UPDATE: This post has been updated to reflect that SB 3, originally scheduled for a committee hearing on Thursday, March 16, will be heard instead on Tuesday, March 21.
The Senate Education Committee will hear Senate Bill (SB) 3, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s priority voucher bill authored by Senate Education Committee Chairman Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), Thursday Tuesday, March 21, at 9 a.m. The bill has been referred to as a “school voucher on steroids,” because it contains not one, but two forms of vouchers.
The bill sets up two different voucher programs: An education savings account (ESA) and a tax credit scholarship. One funnels public tax dollars through parents while the other allows a private vendor to redirect taxpayer money, but the result is the same. Under both, public tax dollars are sent to private entities without public oversight, transparency, or accountability. (My colleague, ATPE Lobbyist Monty Exter, has a thorough run-down of the bill and both proposed voucher programs here.)
ATPE will oppose SB 3, as we do all efforts to privatize public education and redirect needed taxpayer dollars to private or home schools, but your voice must be heard too! ATPE members can log on to Advocacy Central to inform their legislators of their opposition to SB 3 and encourage committee members to vote against the legislation.
Visit the Senate broadcasts page to watch the hearing live on Thursday or search the archived footage for a chance to catch the hearing at a later date. All educators with free time over spring break are encouraged to attend and register their opposition to SB 3!
Please reject Senate Bill 3. Please do NOT support a voucher program for education monies. Keep our public school monies in public education without any voucher programs.
Please do not support and reject Senate Bill (SB)3. Let’s keep the money for our public schools in them without any voucher programs.
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Please keep sufficient funds for public schools to operate efficiently to master the states accountability system and educate all students.
please reject bill SB 3… teachers need to keep their jobs but most importantly, our kids deserve a much better education and this is not it.
Privatization of our public school system through the voucher mechanism will lead to a re-segregation of our public schools. It will turn the clock back on integration which the political forces on the right are striving to do. WE CAN’T LET THIS HAPPEN!!!