Gambling and vouchers promise to be two hotly debated topics in the 2023 session of the Texas legislature. Legislators have filed several bills to expand gambling in the state, as well as bills to create a voucher program. Texas Baptists are opposing both efforts. Interestingly, they claim that education vouchers violate religious liberty and the…
Imagine for a moment the reaction if the State of Texas decided to operate government grocery stores. What if the state determined what products would be on the shelves and socialized the cost of groceries purchased at those stores by imposing a tax on property owners? Competitors would lose business because of the subsidies for…
As the debate over school choice in Texas heats up, defenders of government schools are increasingly using terms that are inaccurate and misleading. One of the most common is “public money.” As an example, the Texas Association of School Boards, recently criticized vouchers because “they give public money to private entities.” In truth, there is…
Republicans who live in rural areas of Texas are generally opposed to school choice. They argue that government schools are the lifeblood of their community. Vouchers and similar programs will siphon money from those schools and lead to the degradation of the community. Reason reports that, in Florida, this hasn’t happened. School choice doesn’t destroy…
Imagine for a moment the reaction if the State of Texas decided to open government grocery stores. What if the state determined what products would be on the shelves and socialized the cost of groceries purchased at those stores by imposing a tax on property owners? Competitors would lose business because of the subsidies for…
Insanity, it is often said, is taking the same actions over and over and expecting different results. Many opponents of education vouchers in Texas provide an example of insanity. State Rep. Harold Dutton, the chairman of the Texas House Public Education Committee, recently said, What is the problem that you’re trying to cure with school…
Both Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have said that “school choice”—i.e., vouchers or education savings plans—will be a priority in the 2023 legislative session. Advocates of “school choice” programs scored victories across the nation during the midterm elections. Every gubernatorial candidate who supports school choice was elected. Some, such as The Washington…
The school choice movement is gaining momentum across the nation. The American Federation for Children (AFC) is one of the nation’s leading advocates for school choice. According to the organization’s website, AFC seeks to empower families, especially lower-income families, with the freedom to choose the best K-12 education for their children. We believe all parents…
In September, the Heritage Foundation released its Education Freedom Report Card. Florida received the top rating for educational freedom, followed by Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, and South Dakota. The District of Columbia was ranked last for educational freedom, with New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Massachusetts joining D.C. at the bottom of the rankings. Heritage used…
Few positives have emerged from the government’s response to COVID-19. One positive is that parents discovered alternatives to government schools for their children. Many have continued to utilize these alternatives. Microschools are a promising alternative to government schools. As the name implies, microschools are small—typically serving fifteen or fewer students. Often, the students are at…
Today’s political climate is one of a perpetual demand for conformity. Both Progressives and conservatives demand conformity. They merely disagree over who should be conforming and to what. Conformity means acting as others deem appropriate. It means subordinating one’s own judgment to the judgment of others. America’s educational system, which is dominated by Progressivism, is…
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said that he supports parents’ “choice to send their children to any public school, charter school or private school with state funding following the student.” The Republican Party of Texas has listed school choice as a priority in the upcoming legislative session. However, rural Republicans oppose school choose measures. They…