Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs controversial $1 billion voucher for school choice bill into law
Gov. Greg Abbott has signed the $1 billion controversial school choice bill into law, allowing for taxpayer money to be used to help qualifying students pay for private school tuition.
"Today is the culmination of a movement that has swept across the state and our country," Abbott said Saturday.
Texas governor signs largest US school voucher law, marking conservative shift
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Saturday signed a law making more than 5 million students eligible to use state funds for private schools, a watershed moment in the conservative campaign to remake public education in America.
Texas is allocating $1 billion for the first two years of the program to offer parents vouchers to pay for school. It is the 16th state to make all students eligible to receive public funds for private education.
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Texas Approved the Country’s Largest School-Choice Bill. Here’s How Families Will Benefit
Skyler Sikes is a former Texas public-school teacher and administrator — but he knew a private Christian school was the best choice for his own three children.
In order to make it happen, Sikes, who also works at the children’s school, has had to make numerous sacrifices in order to afford the tuition.
“We have a tighter budget, with the way that we eat and our groceries and stuff like that,” he said, noting the family has foregone both luxuries and necessities in order to do what they believe is best for their children’s education.
Trump’s School-Choice Agenda Hits Pushback From Red-State Voters
President-elect Donald Trump has made school choice a core tenet of his plan to remake education—but it isn’t clear his voters are on board.
Trump has indicated that he supports public funding of private schools and other options outside traditional school districts. “We will give all parents the right to choose another school for their children if they want,” Trump said in a campaign video. “It’s called school choice.”
The 2024 choice on education: Trump sides with families, Harris with the teacher unions
Of all the policy issues where the choice between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is stark, perhaps the most surprising is education: He’s all-in for parental choice; she’s committed to serving the interests of the teachers unions.
And polling shows a majority of Americans are on his side, after decades when the Democratic had a strong edge on education.
‘Texans Want School Choice’: Abbott Declares Victory after Ousting Anti-Voucher GOP Incumbents in Heated Primaries
Texas governor Greg Abbott now has enough votes in the state house to advance his ambitious school-choice agenda, after six Republican incumbents who were vocally opposed to school vouchers lost their primary runoff elections on Tuesday.
“While we did not win every race we fought in, the overall message from this year’s primaries is clear: Texans want school choice,” Abbott said. “Opponents can no loner ignore the will of the people.”
Confirmation looming, GOP senators voice support for presumed KY education commissioner
Kentucky Senate Education Committee members, many of them Republicans, showed support Friday for the commissioner of education nominee as he prepares for the first Senate confirmation for that post. Several lawmakers said they had received many positive endorsements of Lawrence County Superintendent Robbie Fletcher, and he would have their vote on the Senate floor when a resolution supporting his confirmation is called. That is expected to happen by Monday, the last day of the 2024 General Assembly. “I think this was an excellent process. This gives you a starting point,”...
How to Defend School Choice
The hard work of empowering families and uplifting students has only just begun.
The school-choice movement has entered a new phase: defending our victories.
How Gov. Greg Abbott lost a yearlong fight to create school vouchers
Sharing the stage at the Brazos Christian School gymnasium in Bryan, Rep. John Raney rose from his seat next to Gov. Greg Abbott during a pro-school voucher rally and lavished praise on the governor’s education agenda.
“Gov. Abbott understands the value of a good education and the importance of giving parents control over their children’s education,” Raney said at the March event, adding that the governor “spent nearly every night” helping his daughter do her homework and that the first lady is a former teacher and principal.