empowering parents as the primary decision-makers over their child’s education. Abbott declared that no one is more critical to the development and success of children than their parents. Parents should have transparency into what schools are teaching and have confidence that schools are preparing their children for success. He continued: “Empowering parents means giving them the choice to send their children to any public, charter, or private school with state funding following the student. Parents want a greater say in the education of their children. Giving parents a true choice about where their child is educated gives parents the power they need to provide the education that is best for their child. And it reduces the reality that the education that some children receive is dictated by the zip code that they live in. Simply put, this is going to give all children a chance to succeed in the great state of Texas.”

Greg Sindelar, CEO of the Foundation stated:

“TPPF is deeply grateful to Gov. Abbott for his leadership in advancing a Parents Bill of Rights to increase options for parents and students. Parents are frustrated by learning loss their kids have endured over the last two years and there is widespread concern about political agendas replacing schools’ focus on core academics. Families deserve to know what their children are learning, and students should have access to the very best opportunities. To achieve this, Texas must eliminate any obstacle to a great education.”

Texas students need high-quality options: 40 percent of Texas students can now read and do math on grade level, and only 5 percent of those who fall behind catch up. Families face many obstacles to a great education. As a result:

  • In school districts: Only 3% of students transfer into non-resident districts. The rate in other states is three times as high.
  • In charter schools: Almost 60,000 students sit on public charter school waitlists this year because of limited seats.
  • In private schools: 35% of parents want to offer their child a private education, but only 4% of them are able to do so.

Texas must remove all barriers to educational opportunity. The Texas Public Policy Foundation was founded in 1989 with the mission to empower parents and is fully committed to working with Gov. Abbott and all state leaders to make this mission a reality through bold reforms in the 2023 legislative session.