The Voucher Scam

It’s a new year and the legislature isn’t even in session… but the voucher fight continues. When Governor Abbott lost the vote back in November he promised to retaliate by primarying Republicans who wouldn’t vote for vouchers. Is Governor Abbott making good on his promise? What kind of money is pouring into his coffers? We bring you all the latest updates. We spoke to Patty Quinzi from Texas AFT (American Federation of Teachers) to get a sense of the current landscape. She left us with a hopeful message about the power of people. We will continue following this contentious fight because education is a major front in the fight for democracy.Hey listeners! We are looking for feedback on The Voucher Scam. We will be hosting an online focus group where you can share what you think of the podcast. Email us at [email protected] and let us know that you're interested in participating. Want to know more about Texas AFT? Find them here.https://www.texasaft.org/Want to get engaged in supporting local public schools? Find our resource guide here. https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/If you’d like to help us keep this critical content coming, donate here. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/saynotovouchers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday, November 17, 2023 was a historic day in Texas politics and in public education. For the first time since 2005, a voucher proposal would be heard on the floor of the Texas House as part of a larger education funding bill, HB1. Quickly, Representative John Raney proposed an amendment that would strip the voucher portion of the bill but leave the rest of it intact.We were there and listened to the debate about how we should think about public education. From voucher proponents, the arguments were centered around competition, choice, and customers–the language of the free market. The rural Republicans, who oppose vouchers, spoke about constitutional duty and community. To our great relief, vouchers were stripped from the education bill and once again, vouchers have failed to pass in Texas. While this is a significant win, we know this fight isn’t over and we’re also aware that it’s time to take an offensive approach to this education battle. That’s what we explore today. We are so grateful for this experience. We had no idea how this would go when this whole thing started and it’s been an amazing roller coaster of a ride. We are thankful for you, dear listeners. We end this week’s episode with a compilation of inspiring words from our amazing guests throughout the series. We hope you’ll follow along on our journey by following us on social media and signing up to receive our newsletter.Find our website here. https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/ Want to get engaged in supporting local public schools? Find our resource guide here. https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/If you’d like to help us keep this critical content coming, donate here. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/saynotovouchers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We hope this Thanksgiving finds you with your loved ones enjoying your favorite foods and games! We wanted to send a quick thank you. We will see you next week for episode 4 where we’ll share our hopes for how we can preserve public education which means preserving democracy. Have a great day!Want to get engaged in supporting local public schools? Find our resource guide here. https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/If you’d like to help us keep this critical content coming, donate here. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/saynotovouchers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Texas voucher fight is full of twists and turns! And we’re still in it! The third special session ended with no voucher bill but Governor Abbott called a fourth special session immediately following its close. As of November 10, 2023, the House Special Select Committee referred a bill, HB1, that includes both education funding and a voucher program to the floor for consideration. It is expected to be heard this week. This is the first time a floor vote will be taken on vouchers since 2005. It is cause for concern and there’s also so much hope. On the one hand, vouchers have moved forward. On the other hand, we have reason to believe that rural Republicans will continue to hold the line. We also believe in the power of our voices as Texans.So, we turned the mic over to our listeners this week. They share their praise for public education and their concerns about vouchers. Thank you to the folks who we hear from and thank you for listening. Want to get engaged in supporting local public schools? Find our resource guide here. https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/If you’d like to help us keep this critical content coming, donate here. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/saynotovouchers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.