The Network for Public Education is allied with Pastors for Texas Children. PTC has been a courageous leader in the fight for our public schools and against privatization.
The leader of PTC wrote the following statement:
Statement from Reverend Charles Foster Johnson on the 2020 Elections
Pastors for Texas Children extends a hearty congratulations to all those elected and re-elected to serve our children in the 87th Texas Legislature! Both incumbents and challengers fought hard and often confrontational, contentious campaigns that produced untold stress on them and their families. This is the messy price we pay for open and free elections, and we honor all candidates for serving the public in this important and sacrificial way. We have held every candidate in our prayers, and will continue to do so. We note with profound gratification the emphasis on public education in this electoral cycle. Virtually every incumbent and challenger ran on a strong public education platform. It is clear that the people of Texas want their House of Representatives to be fully affirming of great public schools for all 5.4 million Texas children, promote policies that protect and provide for them, and oppose policies that harm them. It is crystal clear what public education support means:
*Opposition to any voucher proposal, regardless of its name, that diverts funding away from our neighborhood public schools to underwrite private and home schools.
Support for budget plans that adequately fund our children’s public education, for a comprehensive study that determines what that education actually costs in current dollars, and for new sources of state revenue to sustain HB3.
Opposition to charter school expansion that drains money away from public schools.
Support for charter school transparency and accountability.
Opposition to burdensome standardized testing that teachers and parents clearly abhor.
Support for teacher authority and compensation.
We will be working closely with all 150 House members and 31 Senate members to make sure these promises are put into action in the 87th Legislature.
Universal education, provided and protected by the public, is an expression of God’s Common Good as well as a Texas constitutional mandate. Our children are counting on us all to advocate for it.