Texas state Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston) inadvertently admits that government schools are nothing more than a Ponzi scheme. According to Wikipedia, a Ponzi scheme “is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors.” This is precisely what Wu describes in opposing school choice: Even…
Advocates of government schools often point out that Texas has a constitutional requirement to provide education for all. Article 7, Section 1 of the state constitution declares: A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the…
Several Texas school districts have filed a lawsuit to stop implementation of a new grading system for schools. Currently, 60 percent of students must pass the College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) test for a school to receive an A. The new standard would be 88 percent. School districts are claiming that they haven’t had…
Few Americans would claim that the nation’s school systems do not need improvement. However, there is little agreement on how to offer all students a high-quality education. Some argue that government schools need more funding. Others argue that school choice is the solution. Both of these arguments miss the fundamental issue. To improve our nation’s…
The Texas Standard reports that the state’s method for funding government schools hurts rural districts and puts an “increasing burden on local taxpayers.” The article goes on to note that, while school property taxes keep going up, the schools aren’t getting any better. And in some cases, they are getting worse. While the article doesn’t…
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a supporter of school choice, has suggested that rural school districts be “bracketed out” of any school choice program. While such a policy might win some support from rural legislators, “bracketing out” is unprincipled. Patrick has said that school choice is a part of parental freedom, stating that “parents deserve…
Iowa Gov. Kimberly Reynolds has proposed a number of education reforms that promise more choices for parents and students. She proposes giving families the state’s share of per-student spending if they opt out of government schools. The money could be used for private schools, tutoring textbooks, and more. After coming close to passing a school…
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…