Over the past several weeks, something exciting has been afoot in communities across Texas. In Cajun restaurants, libraries, and large auditoriums across the state, those who have attended the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation’s For the Future candidate forums and town halls have taken a break from today’s polarized, shouting-match style of politics. Instead, they have been engaging in thoughtful, civil conversations about our state’s greatest task: educating our children.
These candidate forums and town halls reflected the belief that creating a world-class education system is a priority, not only in communities across Texas but also in our state capitol. In the midst of the everyday hustle and bustle, it can be hard to find the time and space to learn about issues, let alone how legislators and potential legislators might approach them. For the Future events aimed to create learning opportunities for communities and candidates by posing questions on various key issues in public education, including the challenges of providing sustainable school funding, defining the role and scope of standardized testing, and creating a robust teaching pipeline.