Kassandra Elejarza
The anti-ESG crusade has reached Texas public education. As the former Alamo Chamber of Commerce head, I know well that strong educational institutions make for solid economies. So when extremist legislation deals blow after blow to our public school teachers, our higher education, and our state economy, I draw the line.
89% of Texas public school parents are happy with the quality of education their kids receive, and 76% would give their child’s teacher an A or B grade. Despite this widespread satisfaction, our state is content to wrest control from teachers. Lawmakers are policing books on shelves and oil and gas industry approved school curricula instead of pushing for worthwhile investments in public education.
Our teachers are fed up and are leaving their profession in droves. The state has consistently underpaid them, and average salaries are $7,700 below the national average. Low pay and chimerical workloads are eating away at our talented educators, with a recent survey finding that the amount of Texas teachers thinking about leaving the profession has gone from 58% in 2020 to 75%.
When Texas schools need more funding, the burden is shifted onto local taxpayers, who have to pay out of pocket for the kids the state has chronically underfunded. Ideally, state and local taxes should cover about half of the cost each. But instead, financial strain is heightened for all in a way that’s not sustainable.
To add insult to injury, some state lawmakers have been pushing for private school vouchers, a scam that siphons money from public schools and doesn’t adequately fund low-income students’ attendance at private schools. Our governor would rather pad the pockets of the private school profiteers who bankroll his elections than uphold a free, accessible public education system meant for all, regardless of income status.
Higher education institutions are also under attack. As major economic drivers in Texas, colleges and universities educate future leaders and lead groundbreaking research and innovation across industries. Texas has nine public universities with R1 status, marking them as top-tier research institutions. But extreme Texas laws like the governor’s 2021 DEI ban drive away our best and brightest students, professors, and university staff.
The state’s attacks on public education seriously threaten our children’s future and Texas’ economic health. There’s no shortage of partisan divisive fights that can consume the legislature’s time. Texas will continue to lead the country and the world if we focus on the basics that unite us rather than the extremes that divide us. But we know that when our educational institutions thrive, so does our state.
Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Kassandra Elejarza, a Rio Grande Valley native who formerly led both the Alamo Chamber of Commerce and Texas Democratic Women.
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Publish date : 2024-09-20 02:40:00
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