I am a native Texan. I was born and raised in Houston. I attended Houston public schools from kindergarten until my high school graduation. The public schools of Texas gave me a strong foundation, and I will always be grateful to my teachers and my schools.
The public schools in Texas will be harmed by vouchers. Yet Governor Greg Abbott is demanding that the Legislature endorse vouchers, so that the public will subsidize every student who goes to private and religious schools. No wonder he campaigned for vouchers by visiting private and religious schools.
Some Republican legislators know that vouchers will hurt their public schools.
Governor Abbott has spent millions of dollars to defeat those brave Republican legislators who oppose vouchers.
The primary is March 5.
Funded by oil and gas billionaires and by Jeff Yass, a Pennsylvania billionaire, Abbott has tried and repeatedly failed to pass a voucher bill. He failed because these Republican legislators stood up for their communities and their public schools.
These legislators know their local teachers. They are friends and neighbors. The legislators know they are hard-working dedicated teachers. They teach the children; they don’t “indoctrinate” them, as Governor Abbott falsely claims. Many have taught in the same schools for decades, raising up the children in the way they should go.
The teachers are underpaid, and the school buildings need upgrades. But the Governor won’t put another penny into paying teachers and funding public schools unless he gets his vouchers.
In every state that has vouchers, most of them are used by students who never attended public schools. Vouchers are nothing more than a public subsidy for students already attending private and religious schools.
Voucher schools are free to discriminate and are excused from all accountability.
These heroic and principled legislators deserve your thanks and your vote on March 5:
- Steve Allison, District 121, San Antonio
- Ernest Bailes, District 18, Shepherd
- Keith Bell, District 4, Forney;
- DeWayne Burns, District 58, Cleburne;
- Travis Clardy, District 11, Nacogdoches
- Drew Darby, District 72, San Angelo
- Jay Dean, District 7, Longview
- Charlie Geren, District 99, Fort Worth
- Justin Holland, District 33, Rockwall
- Ken King, District 88, Canadian
- John Kuempel, District 44, Seguin
- Stan Lambert, District 71, Abilene
- Glenn Rogers, District 60, Mineral Wells
- Hugh Shine, District 55, Temple
- Reggie Smith, District 62, Sherman
- Gary VanDeaver, District 1, New Boston
For their courage in defending their community schools, their teachers, their parents, and their students, I place them on the blog’s Honor Roll.
Now get out there and vote for them!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
This is what democracy looks like. It is not a slogan simply to be chanted on a weekend march. It is a life which will be tested and in Texas probably THREATENED w/ bodily harm for taking the high road.
In FL the very same domestic terrorism continues.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – The University of Florida is FIRING all employees in positions related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) according to a memo sent on Friday 3/1/24. It follows the passage of a state law in 2023 targeting college funds spent on DEI.
UF officials say they have closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments, and halted DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors. Officials say 13 positions were eliminated and 15 administrative appointments were ended for faculty.
The decision was made to comply with the Florida Board of Governor’s regulation 9.016 on prohibited expenditures. Approximately $5 million previously allocated to DEI initiatives will be reallocated into a faculty recruitment fund.
Eliminated employees will receive 12 weeks of standard pay and are encouraged to apply before April 19 to other positions in the university.
https://www.wcjb.com/2024/03/01/university-florida-terminates-all-dei-employees-accordance-with-state-regulation/
Here’s something that I have been posting at every opportunity on social media for voters everywhere:
YOUR SECRET SUPERPOWER!!!
Are you so tired of being bullied by the MAGAmouths among your family, friends, and co-workers? Well, don’t upset yourself any longer by trying to disagree with them…just nod from now on when they spout off…until…until you get into the voting booth where you have the SECRET BALLOT SUPERPOWER!!! You can vote against the MAGAmouths’ candidates and issues and they will never know!!! You can walk out of the voting booth and continue to just nod when the MAGAmouths spout their stuff…and then watch their candidates and issues lose. And they will never know why.
Pass this on.