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The Texas Tribune hosted an Inside the Interim panel discussion at Rice University Wednesday featuring Houston-area Reps. Armando Walle (D–Houston), Christina Morales (D–Houston), and Charles Cunningham (R–Humble). The event, moderated by Tribune politics reporter James Barragan, was billed as a preview of what to expect in the 89th session. Unsurprisingly, given Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) singular focus on vouchers during the 2023 session, public education took up the bulk of the one-hour panel discussion.  

Barragan started the discussion by asking the legislators about the Texas Education Agency (TEA)’s Houston ISD (HISD) takeover. Walle expressed concern about the unintended consequences of the bill that made the takeover possible, House Bill (HB) 1842 by Rep. Harold Dutton (D–Houston) from the 2015 session. Walle said he and Morales had met with HISD leaders to express frustration about communication between the district and elected leaders, which Morales said has been limited. Walle and Morales expressed concern about low teacher morale and high turnover. Out of HISD’s 11,000 teachers, more than one-quarter resigned over the past year. Teachers are staying silent, Morales said, for fear of retaliation for speaking out. Morales pointed out that the community has no recourse to address issues with the school board because trustees are appointed, not elected, and do not answer to the public. This, she said, has led to a lack of accountability for the school board and superintendent.  

Only Cunningham said that though he felt allowing a takeover based on the failure of one school was an unintended consequence of HB 1842, he supported the takeover and the direction in which Superintendent Mike Miles is taking the district. Cunningham said he supports the takeover because it means parents will not have their children trapped in repeatedly failing schools. “All parents,” Cunningham said, “want their children to succeed.”  

Walle pointed out that schools have been starved for funding even though the state has a $30 billion surplus. Funding schools, he said, is critical to improving both teacher morale and student achievement. “That’s what we should be doing,” Walle said, “but instead we’re going down this road with state takeovers.”  Walle also pointed out that teacher retention is key to student success and that retaining teachers means paying them. “Teachers don’t get into teaching because they want to be rich,” Walle said. “But you’ve got to respect their work. These teachers are under a lot of stress. We need to pay them what they deserve because we have the money to do it.” 

Next the conversation turned to the issue that dominated the 2023 session and looms as a major presence over the coming session as well: vouchers. Cunningham, when asked if there would be a voucher this session, said yes, that the governor would make it an emergency item, and that while he didn’t know what the voucher would look like, the governor has the votes he needs. Cunningham reiterated his support for the voucher, saying in response to criticism from those who feel that, as a former school board member, he has betrayed public education: “I’m not just an [Humble ISD] guy. My district has homeschoolers and charter schoolers also.” Cunningham suggested that Texas look to North Carolina for a potential model voucher program, saying that North Carolina includes its school districts within its ESA programs, and this is a model he could support. 

Morales called the concept of a voucher a scam and stated this would be the No. 1 issue for Democrats in spring 2025. “We cannot fund two school systems,” Morales said. “Our schools are so underfunded, our teachers are so underpaid, and a voucher scam will only help those already in private schools.” She reminded everyone that Abbott does not yet have the votes he needs because there is an election in November and Democrats could turn over some Republican seats.  

Walle reminded everyone that the 2023 vote to kill the voucher was bipartisan and that the Republicans who had lost their reelections had been targeted not on vouchers but rather on false assertions they could not be trusted on border security. “I think it’s premature to say that vouchers will pass next session,” Walle said. 

The speaker’s race, the legislators said, will also play a key role in shaping education policy next session. Morales reminded the panel that Democrats could play a key role in determining who the next speaker is because the Republican caucus does not seem to have a consensus pick. Vouchers, she said, would be a critical issue for Democrats to use in determining whom they will support. 

Committees, including the House Public Education Committee, will be releasing interim reports soon, which will give us another glimpse into leadership’s priority issues for the next session. The 89th Legislature convenes Jan. 20, 2025.