Top story: Applications had been submitted for about 275,000 students as of late March. But just 25% were for students currently enrolled in public schools.

That amounts to about 1% of the state’s 5.5 million public school students. https://www.texasobserver.org/school-vouchers-discrimination-brouhaha-abbott/

#education #schools #vouchers #TXlege #racism #politics #USpol #news

School Vouchers Are What We Thought They Were

The nascent "freedom accounts" program is, predictably, burdened by Republicans’ insistence on religious discrimination—and likely set to benefit those already outside the public school system.

The Texas Observer

Top story: What would’ve been school-choice proponents’ triumphant publicity tour was instead consumed by catty finger-pointing over who’s to blame for the seemingly botched attempt to religiously discriminate against some program participants. https://www.texasobserver.org/school-vouchers-discrimination-brouhaha-abbott/

#Texas #politics #USpol #news #vouchers #education #schools #news #TXlege #racism

School Vouchers Are What We Thought They Were

The nascent "freedom accounts" program is, predictably, burdened by Republicans’ insistence on religious discrimination—and likely set to benefit those already outside the public school system.

The Texas Observer

From Justin Miller: GOP legislators repeatedly insisted that “Texas Education Freedom Accounts” would be open to any and all types of private #schools—of all creeds and persuasions.

In predictable fashion, they haven't quite lived up to that promise. https://www.texasobserver.org/school-vouchers-discrimination-brouhaha-abbott/

#Texas #politics #USpol #news #vouchers #education #TXlege

School Vouchers Are What We Thought They Were

The nascent "freedom accounts" program is, predictably, burdened by Republicans’ insistence on religious discrimination—and likely set to benefit those already outside the public school system.

The Texas Observer

Applications had been submitted for about 275,000 students as of late March. But just 25% percent were for students currently enrolled in public #schools. (That amounts to about 1% of the state’s 5.5 million public school students.) https://www.texasobserver.org/school-vouchers-discrimination-brouhaha-abbott/

#education #vouchers #Texas #politics #USpol #TXlege

School Vouchers Are What We Thought They Were

The nascent "freedom accounts" program is, predictably, burdened by Republicans’ insistence on religious discrimination—and likely set to benefit those already outside the public school system.

The Texas Observer

New from Justin Miller: What would’ve been school-choice proponents’ triumphant publicity tour was instead consumed by catty finger-pointing over who’s to blame for the seemingly botched attempt to religiously discriminate against some program participants. https://www.texasobserver.org/school-vouchers-discrimination-brouhaha-abbott/

#vouchers #Politics #USpol #Republicans #Texas #TXlege #news #education #schools

School Vouchers Are What We Thought They Were

The nascent "freedom accounts" program is, predictably, burdened by Republicans’ insistence on religious discrimination—and likely set to benefit those already outside the public school system.

The Texas Observer

"Of the 274,183 Texans who applied for vouchers before Tuesday night’s deadline, 45% are white, 23% are Hispanic and 12% are Black. Low-income families make up 37% of applicants — defined by the program as a family of four earning $66,000 or less per year. Children with disabilities make up 16% of applicants."

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/01/texas-voucher-applications-demographics/

#PublicHealth #education #schools #PrivateSchools #vouchers #race #ethnicity #disabilities #disparities #texas #txlege

White Texans, students previously in private school or home-school make up bulk of voucher applicants

Of the almost 275,000 students who applied for vouchers, 45% are white and 75% attended a private school or home-school in 2024-25, final numbers show.

The Texas Tribune

Out today: SB 13 neutered librarians’ authority over their collections. I no longer determine what goes into my collection. I make recommendations, and a council of parents called a School Library Advisory Council (SLAC) decides whether or not to recommend approval. https://www.texasobserver.org/abilene-isd-librarian-book-ban/

#books #education #Library #censorship #Texas #TXlege #Politics #USpol #News

How a High School Librarian in Abilene Fought Back Against Moms for Liberty 

I entered this profession just as the storm clouds of the current book-banning push were starting to gather; now I’m in the middle of it.

The Texas Observer

"The power of that office is to say 'This is how much revenue you have. And here are the long-term investments of the State of Texas, and here’s who’s benefiting most, least, and not at all from those investments.' And the comptroller has not done much of that in the last several years." https://www.texasobserver.org/sarah-eckhardt-texas-comptroller-bob-bullock/

#Texas #politics #USpol #news #Democrats #TXlege #economy

Sarah Eckhardt Wants to Return the Texas Comptroller to the Bob Bullock Era 

The Democratic candidate hopes to bring the statewide accountant’s office back to its rightful role—independently enforcing good government.

The Texas Observer

Out today: "We’ve not heard analysis of what happens economically long-term if we fail to invest in universal public #education. The comptroller’s office has not provided analysis of the economic cost to people and to the public of the largest uninsured population in the United States." https://www.texasobserver.org/sarah-eckhardt-texas-comptroller-bob-bullock/

#healthcare #politics #USpol #schools #Texas #TXlege #news #Democrats #midterms #elections

Sarah Eckhardt Wants to Return the Texas Comptroller to the Bob Bullock Era 

The Democratic candidate hopes to bring the statewide accountant’s office back to its rightful role—independently enforcing good government.

The Texas Observer

Blue-county DAs have increasingly prompted legislative and political backlash –including with the Republican-held Texas Lege passing a so-called rogue DA law that allows the state to recall and replace elected local prosecutors for not pursuing charges for certain types of crimes like low-level drug possession, or refusing to prosecute abortion providers. https://www.texasobserver.org/bexar-county-district-attorney-dem-primary/

#politics #Democrats #Texas #USpol #TXlege #News #fascism

A Motley Crew of Dems Vie to Become New Bexar County DA

Eight candidates are running to be the Democratic nominee in the open race for the district attorney’s office. None are frontrunners.

The Texas Observer