Fully Fund Public Education

Vision

Ensure every Texas child, regardless of ZIP code, race, or income, has access to a world-class public education that prepares them for the 21st-century economy and fosters critical thinking, creativity, and opportunity.

1. Increase Funding and Ensure Equity

– Boost State Funding: Reverse decades of underfunding by raising the state’s contribution to public education beyond the current ~40% (with local property taxes and federal funds covering the rest). Aim for a 50-50 state-local split to reduce reliance on inequitable property tax revenue.

– Revise the School Finance Formula: Reform the Foundation School Program to prioritize additional resources for low-income districts, English language learners, and students with disabilities. Use a weighted funding model to address disparities in places like rural South Texas or urban Houston.

– Cap Property Tax Growth: Implement progressive tax reforms to ease the burden on working families while ensuring wealthy districts don’t hoard resources, redirecting excess funds to underperforming schools.

2. Support Teachers and Staff

– Raise Teacher Salaries: Increase average teacher pay from ~$58,000 (below the national average) to at least $65,000 statewide, with bonuses for those in high-need subjects (e.g., STEM, special education) or underserved areas like the Rio Grande Valley.

– Fully Fund Benefits: Restore full state funding for teacher healthcare and pensions, reversing cuts made in recent years, to retain experienced educators.

– Reduce Classroom Sizes: Hire more teachers and aides to lower student-teacher ratios (currently averaging 15:1) to 12:1 in elementary schools, improving individualized attention.
– **Professional Development:** Invest in ongoing training, especially in culturally responsive teaching and mental health support, to address Texas’s diverse student body.

3. Expand Early Education and Student Support

– Universal Pre-K: Establish free, full-day pre-K for all 4-year-olds (and eventually 3-year-olds), building on current programs that only serve some low-income families. Studies show early education boosts long-term outcomes, critical in a state where 60% of students are economically disadvantaged.

– Wraparound Services: Fund school-based health clinics, counselors (1 per 250 students vs. the current 1 per 400+), and social workers to tackle hunger, mental health, and family instability—key barriers to learning in Texas.

– After-School Programs: Allocate grants for enrichment like tutoring, arts, and sports, especially in districts where 52% of students are Hispanic and may lack access to extracurriculars.

4. Modernize Curriculum and Infrastructure

– 21st-Century Curriculum: Shift from rote memorization and standardized test obsession (STAAR) to project-based learning, critical thinking, and digital literacy. Include climate education and comprehensive, inclusive history reflecting Texas’s multicultural roots.

– Close the Digital Divide: Provide every student with a laptop and high-speed internet, funded by state and federal partnerships, addressing the 20% of Texas households without broadband access.

– Upgrade Facilities: Invest $10 billion over a decade to repair crumbling schools (e.g., in Dallas ISD, where some buildings are over 50 years old) and build sustainable, storm-resistant campuses given Texas’s weather challenges.

5. Address Accountability and Local Control

– Overhaul Testing: Reduce reliance on high-stakes STAAR tests, which disproportionately harm low-income and minority students, and replace them with holistic assessments (e.g., portfolios, growth metrics).

– Empower Communities: Strengthen school boards with training and resources while curbing state takeovers of struggling districts (like Houston ISD in 2023), ensuring local voices—especially parents of color—shape decisions.

– Fight Privatization: Ban new charter school expansions unless they meet the same transparency and equity standards as public schools, and end voucher programs that siphon funds from public education.

Funding the Plan

– Revenue Sources: Increase corporate taxes on Texas’s booming energy and tech sectors, close tax loopholes for high earners, and legalize recreational cannabis (with revenue earmarked for education, as in Colorado).

– Federal Partnership: Lobby for increased Title I funding and infrastructure grants from the Federal Government.

– Budget Reallocation: Shift funds from bloated prison systems or corporate subsidies (e.g., $20 billion in annual tax breaks) to schools.

Measuring Success

– Short-Term (1-3 Years): Higher teacher retention, pre-K enrollment up 25%, and 90% of students with digital access.

– Long-Term (5-10 Years): Graduation rates rise from 90% to 95%, achievement gaps narrow by 50%, and Texas ranks in the top 10 states for education.