Our Schools Our Democracy

The header reads October Highlights and is bolded to the right of an orange cartoon pumpkin. The bullets read We updated our voucher webpage to share regular updates on the latest news, key facts, and a timeline to track implementation. Along with concerned Fort Worth parents and community members, we raised the alarm about the government takeover of Fort Worth ISD - despite the recent closure of a low scoring TEA-approved charter school. We’ve been out in the community talking with Texans about education privatization and the fight for our public schools. At the bottom is the link to learn more: bit.ly/OSODNewsletter. The background of the post is a semi-transparent collage of OSOD staff in action at community presentations and events.

Did you miss our November newsletter? Catch up on our latest news and updates now at bit.ly/OSODNewsletter, and make sure to sign up for our monthly newsletters!

Keep track of the Comptroller’s role in Texas’ voucher program: osod.org/take-action-...

Texas comptroller's role in voucher program, explained The Texas comptroller holds tremendous power over the program, including choosing which companies the state will pay millions to help manage it. Voters will decide who runs the agency next year.

Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year signed a law authorizing a $1 billion private school voucher program, tapping the state comptroller’s office as the entity responsible for its creation.

Here’s what you need to know about the comptroller’s role in shaping the voucher program.

The text reads "Commissioner Morath’s handpicked charter school, Rocketship Public Schools, closed in June with F ratings three years in a row. Rocketship had the lowest STAAR scores of all the Fort Worth ISD elementary schools within 3 miles of its campuses...If Commissioner Morath can’t manage to oversee his own charter in Fort Worth, how can he hope to oversee an entire school district almost 100 times as large? This takeover doesn’t make sense." The text is centered between two oversized red quotation marks. At the top is a red Texas centered between light blue lines.

The state takeover of Fort Worth ISD comes despite the recent closure of a TEA-approved charter school which was the lowest scoring Fort Worth ISD elementary school within 3 miles of its campuses.

#txed

AISD’s steep enrollment drop fueled by factors inside and outside the district Demographic change, affordability and wide immigration crackdown fuel Austin ISD's student decline. But advocates, families and the district say AISD could do more.

Our Facing Facts report estimates Austin ISD lost $624m to charters in 2020-2024. From transport (which 47% of charters spend $0 to provide) to teachers (most of whom aren't req'd to be certified at charters), a district can't just cut costs $ for $.

www.statesman.com/news/educati...

The text reads: Who Controls What. Learn how voucher money and decision-making power flows through: Texas Legislature Texas Comptroller Certified Educational Assistance Organizations Texas Education Agency Private Schools Education Service Providers and Vendors of Education Products There is a popout box that reads: Parents, policymakers, and the public deserve transparency with the $1 billion-plus of state funds being spent on this program. But the voucher law does not require public audits. The word "public" is underlined for emphasis. At the bottom is the Our Schools Our Democracy logo. The background is faded tiled screenshots of Texans testifying against the voucher bill.

On a cream colored box there is the Our Schools Our Democracy logo above the text Learn more and get involved above a red box with the link to OSOD's voucher resource: https://osod.org/take-action-against-vouchers/ The background is faded tiled screenshots of Texans testifying against the voucher bill.

❓ How do our state $$ flow from the Legislature to private schools?
🧐 What's a certified educational assistance organization & why are they getting $26m?
🔍 Who decides if a student will be admitted to private school (hint: not parents)?

osod.org/take-action-...

#txed

The text reads: Taxpayer Alert. The voucher will not cover tuition and fees at many private schools. A private school participating in the voucher program cannot be held subject to federal and state laws that protect the rights of students with disabilities in public schools. Up to 3% of the budget can be spent on Comptroller administrative costs (up to $30 million in the first two years). New York-based company Odyssey will receive $26 million in state funds to administer the program for the first two years, with ~$1.2 million subcontracted to market vouchers. At the bottom is the Our Schools Our Democracy logo. The background is faded tiled screenshots of Texans testifying against the voucher bill.

On a cream colored box there is the Our Schools Our Democracy logo above the text Learn more and get involved above a red box with the link to OSOD's voucher resource: https://osod.org/take-action-against-vouchers/ The background is faded tiled screenshots of Texans testifying against the voucher bill.

Texans deserve transparency into the $1b+ voucher program to prevent questionable spending like:
🧱 $1m on Legos (AZ)
🎢 State funds spent on Disney & Sea World passes (FL)

Learn more & get involved: osod.org/take-action-...

#txed

The text reads: Texas Vouchers 101. Start date: 2026-27 school year. Eligibility: All Texas children who are eligible to attend public schools can apply for a voucher if they provide proof that they are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawfully admitted to the U.S. Priority: The program establishes priority categories based on disability status and income. No upper income limit: Despite prioritization, families of all income levels will be able to take advantage of vouchers if there are not enough applicants in priority categories. Cost: $10,330+ per private school student; $2,000 per homeschool student; up to $30,000 per student with disabilities. At the bottom is the Our Schools Our Democracy logo. The background is faded tiled screenshots of Texans testifying against the voucher bill.

On a cream colored box there is the Our Schools Our Democracy logo above the text Learn more and get involved above a red box with the link to OSOD's voucher resource: https://osod.org/take-action-against-vouchers/ The background is faded tiled screenshots of Texans testifying against the voucher bill.

Did you miss last spring's hearing where Texans stayed at the Capitol for 22 hours to testify against vouchers? Need to catch up on the years of data on voucher failures in other states?

Our Schools Our Democracy has you covered: osod.org/take-action-...

#txed

On a cream colored box there is the Our Schools Our Democracy logo above the text Learn more and get involved above a red box with the link to OSOD's voucher resource: https://osod.org/take-action-against-vouchers/ The background is faded tiled screenshots of Texans testifying against the voucher bill.

Vouchers may be law but Texans haven't stopped fighting for our public schools 💪

Our Schools Our Democracy has created a new online resource to help you track the voucher rollout: osod.org/take-action-against-vouchers/

#txed

The text reads "Given Odyssey’s track record of operational mismanagement and misuse of state funds in much smaller voucher programs, Texans should sound the alarm about the Comptroller’s decision to entrust Odyssey with $1 billion of our taxpayer dollars and the educational outcomes of our children." The text is centered between two oversized red quotation marks. At the top is a red Texas centered between light blue lines. At the bottom is an attribution for the text from Maggie Stern, OSOD's Director of Community Engagement.

The Comptroller has chosen Odyssey to run TX’s voucher program.

But check receipts (& not just the up to $50m in state funds that we could pay Odyssey just in the next 2 yrs).

Odyssey has an alarming record of mismanagement, delayed payments, & inflated costs in multiple states.

buff.ly/BuV0D4w

ProPublica Releases New Private School Demographics Lookup Now you can look up detailed demographic information about thousands of private schools across the country and compare them to nearby public schools.

With our Private School Demographics database, you can look up detailed demographic information about thousands of private schools across the country and compare them to nearby public schools.

Check it out ⤵️

The background is a half-transparent collage of photos of OSOD testifying and at community events. In the center is text on a cream-colored background that reads "September highlights" next a red apple graphic and then bullet points that read: We testified to the State Board of Education about poor performance among new charter campuses. Ten of the 39 charters approved from 2013 to 2023 have already closed – leading to disruption and instability for thousands of Texas families. We called for public transparency at the recent hearing on proposed rules for the voucher program. We partnered with Northside ISD, Northside AFT, and San Antonio Councilman Ric Galvan for a public education forum to share the good work happening in Northside’s public schools. At the bottom is red text that reads Learn more: bit.ly/OSODNewsletter.

Did you miss our October newsletter? Catch up on our latest news and updates now at bit.ly/OSODNewsletter, and make sure to sign up at our website for our monthly newsletters!

#txed

🗣️ “Texans should know how our taxpayer dollars are being spent, especially as the $1b budget for year one of this program is likely to increase in the future,” said Maggie Stern, director of community engagement for the public education advocacy group Our Schools Our Democracy.

Texans ask for eligibility fixes, stronger accountability in school voucher program For the first time since Texas authorized the program, the state heard public testimony from people concerned about pre-K funding, special education provisions and data reporting.

Texans ask for eligibility fixes, stronger accountability in school voucher program.

TX should report annual spending to prevent alarming costs like:
🧱 $1m on Legos (AZ)
🧗 $350k for ninja warrior training, trampoline parks, & climbing gyms (AZ)
🎢 State funds spent on Disney & Sea World passes (FL)

Check out @sosarizona.org and @strongflschools.bsky.social for more examples!

OSOD Comments on Proposed Voucher Rules - Our Schools Our Democracy Comments by Our Schools Our Democracy at the September 30, 2025 Comptroller hearing on proposed ESA/voucher rules. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed rules regarding the ESA…

Today the Comptroller heard public comments on proposed rules for the new voucher program.

Alongside other public school advocates, OSOD raised concerns about public transparency into this $1,000,000,000+ program.

Read our full comments at osod.org/osod-comment...

#txed

A chart of charters approved by TEA Commissioner/SBOE between 2013-2023. The header summarizes that "newer charter schools earned 35 Fs and 16 Ds out of 87 A-F academic accountability ratings (59% Ds and Fs). More than half of these charter schools were rated D or F in 2025 alone." The chart shows 10 of the 39 charters highlighted in yellow, meaning that they are already closed.

In June, the Commissioner named TEA’s filter for recommending new charters: “Is this gonna be an A- or a B-campus when it runs? It’s got to be good. Period.”

See the track record among newer campuses approved by the Commissioner: osod.org/osod-testifi...

This week, Our Schools Our Democracy testified to the State Board of Education on alarming trends among newer Texas charter campuses: underperformance, under-enrollment, and high rates of closure.

#txed

These Charter Superintendents Are Some of the Highest Paid in Texas. Their Districts Are Among the Lowest Performing. Three charter school districts in Texas underreported the compensation paid to their top leaders. The same three districts have also had failing or near-failing performance ratings in recent years.

Earlier this year, we revealed three charter leaders in TX who have made hundreds of thousands on top of what's been reported to the state.

New accountability ratings show that each of their districts have failing or near-failing performance. One may be shut down.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...

📣NPE’s National Center for Charter School Accountability (NCCSA), provides research & recommendations on increasing transparency & accountability for charter schools. Find it here on our website networkforpubliceduc...

Want more alerts like this one? Sign up for our newsletter at bit.ly/OSODsignup!

They said they would not cut Title I. They lied. K12 Ed budget SLASHED by the House. House leaders just dropped their FY26 education bill, slashing $12.1 billion (15%) in K-12 funding for public education. It guts the very programs that keep our public schools running — while boosting charter start-up/expansion to $500,000,000. What they’re cutting: Title I: –27% slashed — funding that provides targeted education services like remedial reading, with the worst impact targeting students in high-poverty schools in cities and rural communities. English Language Acquisition Grants: Gone. Title II-A (teacher training & support): Eliminated. Full-Service Community Schools: Zeroed out. Cuts of this magnitude will crowd classrooms, strip student supports, widen inequities, and push more schools into crisis — especially in rural and high-need communities. Send your letter now.

Action Alert!! Please send your email today and share this alert.

They said they would not cut Title I. They lied. K12 Ed budget SLASHED by the House. actionnetwork.org/le...

The header reads "Action Alert" to the right of a megaphone icon. The text reads "The Trump administration is pushing a budget for 2026 that cuts $12 billion from public schools and funnels more money to the federal charter school program. Raise your voice for our students today as a Congressional House Subcommittee meets to discuss the budget.

🚨 Action Alert! A Congressional House Subcommittee is meeting TODAY to consider the Trump admin's proposed $12 billion cuts to public schools, including Title I and IDEA funds. Email now to demand no cuts for students and full funding for our schools: buff.ly/XrmVNoc @npeaction.bsky.social

A graphic entitled Reclaim the Schools. Stop the Cuts. It describes how the federal government is trying to cut $12 billion from public education and lists all the programs that could be cut, including six special education grants, teacher recruitment and training, and community schools. The background colors are bright pink and orange with text in cream colored boxes.

🔎 Find out how much funding your district could lose under proposed federal budget cuts at edlawcenter.org/research/tru...

🗣️ Then call your Members of Congress and tell them to stop the cuts and fund our schools!

The graphic is a set of red boxes showing the amount of money that the Trump Administration is proposing to cut from a series of programs. The list of programs: programs that support English Language Learners ($890 million cut), teacher recruitment training ($220 million cut), college access and preparation ($1.6 billion), community schools ($150 million), migrant education ($428 million), and civil rights enforcement ($49 million).

Congress can protect our students and stop proposed budget cuts to public education. Tell your Members of Congress: Let our kids learn! No cuts to public schools!

bit.ly/loveschools

A graphic showing how much funding Texas would lose under the proposed federal K12 budget cuts in 2026. Texas will lose $1,763,695,078 in federal funding, which is the equivalent of 1,184 first year teachers, 176,110 Chromebooks, and 26,603 afterschool slots. This information is provided by the Education Law Center and the Education Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative. Using the link in the post, community members can find out how much their district or state will lose under these proposed cuts.

💪 Strong schools = strong communities 💪

But the proposed federal budget cuts $12b from public school programs like afterschool & summer programs, arts & technology classes, emergency preparedness, and more.

Find out how much your district could lose: edlawcenter.org/research/tru...

Trump vowed to end “wasteful” federal spending. Beloved Texas school programs got caught in the middle. Sweeping and sudden funding changes this year put two revered after-school programs for low-income Texans and a rural teacher training initiative at risk of closure.

Sweeping and sudden funding changes this year put two revered after-school programs for low-income Texans and a rural teacher training initiative at risk of closure.

Another #CharterSchoolReckoning for @network4pubed.bsky.social's records - and at least the FIFTH charter closing in Texas just this year.

In 2023–24, 903 charter schools served fewer than 100 students, and 52 had zero.
That's not demand. That’s decline.

Read our new #CharterSchoolReckoning to learn more networkforpubliceduc...

A list of major accomplishments categorized by increasing charter school accountability and oversight, protecting Texas public schools from privatization, and ending different rules for charter schools. The background is a light blue rectangle with rounded edges, with a red shadow.

🔎 Increasing charter school accountability and oversight
🛡️ Protecting Texas public schools from privatization
⚖️ Ending different rules for charter schools

Read our full legislative & SBOE recap at bit.ly/OSODRecapReport