Both Texas' Legislative Black Caucus and NAACP are opposing school choice, claiming Gov. Greg Abbott is holding teacher pay raises "hostage."
Gov. Abbott has said he'll increase teacher pay if and when school choice receives final approval. Supporters argue urban Democrats are hurting the children they claim to be helping.
"Kids in those areas that are economically disadvantaged, when their parents are provided with choices, when they have an opportunity to select a school rather than being dictated a school, they have significantly better outcomes," says Mandy Drogin with the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
She says this one "choice" Democrats should be supporting.
"We've got private ISDs that have bought planes for their superintendents to fly to their kid's college. We've got corruption after corruption, taxpayers that are begging to stop bleeding money. We have to do something different," she says.
Drogin also believes teachers should be compensated, but parents and children should be first.
"To be controlled by unions and profiteers off of our system, those that benefit the most from raising taxes and not serving students. Too many of them are standing in the way."
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