Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday night advocated for a voucher program that would allow students and parents to use government funds to attend private or charter schools instead of their assigned public schools.
Abbott said his support for school choice was to help uphold a tradition of “empowering parents” that includes his policies of banning mask mandates on campus and banning “critical race theory” in Texas schools, the San Antonio Express-News reported. He also said public schools would remain fully funded throughout the voucher program.
“Nothing is more critical to the development and success of our children than parents,” the governor said at a rally in San Antonio. “If you like the public school your child is attending, it will be fully funded.”
Unions and public school advocates throughout the state have previously opposed such voucher programs because they believe the policies weaken the public school system. Private schools would be likely supporters, the Express-News reported.
The Texas School Alliance said in a prepared statement that the proposed program is a “tuition break” for the wealthy and that the money that is intended for public schools would harm more than five million Texas students.
“You can’t fully fund public schools and address the worst teacher shortage in Texas history by siphoning off public dollars to private schools,” the organization said in a statement. “The math doesn’t work.”
In January, Abbott debuted a “Parental Bill of Rights,” which mirrors a national conservative push over how race and sexuality are addressed in schools.
Abbott said he plans to amend the Texas Constitution to reinforce that parents are the “main decision-makers in all matters” involving their children and expand families’ access to course curriculum so all lesson materials are available online.
