Newly elected Texas lawmakers are promising major changes to public education, but Jackie Anderson, a longtime public school educator and president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, said real change will take time. Anderson said she cannot remember another Texas election in which public education played such a major role.
Erin Baumgartner, an education researcher at Rice University's Kinder Institute, said she is watching school funding and accountability ratings closely. Baumgartner said districts have struggled to get the funding they need in recent years. She said state per-pupil funding covers everyday costs, such as teacher pay, materials and building upkeep. According to education experts, voters statewide turned down school bonds and propositions that help fund schools and can affect property tax rates. With power shifting from Republicans to Democrats, districts may seek additional state funding.
Baumgartner also said she is watching accountability ratings, one of the metrics the state uses to take over school districts. She said people will want to know what measures are used to hold campuses and districts accountable for student performance.
Baumgartner said the waiting game has begun for those who want an education-first approach. She said creating and changing policy takes time, and finding new people to run departments will require vetting.