Raise Your Hand Texas gears up for 89th legislative session

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AUSTIN, Texas – Raise Your Hand Texas has announced its policy positions ahead the 89th legislative session that starts this week in Austin.

The group, set up by Charles Butt and other Texas business leaders in 2006 to advocate for high-quality public education, continues to oppose vouchers.

“Public dollars must remain in public schools. Only public schools, which educate 90 percent of students in Texas, can effectively and efficiently meet the state’s demands for a well-prepared workforce and well-informed citizenry,” RYHT states.

“Vouchers divert scarce public education funds to private schools, which are not required to comply with federal protections for students with disabilities or report and track spending and student performance. We support keeping education tax dollars in public schools and investing in quality public school choice and innovative programs.”

Serving the Whole Child Promotes Learning

RYHT says every Texas student needs a safe and healthy educational environment to meet their full academic potential.

“Texas is ranked 43rd in overall child well-being, including indicators related to economic status, education, health, and certain family and community traits. We support meeting the individual needs of students through equitable and high-quality pre-kindergarten, mental wellness, and wraparound programs.”

Prepared Students Ensure a Brighter Future for Our State

RYHT says Texans deserve a public school system that creates a highly skilled workforce capable of meeting tomorrow’s challenges.

“Less than half of Texans ages 25-34 hold a postsecondary certificate or degree. Texas is struggling to keep pace with 21st century workforce demands. Texas cannot rely solely on importing talent from other states.”

The group points out that less than half of Texans aged 25-34 have postsecondary certificate or degrees.

“We support pathways that ensure every student is on track for college, career, or military readiness.”

Money matters in education

RYHT says money matters in education. It points out that Texas ranks in the bottom ten states in per-student funding, coming in at 46th.

“A high-quality and well-funded public education system is essential to help every child reach their full potential,” the group states.

“Even after HB3 (2019) increased investment in public schools, Texas still ranks in the bottom ten for per-pupil spending.”

Texas is $4,400 behind the national average, the group states.

“We support an equitable school finance system that, at the very least, funds Texas students at the national average.”

Student Growth and Performance Should be Measured Fairly

RYHT says Texas public schools should be held to appropriate standards of quality by a comprehensive accountability system that accurately reflects academic performance and other measures of student progress.

“The state’s accountability (A-F) system is disproportionately based on a single end-of-year test that does not adequately consider a student’s academic growth. Additionally, it is the only measure of accountability ratings in grades 3 through 8,” RYHT states.

“We support real-time assessments that inform instruction, measure individual progress, and serve as one of multiple measures reflecting a student’s entire educational experience.”

Texas Families Deserve an Equal Playing Field

RYHT says charter schools and traditional schools should be held to the same high standards while serving all students in their communities.

“Charter schools offer the opportunity to foster innovation in public education, especially for our most at-risk students. However, rapid expansion of charter schools is creating tax inefficiencies, unequal access for students, and a parallel system of publicly funded schools,” the group states.

“We support equitable funding, expansion and accountability policies that require all publicly funded schools to equally serve every student in their communities.”

Teachers Make the Difference

RYHT says the quality of Texas’ education system and the long-term viability of its economy are “inextricably linked” to the effectiveness and diversity of its teachers.

“Inadequate pay, lack of respect, and stressful work conditions are pushing teachers out of the profession and attracting fewer new teachers into the field. Compounding this challenge are the needs for better teacher preparation and less reliance on alternative certification programs,” the group states.

“We support enhancing teaching as a career, attracting and preparing a strong teacher workforce, and retaining quality educators in the field.”