Texas Democrats double down on protecting public opinion

As the battle for the future of Texas’s K-12 education system intensifies, some public school supporters aren’t afraid to hit below the belt.

Advocacy group Texas Public Heritage released an ad earlier this month questioning the masculinity of Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath. The commercial promotes the fictional “BIA-MAN” app as three officials flash across the screen.

“You work a lot, but sometimes you just can’t finish the job. If you have the ability to do what needs to be done but can’t seem to get it, try BIA-MAN once a day, a unique combination of courage and integrity that will help you deliver on your promise to fully fund our schools. pay our teachers more – a $10,000 raise,” the ad says.

When an image of a grimacing Abbott appears, the narrator continues: “You were in charge; now it’s time to take charge. Most Texan men know how to do it. For everyone else, the answer is clear: BIA-MAN.”

We know we know @DanPatrick working hard. He just can’t just… um… finish the job. He is not much different from many other men suffering from the same ailment. They have strength but lack… stamina? We have a solution. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/RGpB1fYRkv

— Texas Public Heritage (@TexasHeritage_) February 9, 2023

Texas is one of several conservative states trying to change the curriculum in public schools. Republicans here have sought to ban stays in institutions of higher learning in addition to policies of diversity, fairness and inclusion. They also pushed for so-called “parental choice” through school vouchers, meaning that money that would normally be sent to public schools is instead used to pay for tuition at private schools.

The state of education also seems to be in constant flux, as some districts are considering moving to a four-day school week.

“I don’t think it’s alarmist to admit that many of these proposals are directly aimed at undermining the public school system.” – Dr. Chloe Latham Sykes, IDRA

tweet it

Dallas County Democratic vice chairman Cardal Coleman said his party hopes to see a spike in teacher salaries this session. Austin Rep. James Talarico filed a bill that would provide for a $15,000 raise; Coleman argues that such a promotion would take the pressure off teachers, some of whom have to work multiple jobs, and allow them to better focus on teaching children.

Coleman also believes that some of the government’s historic budget surplus should be reinvested in elementary schools, as well as historically black colleges and universities. And what about the so-called parental choice?

“In the Dallas County Democratic Party, we are not afraid to say the right thing,” he said. “So we know that these vouchers are an attack on public school students, and on top of that, we know who makes up this group of public school students. We know it’s mostly black and brown kids in the urban core, and then we’ll talk about rural Texas because it’s working class families who often can’t afford to have other options.”

There are a number of strong public schools in Dallas County that the party wants to fully fund, Coleman said. Dallas Democrats remind that the last day to register for participation in local elections in May is April 6.

Liberals at the state level are also doubling down on their public advocacy.

The Texas Democratic Party shared a fiery reaction to Abbott’s address to the state this month. The video shows a former ISD teacher from Lubbock who claims she quit because she realized she “could no longer deal with Republicans who ban everything teachers try to teach.”

ICYMI: Texas Democrats responded to Greg Abbott’s 2023 State of the Union Address. #txlege #TXSOTS23

See here pic.twitter.com/ewD7veaq03

— Texas Democrats (@texasdemocrats) February 17, 2023

Chloe Latham Sykes, Associate Policy Director for the Intercultural Development Research Association, pointed to another recent trend in education: ever-expanding censorship in the classroom. Take the 2021 session for example: Republican lawmakers effectively banned the teaching of so-called critical race theory in grades K–12, which the districts said never happened at all.

Many of the censorship bills have contributed to a “really hostile climate in schools,” Latham Sykes said, especially with respect to queer children and students of color. She also noted that recently there has been a surge in teacher turnover.

Retaining teachers these days was quite difficult. More than 44% of new educators quit their jobs within five years, according to the study. Voice.

According to Latham Sykes, it is important to prioritize a safe learning environment, full funding, and best practices in schools. Some bills passing through the Legislative Assembly can do real harm.

“I don’t think it’s alarmist to admit that many of these proposals are directly aimed at undermining the public school system and how it serves more than 5.5 million students, and this is a matter of deep concern,” she said. “We have seen how important our public schools have been during the pandemic – being centers of public information, health information… providing food, digital access, I mean, really acting as community centers – and by targeting these institutions, it directly impacts students. . and families.”