The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) recently praised House Speaker Dade Phelan for his committee assignments and the selection of Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Killeen) as the new House Public Education Committee chairman.
Buckley has long been a champion of public education as co-author of House Bill 3, which, according to his website, is a reform bill for education that would provide a pay increase for teachers.
“Representative Buckley will be an excellent chair for the House Public Education Committee, and we look forward to working with them this legislative session,” said Mandy Drogin, campaign director for TPPF’s Next Generation Texas initiative, in a press release on Buckley's website. “This is an important first step in ensuring that Texans have a system that respects the parent and ensures transparency and a high-quality education on school campuses.”
The TPPF, according to texaspolicy.com, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute that backs proposals to give parents more control over the education of their children. The organization also supports the expansion of charter schools as an alternative and endorses more funding for technical education.
Buckley has served in the state House of Representatives since 2019, and he also was a member of the committee during the last legislative session, according to Ballotpedia.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbot has voiced his support for educational freedom for parents at recent events, going so far as to call for legislation or an educational savings accounts (ESA) package, according to The Dallas Morning News.
According to Texas Scorecard, ESAs are one of several options available to parents in other states, allowing them to tap into financial assistance for educational expenses that meet predetermined criteria.
According to Texas Scorecard, private schools, homeschooling or charter schools don’t enable parents to tap into ESA benefits or other funds earmarked for students for public education.