How will Texas' school choice bill impact public schools? A state educator responds
CBS News Texas is dedicated to keeping you informed on the current state of education in Texas with a new segment called "The Learning Curve." You can watch "The Learning Curve" every weekday morning during CBS News Texas Mornings at 6 a.m. If you have something education related you would like us to look into, send us an email at
texaseducations@cbs.com
.
With Texas' school choice bill
one step closer
to becoming a reality, one public educator is addressing how it will impact public schools.
Mark Terry, deputy executive director of the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association, has spent 33 years working in public education. He said there are aspects of the bill that many parents may not be aware of.
He said that the bill will give schools the power and money, not the parents.
"I have a fundamental problem with saying that we're going to
expand school choice
and then limit who can get into a school," he said.
The bill would allocate a $10,000 voucher to students to use towards private school education. That would
barely cover tuition
for some schools in the state – Terry said that he knows one school's tuition is $26,000.
Why does he think parents should choose to keep their student in public school?
"I don't care if I'm in the roughest school in an urban area, way out in a small rural school, or if I'm in a suburban school with a lot of money," Terry said. "All those
kids need an excellent education
and the opportunity to receive that. If you're going after kids in the neediest areas and they can't afford the tuition, what does it matter?"
Another element Terry touched on was school boards. Public school boards are elected officials with open meetings where parents can sign up to talk.
Private schools are more often appointed and do not have to have open doors. They also often meet in communities outside of where the school is located, so Terry said access can be limited.
He recommends to parents who are curious about public school, reach out to administrators and ask for a tour.
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