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Huberty Wrong to Block Educational Choice Legislation

Huberty Wrong to Block Educational Choice Legislation

(Washington, D.C.) – This week, State Representative Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), Chairman of the Texas House Committee on Public Education, told an audience that school choice legislation is “dead” during this legislative session. This comes despite strong support in the House and Senate to expand opportunity for parents and students who are being failed by the current system. Despite growing calls for reform from elected officials and families, Huberty added that he regards it as his responsibility as chairman “to protect [his] membership” from tough votes.

Daniel Garza, President of The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement:

“The duty of our elected representatives is to protect and advance the interests of the people of the state of Texas. It is not to avoid ‘tough votes,’ and it’s a rejection of duty for any elected official to claim it is. As a proud Texan, I’m appalled that Chairman Huberty would state otherwise and disturbed at the indifference he is showing towards sound policy. Chairman Huberty – and his allies in the Texas House – should be working to advance educational opportunity for Texas kids. Instead, they are denying parents and families the chance to provide kids a better education by customizing a plan that meets their kid’s needs.

Every student deserves a good education, but we know that the one-size-fits-all public school system – which assigns kids to schools based on nothing more than their zip code – has failed to adequately prepare our children to succeed in a rapidly changing, dynamic society. It’s worrying that the Chairman of the House Education Committee is more concerned with protecting that bureaucracy than with educating the children the system is intended to serve. This hurts all Texas students, but particularly Latinos, who stand to benefit greatly from education reforms like Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).  We encourage all leaders in the Legislature to improve education opportunities through ESAs for all Texans and especially for those that are being underserved.”

For interviews with a representative of The LIBRE Initiative, please contact: Brian Faughnan202-805-1581 or  Wadi Gaitan, 202-853-4433

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