The Texas Senate recently passed a bill to establish Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for eligible students. Unfortunately, many state legislators in the Texas House of Representatives, backed by the powerful teachers unions, oppose school choice and ESAs.
Here are some false claims made by the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA), the Texas affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA):
Claim: “Taking tax dollars to benefit private schools will damage public education.”
Truth: School choice and the presence of competition encourages all schools to improve. Studies show that “higher levels of private school choice exposure are associated with lower rates of suspensions and absences, and with higher standardized test scores in reading and in math.” Of the 29 studies that examined the competitive effects of school choice programs, 26 found positive impacts on nearby public schools.
Claim: “Every taxpayer, including private school parents and people who never have children, contributes to public education because we all benefit from the technological improvements, cultural advancements, more educated workforce and higher standard of living our public schools have made and continue to make possible.”
Truth: The TSTA is too preoccupied with social justice and BLM advocacy to realize that traditional K-12 public schools are largely failing to educate the majority of students. Students might enter the workforce more “educated” in critical race theory, but achievement scores in math, reading, civics, and history are abysmal.
Families and community members overwhelmingly support school choice in Texas. It is imperative to disregard union-drafted false claims and expand education freedom in Texas to better serve students.
To learn more about expanding school choice in Texas, read How Texas Is Becoming The Frontlines For Parents-First School Choice, Our Most Vulnerable Need Education Freedom. What’s Standing In Their Way?, and Abbott Says He’s Keeping Texas Lawmakers In Session Until They Expand School Choice.
For more information about teachers unions and school choice, visit www.iwf.org/issues/education/