Good news for future Charter Moms and Charter Dads: there’s a bill in the Texas Senate right now, SB2, that would lift the arbitrary cap on the number of charters in Texas, would provide some funding for charter school facilities, and includes a whole package of best practices that would improve public education in Texas. The measures in the bill, if passed, should help the thousands of families on waiting lists to find places at charter schools.
State Senator Dan Patrick, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, introduced SB2 on Monday, February 18, and the committee held a hearing on SB2 on Thursday, February 21.
News clippings from the day of the hearing:
- “State senator: Students ‘crying’ for more choice”, Will Weissert (AP), San Antonio Express-News, February 21, 2013.
- “Charter school proposal is being studied”, Lindsay Kastner, San Antonio Express-News, February 21, 2013.
- “Texas Lawmakers Mixed on Charter School Proposal”, Maurice Chammah, Texas Tribune, February 21, 2013.
- “Caprice Young on the Texas Legislature’s new SB 2”, Bill McKenzie, Dallas Morning News, February 21, 2013.
- “Patrick’s bill could improve charter schools”, Dallas Morning News editorial, February 21, 2013.
News clippings from the day the bill was filed:
- “Veterans of lawsuit reform turn to education”, Kate Alexander, Austin American-Statesman, February 18, 2013 (discussing the Texas Institute for Education Reform and Texans Deserve Great Schools).
- “Education Chairman Aims to Expand Charter Schools”, Morgan Smith, Texas Tribune, February 18, 2013.
Also, here are two opinion-editorials by Sen. Dan Patrick himself:
- “Allow Texas students to embrace technology age”, Dan Patrick, Dallas Morning News, February 19, 2013.
- “Texas needs real education reform”, Dan Patrick, Austin American-Statesman, February 8, 2013.
