Vouchers are not opportunities for most students; they are about crippling or killing public education

(Texas State Teachers Association) – As we begin a new school year, many districts throughout Texas are struggling with inadequate budgets, including multimillion-dollar deficits, which threaten to shortchange millions of school children of the programs and classroom resources they need for success. Our schools need help, but taxpayer-funded vouchers are getting the most attention from many legislators. “More public education funding should be the Legislature’s top priority, not taking tax dollars from public schools,” Texas State Teachers Association President Ovidia Molina said. “But the House Public Education Committee has put taxpayer-paid vouchers, which would transfer tax funding from public to private schools, high on its to-do list with today’s interim hearing. & “School districts are struggling financially mainly because Gov. Greg Abbott last year torpedoed any effort to increase the basic funding allotment for public schools in a political tantrum over the House’s rejection of vouchers. Now, the House committee is focusing on the governor’s misplaced priorities. “Despite what proponents claim, vouchers are not about improving opportunities for most children. They are about crippling or killing public education by providing private school subsidies to wealthy and upper-middle-class families at the expense of everyone else. Left behind would be middle- and...