By: Lisa B. Nelson & Stephen Moore
ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson co-authored an op-ed with economist Stephen Moore of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity in the National Review, advocating for education freedom in Texas and promoting policies that empower parents and prioritize students.
A staggering 65 percent of third- through eighth-graders in Fort Worth failed to meet minimum grade-level standards in core subjects such as reading, math, and science. This is nothing short of an educational catastrophe. Fort Worth mayor Mattie Parker captured the urgency when she said, “This moment calls for visionary, student-centered leadership that sets ambitious goals, crafts a strategic plan for academic excellence, and ensures every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely.” We couldn’t agree more.
Even more troubling, this failure rate marks a one-percentage-point drop in proficiency from the previous year, underscoring a worrying trend in student achievement that is raising alarms among local leaders. Even the highest-performing city council district (district 10) saw just 49 percent of students meeting basic grade-level academic standards.
Mayor Parker, in a letter addressed to the school-board members, pointed out Fort Worth’s consistent underperformance compared with other major Texas districts. For example, Fort Worth students trail eleven percentage points behind those in Dallas, 14 points behind Houston, and 18 points behind Brownsville. Those numbers starkly illustrate the need to reimagine our approach to education and embrace bold, transformative policies that empower parents and recognize the unique needs of every student.
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It is crucial to remember that education freedom is not a partisan issue. Nationally, 66 percent of Democrats, 80 percent of Republicans, and 69 percent of independents support education freedom. In Louisiana, six Democratic House lawmakers voted to support the state’s new universal-education-freedom program. Moreover, lawmakers in Georgia, North Carolina, and California have recently switched parties because of their support for education freedom.
With more than 5 million K–12 students in Texas, lawmakers have the opportunity not only to put students first but to create America’s largest education-freedom program, positioning Texas as a national leader on behalf of students and families. It’s time for universal education freedom in the Lone Star State.