As the general election season shifts into high gear, ATPE is starting a periodic Teach the Vote series: On the Campaign Trail. The periodic blog posts will keep you up to date on how the candidates for Texas governor are discussing the issues surrounding Texas public education as they traverse the state.  

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) 

Gov. Greg Abbott held three press conferences this week related to public education: 

• Monday’s press conference announced that the newly created Texas Classroom Commission had held its first meeting at the Governor’s Mansion. 

• On Tuesday, Abbott announced a policy proposal to crack down on inappropriate educator-student relationships by requiring 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentences without the possibility of parole or community supervision.  

• On Thursday, Abbott held a press conference in Corpus Christi with Rep. Todd Hunter (R–Corpus Christi) and Rep. Denise Villalobos (R–Corpus Christi) as well as State Board of Education (SBOE) candidate Victoria Hinojosa to tout the Teacher Incentive Allotment program and announce an initiative to limit classroom screen time, part of his new priority to make Texas “No. 1 in the country in education.” 

ATPE members, look for further information and analysis next week of these campaign proposals.  

Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D) 

Rep. Gina Hinojosa held an education roundtable in Spring Branch over the weekend. On Monday, she responded to Abbott’s Classroom Commission press conference by posting the following on social media: “On Day One, I will fire Mike Morath.” This message is something Hinojosa has oft repeated as she made the rounds on the Texas podcasting circuit this week.  

On Thursday, following Abbott messaging about this being the first school year in which vouchers would be used by some Texas students, Hinojosa responded on X: “70% of Texas students awarded school vouchers were already enrolled in private school in TX. Greg Abbott’s voucher scam was never about helping kids — it’s welfare for the well off.”