Gov. Greg Abbott's held the inaugural meeting of the Texas Classroom Commission to discuss how to reinforce student achievement, support Texas educators and ensure Texas invests in education.
Abbott tasked
the commission to focus on improving student proficiency in math and reading, limiting screentime in classrooms, and identifying additional strategies to attract and retain high-quality teachers during the Monday, Aug. 10 meeting at the governor's mansion.
"Among the number one ranking we have in our state, it's time to add another: Texas must rank number one in educating our children," Abbott said. "The goal now is to ensure enduring progress toward making Texas the best state in America for educating our kids, and the Texas Classroom Commission will chart that path."
The commission will also examine ways to better equip parents to support their children’s academic progress and reduce administrative burdens so teachers can spend more time focused on classroom instruction. Among the 22 members is Commission Chair Courtney Boswell MacDonald of Kerrville. MacDonald is a former classroom teacher and the current chair of the State Board for Educator Certification.
"I wanted to ensure the teacher perspective had a meaningful place in the decision-making process, and I am honored to lead this commission and help educators engage in and influence education policy," MacDonald said. "I have immense respect for our teachers and the profound impact they have on more than 5 million students across Texas."
Overall, the state ranks in the middle, hovering at 25th and 27th, according to U.S. News and World Report. Their data combines K-12 metrics with a strong higher education system.
Gina Hinojosa convenes her own education team
Democrat governor candidate Gina Hinojosa launched her non-partisan "Team Texas Public Schools" initiative. Hinojosa has detailed her vision for the future of Texas education.
She has explicitly promised that on "day one" as governor, she will fire Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath and replace him with a classroom educator, arguing that the agency should be led by someone who has taught students rather than a political appointee.
She also has announced plans to drastically scale back and "audit" the TEA, pointing out that the agency's bureaucracy has doubled under Abbott while local school districts have been forced to close down or move to 4-day school weeks due to a lack of funds.
Hinojosa has also called the STAAR test "rigged" and heavily flawed. She wants to eliminate the high-stakes standardized exam to prevent classrooms from wasting months "teaching to a test."
Hinojosa publicly opposes school choice voucher programs that would allow public taxpayer money to go toward private school tuition. She argues "vouchers actively defund and starve public classrooms," she said.
Important dates for 2026 Texas election
The last day to register to vote for the General Election is Oct. 5, either online, by mail, or in person.
Early voting starts Oct. 19 and runs through Oct. 30. The absentee ballot request deadline is Oct. 23 for mail requests or Oct. 19 for in-person requests. The absentee ballot return deadline is Nov. 3, by mail or in person on Election Day.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Kristian Jaime is the Top Story Reporter for the El Paso Times and is reachable at Kjaime@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Where do the Texas governor candidates stand on the future of education?
