03-04-2025
Fort Worth clergy members speak out against school vouchers, rally public school support
Fort Worth clergy members from various churches gathered together on Wednesday to preach a common message that can't be found in a Bible verse: 'Say no to school vouchers.'
Pastors for Texas Children hosted a town hall on Wednesday, April 2, at Arlington Heights United Methodist Church to highlight support for public schools and voice opposition against proposed school voucher programs, also known as education savings accounts. There were about 100 community members in attendance who listened to four local pastors speak out about what they say is a brewing injustice to public school children, especially the most vulnerable. Rev. Mary Spradlin, senior pastor at Arlington Heights United Methodist Church; Rev. Michael Bell, senior pastor of Greater St. Stephen First Church; Rev. Ryon Price, senior pastor of Broadway Baptist Church; and Rev. Tom Plumbley, senior pastor of First Christian Church, spoke during the town hall alongside Rev. Charles Johnson, executive director of Pastors for Texas Children.
'The way that you disrupt a democracy is you stop educating the people,' Spradlin said. 'Make no mistake, that is what is behind this.'
Spradlin said her congregation advocates unapologetically for public schools. She is part of decision-making committees at Arlington Heights High and North Hi Mount Elementary, where she hears about the obstacles educators are constantly facing to meet state requirements and serve their students. Her advocacy work is rooted in speaking up for those who can't speak for themselves, she said. Spradlin called on attendees to contact their local representatives and members of the House Public Education Committee, which meets Thursday to consider related bills.
The discussion and call to action came as Texas lawmakers in both the House and Senate have been considering legislation that would allow state dollars to be used for children's private or home schooled education. Such proposals have been sought in the name of school choice, giving parents the option to enroll their children somewhere besides their local public school. A major focus for Gov. Greg Abbott since 2023, vouchers are now back in the spotlight in the current legislative session.
Pastors for Texas Children is self-described as an independent ministry that, in part, advocates for legislation 'that puts the needs of Texas children, families and communities first.' The organization's website advertises a statement urging clergy members to sign, which calls on lawmakers to 'to honor our sacred constitutional obligation to provide quality, fully-funded public education for all Texas children.' The statement describes vouchers as a subsidy that infringes on religious liberty.
'All authentic faith is voluntary. It deserves no tax support from the state of Texas,' the statement reads. 'We urge all Texas legislators to do their sworn duty before God to support 'public free schools,' as the Texas Constitution explicitly states and as Moral Law clearly commands.'
Laurie Duke, a former special education teacher of 15 years in the Arlington Independent School District, told the Star-Telegram she attended the town hall because she believes in public education 'wholeheartedly.'
'I know that the kids I work with are going to be the ones that get hurt the most, and I refuse to let that happen under my watch. I support Pastors for Texas Children's message,' said Duke, who is now a part-time organizer with the Texas American Federation of Teachers, a statewide union.
Price, of Broadway Baptist Church, spoke about his 14-year-old son who has autism and is thriving because of the intervention and aid provided to him by public educators. He also mentioned the late L. Clifford Davis, Tarrant County's first elected Black judge and a civil rights lawyer who helped desegregate North Texas schools. Davis passed away in February at 100 years old. Price said 'we ought not to be going back' after those like Davis 'fought the good fight.'
'I keep hearing, 'Well, our public schools are dying… And what I want to say is, 'If you take your hand off of their neck, they would live,'' Price said. 'Our legislators are killing our public schools, and then have the audacity to tell God and everybody else that they died. We are saying that they are alive and can be well.'
Bell, of Greater St. Stephen First Church, said he is a graduate of Fort Worth Independent School District and a teacher who taught in Fort Worth and Longview ISDs. He called school vouchers 'a promise that comes with fine print no one tells you about' because it doesn't cover the cost of private education, he said.
'Frankly, private schools don't always want to take in students who need the most help,' Bell said.
'They can say no to a student with special needs. They can say no to a student who's behind the grade. They can say no to a child who doesn't speak English at home. And when they do say no, where does that child go? You and I both know the answer, don't we? They go back to the same underfunded public schools now with even fewer resources because the resources that should have remained in our public classrooms serving every child are now siphoned off into a system that only serves a select few.'
At the end of the meeting, attendees stood up and joined hands in prayer led by Plumbley, of First Christian Church.
'We now go from this place enriched, prepared to be the people that have been called from beyond ourselves with a motivation beyond our own enrichment,' he said. 'To make the schools of this state better, to enrich the children of our state and to make a stand for democracy…'
'Amen,' the crowd responded.
