October 17, 2016      6:07 PM
House hearing shows tough road ahead for school choice supporters
Chairman Aycock puts TPPF on the spot about whether private schools should have to be under the same accountability system as public schools
School choice promises to be a brawl next session, with
advocates pledging plenty of firepower to blast an education savings account
proposal through the Texas House.
Rep. Jimmy Don Aycock, R-Killeen, gaveled in his last House
Public Education Committee hearing this morning, and the hearing was
still going strong when this story was posted. Many of today’s arguments will be
familiar to anyone who has watched prior battles over vouchers: School choice
saves children from failing schools. School choice gives impoverished children
the same options as their peers. School choice is about enriching charter and private
school operators. Or, on the other hand, Texas should be spending its money on
fixing the broken school finance system, not funneling money away from public
schools.
Members of the committee appeared universally opposed to the
choice options, with the exception of Rep. Dwayne
Bohac, R-Houston. Bohac
insisted school choice had “broad, broad bipartisan support,” which others
disputed. Outgoing Rep. Marsha Farney, R-Round Rock, was
exceptionally vocal, launching into a long list of questions to a panel of
advocates.
By Kimberly Reeves
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