Report Released by House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity & Enrichment

Raise Your Hand Texas extends its gratitude to the members of the House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity & Enrichment for their work during the interim. With a public school system as large as Texas’, we appreciate the members’ determination to address public school funding, teacher workforce challenges, assessment and accountability issues, and public school choice. 

With over 17 hours of testimony and almost 3,000 online responses, it is clear that key education challenges remain unaddressed. Raise Your Hand Texas is steadfast in our commitment to support our state’s public education system.

We believe:

• Public schools need at least the same purchasing power they had in 2019. In order to accomplish this, the basic allotment must increase by at least $1,000.
• Our 370,000 teachers need more support in all aspects of teaching, including preparation, professional development, and compensation. Texas currently pays its teachers $7,500 below the national average. 
• Our public school system should utilize assessments that inform instruction throughout the school year and an A-F accountability system that evaluates schools beyond just the STAAR test.
• Vouchers, no matter what you call them–ESAs or tax credit scholarships–are bad for students and the state of Texas. We continue to monitor the lackluster student performance of similar programs in other states, including their inability to serve all children as well as serious cases of misuse and fraud. 

We believe the recommendations in the Initial Interim Report provide a good framework to help our elected officials with the tough decisions that lie ahead. We hope Texas continues to focus on, invest in, and refine the policies that brighten the future of our state and the lives of our students.