Raise Your Hand Texas believes through equity and innovation we can create a world-class school system that fuels a brighter future for all Texans.
We have established seven core policy priorities — our true north — that guide our long-term work strengthening and supporting public schools in Texas.
In addition to funding issues, many of Raise Your Hand’s core policy priorities were addressed during the 87th Legislative Session. Take a look at our work this session.
Only public schools, which educate 94 percent of students in Texas, can effectively and efficiently meet the state’s demands for a well-prepared workforce and well-informed citizenry.
Vouchers reduce equitable access to educational opportunity, weaken rights for students with disabilities, and expose taxpayers to fraud. The Legislature should reject any type of voucher.
What they don’t tell you is vouchers harm the schools that serve most Texas students by diverting money to private vendors without transparency and accountability for results. It’s time to review the research, set the record straight, and look at some of the real myths and facts about school vouchers.
A high-quality and well-funded public education system is essential for every child to reach their full potential.
In 2019, the Texas public education system received a much-needed funding boost. House Bill 3 (HB 3) made investments in teacher pay raises, full-day pre-kindergarten, funding for an optional extended-year program, and additional dollars for low-income students. These new policies will positively affect our teachers, students, and economy for generations to come, but Texas still has work to do. It still ranks in the bottom 10 states in per-student funding.
The state should not use federal stimulus dollars that were meant for education to fill other holes in the state budget.
The quality of our education system and the long-term viability of our economy are inextricably linked to the effectiveness and diversity of our teachers.
Whether it’s serving as the inspirational spark, the content expert, the compassionate ally, or the patient listener, Texas teachers are the heart of our state’s public education system. Effective teachers guide our students’ academic growth as well as their physical, social, and emotional well-being. For this reason, improving recruitment, development, and retention of our most promising and dedicated teachers must be a top priority.
In order to study and ultimately help strengthen and improve how our state recruits, develops, and retains teachers, Raise Your Hand Texas commissioned the University of Houston College of Education to prepare a comprehensive longitudinal analysis of Texas’ teacher workforce.
Every Texas student needs a safe and healthy educational environment in order to meet their full academic potential.
Though some have pushed for the expansion of full-time virtual vendors, the continued lackluster performance of these programs shows that they are not a good solution for the overwhelming majority of students.
Protect funding for full-day pre-K that was part of HB 3 (2019) so students may close learning gaps and have a level playing field for success.
New legislation on remote and virtual learning can help Texas school districts meet individual student needs and be more adaptable in times of crisis. But, to ensure quality, we must be thoughtful about how we proceed.
Raise Your Hand Texas believes all children, regardless of family background, deserve a fair shot at success in school and in life. Full-day, quality pre-k gives them that opportunity.
Blended learning combines the best of classroom teaching and online learning. Teachers use data and classroom technology to personalize instruction for every student.
Texas public schools should be held to appropriate standards of academic performance by an accountability system that accurately reflects the continuous improvement of students.
As Texas’ public education system adjusts to new instructional approaches and deals with technology issues due to COVID-19, state policymakers must take this time to reevaluate whether our accountability system appropriately measures all the factors of an effective education.
Charter schools and traditional schools should be held to the same high standards while serving all students within their communities.
In addition to a funding advantage, charters, unlike traditional school districts, are not required by law to accept all students. There should be a level playing field for all public schools.
This map shows the average per-student increase a district would receive if it were funded like a charter school, including student and program weights.
The charter expansion map tracks the growth of charter schools in Texas from 1997 through 2019.
Texans deserve a public school system that creates a highly skilled workforce capable of meeting tomorrow’s challenges.
Michelle Smith, Ph.D.
Vice President of Policy & Advocacy
[email protected]
(512)617-2134
Bob Popinski
Director of Policy
[email protected]
(512)617-2553
David Anderson
General Counsel and Policy Analyst
[email protected]
(512)617-2129
Charles Gaines
Director of Government Relations
[email protected]
(512)610-5398
During trying times, Texans are building a stronger future for our kids.