What exactly is an education voucher? Why does it have so many names? How do parents feel about this program? Will public schools be impacted? How come Gov. Abbott dedicates so much political capital to promoting vouchers?

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Guest interviews:

Jeanne, a mother of three who lived through the rise of vouchers in Indiana

Dax Gonzalez, a policy expert at the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) 

Forrest Wilder, politics reporter at Texas Monthly

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Chris Tackett wanted to serve his Granbury, Texas community. After years of leading the local baseball/softball association to a good place, he focused those skills on his local school board. He was excited to have the support of the newly elected state representative,Mike Lang for his district’s education initiatives. Only, as it turns out, the school board didn’t have Representative Lang’s support.That experience made Chris wonder about the motives behind Mike Lang’s false promises. What he discovered is that Mike Lang was backed by big campaign money coming out of the pockets of West Texas billionaires and those big donors are the same ones pushing for school vouchers in Texas. On today’s episode we dig into the allusion of grassroots movements and the danger that poses to democracy. We connect the value of public education to a common set of values that underpin democracy. Finally, we remind you that we can do something to protect the things we hold dear. The beauty of democracy is that the power belongs to the people when we use it.

Find our resource guide here. 

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Did you know that a 10-year voucher program was implemented in Texas from 1998-2008? It had a $50 million price tag and ran in Edgewood ISD, on the west side of San Antonio. 

We were shocked to learn that something eerily similar to what’s being proposed today by Governor Abbott and his allies has already happened in Texas. If vouchers were truly all that they promise, why isn’t this Edgewood Experiment used as a shining example of the power of vouchers? 

We had so many questions. Today we answer those questions.

However, in order to find the answers we have to go back to the beginning. When was the first time vouchers were proposed and why? Why do they keep coming back after repeated defeats? We answer all these questions and more in today’s episode.

Also, for our special episode on November 16th, we are handing over the microphone to The Voucher Scam listeners. We want to know:

1. What do you love about your public school(s)? What’s one amazing thing that your public school offers?

​2. How are you feeling about the push for vouchers in Texas?

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For folks not in Texas:

How have vouchers affected your schools? What message of encouragement would you give us in Texas to fight vouchers?

Click here to leave us a message: https://www.speakpipe.com/TheVoucherScam

Want to get engaged in supporting local public schools? Find our resource guide here: https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/podcasts/

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Friday, November 17, 2023 was a historic day in Texas politics and in public education. For the first time since 2005, a voucher proposal would be heard on the floor of the Texas House as part of a larger education funding bill, HB1. Quickly, Representative John Raney proposed an amendment that would strip the voucher portion of the bill but leave the rest of it intact.

We were there and listened to the debate about how we should think about public education. From voucher proponents, the arguments were centered around competition, choice, and customers–the language of the free market. The rural Republicans, who oppose vouchers, spoke about constitutional duty and community. 

To our great relief, vouchers were stripped from the education bill and once again, vouchers have failed to pass in Texas. While this is a significant win, we know this fight isn’t over and we’re also aware that it’s time to take an offensive approach to this education battle. That’s what we explore today. 

We are so grateful for this experience. We had no idea how this would go when this whole thing started and it’s been an amazing roller coaster of a ride. We are thankful for you, dear listeners. We end this week’s episode with a compilation of inspiring words from our amazing guests throughout the series. We hope you’ll follow along on our journey by following us on social media and signing up to receive our newsletter.

Find our website here. https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/ 

Want to get engaged in supporting local public schools? Find our resource guide here. https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/

If you’d like to help us keep this critical content coming, donate here. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/saynotovouchers

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We spoke to Beth Lewis and Nicky Indicavitch from Save Our Schools Arizona about the state of public education in Arizona. Arizona has a universal voucher program despite the public overwhelmingly voting against it when it came on the ballot. Beth fills us in on the struggles that teachers face as they experience a years-long defunding of public education. Nicky reveals what witnessing that process felt like as a parent watching her childrens’ schools face repeated budget cuts. They offer us new perspectives on what a voucher program would mean to families and what it looks like as a taxpayer to see those collective funds used for frivolous expenses. Finally, both Beth and Nicky generously share kind words and encouragement for Texans and caution us not to compromise. They, and their organization, are incredible resources for understanding the reality of the voucher scam. 

Follow Save our Schools Arizona here.

Find our resource guide here. 

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The fight against vouchers has made unique allies of rural Republicans and urban Democrats. Why is that? We turn to Dr. Michelle Rinehart, superintendent of Alpine ISD, to help us understand the rural perspective. Alpine is a west Texas town of about 5,000 residents and Alpine ISD educates about 1,000 students–or Bucks as they proudly refer to themselves. Dr. Rinehart helps us understand how their local schools foster a sense of identity and belonging–loyalty to Buck Nation is a staple of their community. She also explains how the district is the largest employer in town and fills in other important gaps like childcare. Amazingly, with grant funding, they were able to open a childcare center this year. That childcare center serves district employees and also helps the town attract medical professionals to their local hospital because they are no longer a childcare desert. Dr. Rinehart beautifully explains the broader role of schools in small-town communities that make them unique and yet she also speaks to the universality of the importance of public education for all of us. 

Find Dr. Rinehart and Alpine ISD here.

Find our resource guide here. 

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We keep finding connecting points to other public education issues in this education voucher fight. The significance of the state takeover of Houston ISD cannot be overstated. We turn to our friends at the Have You Heard podcast for what we need to know.

Have You Heard heads to Houston, where the state now controls Texas’ largest school district. We’ll meet teachers and parents who say the takeover of the schools in this Democratic city is fundamentally about politics. And we’ll try to make sense of how the takeover fits into the efforts by Governor Greg Abbott to bring private school vouchers to the Lone Star state. Spoiler: it does.

Want to get engaged in supporting local public schools? Find our resource guide here. 

If you’d like to help us keep this critical content coming, donate here.

Find the Have You Heard podcast here.

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The Texas voucher fight is full of twists and turns! And we’re still in it! The third special session ended with no voucher bill but Governor Abbott called a fourth special session immediately following its close. As of November 10, 2023, the House Special Select Committee referred a bill, HB1, that includes both education funding and a voucher program to the floor for consideration. It is expected to be heard this week. 

This is the first time a floor vote will be taken on vouchers since 2005. It is cause for concern and there’s also so much hope. On the one hand, vouchers have moved forward. On the other hand, we have reason to believe that rural Republicans will continue to hold the line. We also believe in the power of our voices as Texans.

So, we turned the mic over to our listeners this week. They share their praise for public education and their concerns about vouchers. Thank you to the folks who we hear from and thank you for listening. 

Want to get engaged in supporting local public schools? Find our resource guide here. https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/

If you’d like to help us keep this critical content coming, donate here. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/saynotovouchers

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It’s a new year and the legislature isn’t even in session… but the voucher fight continues. When Governor Abbott lost the vote back in November he promised to retaliate by primarying Republicans who wouldn’t vote for vouchers. Is Governor Abbott making good on his promise? What kind of money is pouring into his coffers? We bring you all the latest updates. 

We spoke to Patty Quinzi from Texas AFT (American Federation of Teachers) to get a sense of the current landscape. She left us with a hopeful message about the power of people. We will continue following this contentious fight because education is a major front in the fight for democracy.

Hey listeners! We are looking for feedback on The Voucher Scam. We will be hosting an online focus group where you can share what you think of the podcast. Email us at [email protected] and let us know that you're interested in participating. 

Want to know more about Texas AFT? Find them here.

https://www.texasaft.org/

Want to get engaged in supporting local public schools? Find our resource guide here. https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/

If you’d like to help us keep this critical content coming, donate here. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/saynotovouchers

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As promised, we’re back with the results of the March primary. Governor Abbott edged closer to the voucher majority that he seeks. But he doesn’t have it yet. Jaime Puente of Every Texan broke down the results for us. Is the fight over education vouchers effectively over in Texas? No. It’s not. There are six runoffs that we will keep our eyes on. Another significant runoff is Speaker of the House, Dade Phelan’s, in east Texas. Despite his popularity among representatives in the Texas House, he is under pressure in his district. 

We urge you to use your power! Vote in your district if you have a runoff. Call your representative and ask them about their position on public education. Talk to your friends about this crucial issue that is foundational to democracy. Keep listening! We promise to keep you informed.

Want to know more about Every Texan? Find them here.

https://www.texasaft.org/

Want to get engaged in supporting local public schools? Find our resource guide here. https://mothersfordemocracyinstitute.org/

If you’d like to help us keep this critical content coming, donate here. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/saynotovouchers

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