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Raise Your Hand Texas hosted candidate forums and town halls across Texas in advance of the March 3 primary elections. All candidates on the ballot were invited to participate in the events, and each event was solely focused on public education. The series of nonpartisan events provided Texans with an opportunity to learn more about candidates, local officials, and public education policy issues before casting their ballots.
During the 89th Legislative Session, lawmakers approved an $8.5 billion public education funding package and created a new $1 billion Education Savings Account (school voucher) program. They also passed House Bill 8, legislation that begins a multi-year shift in the state’s assessment and accountability system. As these events took place, many districts continued to face financial strain as they adopted deficit budgets, closed campuses, and considered scaling back beneficial academic programs.
The Public Education Candidate Forums allowed candidates to discuss these developments and share their views on how Texas should address district funding pressures, implement new laws, and meet long-term funding needs for Texas public education.
The forums also created a civil environment of mutual respect in which candidates communicated clearly, and audience members learned more about both the issues and the candidates.
The Texas Education Town Halls provided Texans with an opportunity to hear from their locally elected officials and become better informed about key issues impacting their local public schools, students, and teachers.
Raise Your Hand Texas firmly believes that what happens at the Texas Capitol every two years impacts every public school, its teachers, and students. Ensuring our leaders put our public school students, teachers, and the future of Texas first when they make decisions at the Capitol is most possible when local communities get informed, stay engaged, and advocate for their public schools.
Public Education Candidate Forums were held in Austin (HD 49), Houston (HD 135), San Antonio (HD 118), Plano (HD 66), Abilene (HD 71), McAllen (HD 41), Harlingen (HD 37), Lufkin (HD 9, SD 3), Grapevine (HD 98), Channelview (HD 143) and El Paso (SD 29). Raise Your Hand Texas hosted Town Halls in Odessa (HD 81), Irving (HD 115, HD 103), and El Paso (SD 29).
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