How Democrats could change Texas public education
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Texas Democrats' sweep of statewide offices gives them a chance to profoundly change K-12 education policy, but that doesn't mean they will undo certain Republican priorities.
Why it matters: Texas public schools are facing declining enrollment, budget deficits and lagging academic performance, which in some cases has led to state takeovers.
- Democrats have long targeted Republicans on education, saying they've left public schools behind.
The big picture: Texas Republicans in the last two years have passed the state's first private school voucher program, introduced Bible readings in public schools and ditched end-of-year standardized tests known as STAAR.
- "I think the priorities by this new leadership are going to change drastically," Bob Popinski, dean of policy at nonprofit Raise Your Hand Texas, which advocates for public schools, tells Axios.
The latest: Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa on Thursday announced a transition team that includes an anti-voucher Republican former state lawmaker and a former school board colleague.
How it works: Democrats will control the Texas House, but Republicans retained their majority in the Senate.
- Democrats are also poised to control the State Board of Education, giving them more sway over what students learn in the classroom.
What they're saying: Democrats "definitely can get more done," longtime state Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio) tells Axios, adding that there's room for compromise.
- Bernal has served as the vice chair on the House Committee on Public Education and was a key lawmaker in negotiating a bipartisan public school funding package last session.
- "The last thing I want is some sort of political stalemate because of this significant change," he says.
Here's what Democrats can and can't do for education.
Vouchers
The $1 billion Texas Education Freedom Accounts program has been one of the most debated policy changes in Texas.
- Bernal thinks lawmakers will revisit the program, saying: "I can't imagine that that program will exist as it does today, if it does at all."
Reality check: Leslie Finger, an assistant political science professor at the University of North Texas, tells Axios she doesn't think the voucher program is going anywhere because the GOP controls the state Senate and thousands of families are already participating.
Public school funding
Political observers agree that more funding for Texas public schools is one of the biggest changes ahead. Democrats could tackle how schools are funded and possibly add a way to regularly adjust for inflation.
Zoom in: Texas funds its schools based on average daily attendance, a move that can hurt districts in low-income communities with more chronic absenteeism, Finger says.
- Finger and Popinski, with Raise Your Hand Texas, are both watching to see if lawmakers switch that formula over to enrollment-based funding.
TEA takeovers
Democrats have been critical of the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which has removed local control of school districts all over the state. Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa has said she will fire TEA commissioner Mike Morath.
State of play: While firing Morath may not be as simple as Hinojosa has suggested, his term expires in January when she takes office. She can appoint someone else.
- Hinojosa's appointment would have to be approved by the Texas Senate.
What they're saying: "A new commissioner of education can bring a different approach to … how to interpret some of these laws with school district interventions or accountability ratings, and potentially school district takeovers," Popinski says.