Show me the money!

$10 BILLION more added to $85 Billion to Education

Friend,

Every time we talk about parental empowerment and Education Savings Accounts, the school administrators, unions, and their friends in the media come out of the woodwork to tell us that we can’t possibly do that because public schools don’t have enough money.

We’re told they’re "underfunded and that teachers are underpaid," (they are, but that's intentional by the unions and anti-parent administrators), and "we must solve that first before we can even discuss school choice."  

As a reminder, Parent Empowerment supporting legislators attempted multiple times to give BILLIONS to teachers in House Bill 100 this spring, but were blocked by nefarious union-backed legislators. Curious who those legislators are blocking money for teachers and kids? Well, just look at Randi Weingarten’s American Federation for Teachers 2022 Endorsement list to get a pretty darn good idea:

Quick refresher on AFT…

Remember, former Secretary of State and C.I.A. Director Mike Pompeo, a man who had dealt firsthand with autocrats like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, described Randi Weingarten as “the most dangerous person in the world." The WORLD! He said “she’s the most dangerous person in world,” because she has mastered the art of deception and uses massive amounts of money to lie to Texans (see email below for proof of how New York run AFT spends millions to lie to you.)

One part of the opposition’s narrative is true. Many teachers ARE underpaid. According to the US Department of Education, when adjusted for inflation, funding for Texas education has gone up by 166 %, but teacher pay has only gone up 16%. This is intentional. It allows opposition to continue to cry poverty, and activating teachers against the very people that want to give them more money – US, the parents!

It’s such a shame that the public and teachers are being held hostage and deceived by administrators and taxpayer-funded profiteers that siphon money OUT of our kids’ classrooms and into their pockets. Some of that money goes back to politicians in the form of campaign donations. Are you getting the picture? 

Take taxpayer money, pass massive bonds, increase your property taxes, use sales taxes, send it to huge corporations, like people selling ISDs Teslas, or building $94 Million football stadiums, or waterparks. Then, those unscrupulous profiteers, with your money, host fundraisers for unions or send campaign money to politicians. Then, politicians vote against taxpayers and parents, all the while saying, “We’re broke and can’t pay our teachers.” Get it?  It’s all a game for those who need to fund people and projects that have no impact on educational outcomes, but DO impact the bloated paychecks of administrators.

But, let’s get real and talk facts.  School are NOT underfunded – administrators are simply blowing your money on outrageous expenditures to “friends in high places.” We are spending nearly $16,000 PER student per TEA.  We are being taxed to high heavens to pay for "business deals and consulting" and less money in our children’s classrooms. Yes, anti-parent admins are spending your money on outrageous things that have ZERO impact on Texas Education. 

In case you’re wondering how and why? Well, Superintendents’ salaries are set by their elected school board. Sounds good, right? Problem is, too many of these board members need campaign funds from the builders, architects, and other big Educrat Profiteers who have their hands in the taxpayer cookie jar. Anyone wonder why many TX superintendents make more money than the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (FYI-Biden's salary is $400,000)?

Yep, there it is – just follow the money. YOUR money. Follow YOUR tax dollars to fund the wasteful, unaccountable, unelected administrators, who get to decide how much they can pay teachers and spend on YOUR kid. That’s how all this works – and it’s a racket! It’s exactly why every single superintendent fights against money following the child to the school of a parent's choice. They lose the control of your tax dollars and your kid. 

This year, the Texas budget gave our public school system the BIGGEST funding increase in its history—$10 BILLION. You heard me right, because the media won’t cover this fact. Ten billion dollars – on top of the over $85 BILLION we are already spending. Y’all, we’re approaching $100 BILLION to public education, and still, 50% of our public-school kids can’t read and 60% can’t do math on grade level because according to TEA, only 19% of curriculum being taught is even on grade level.  

But Mandy, they MUST be in it for the kids?! Surely all these administrators making 5 – 10 times the amount of the average Texas Taxpayer must want to help students and teachers?

Sorry to be the Bad News Bear, but these decisions are being made by individuals more concerned with financing their “Fat Cat Friends” than educating the next generation of Texans. 

Here’s just a few of the latest examples that make my stomach turn…

Nearly $500,0000 spent on Luxury Tesla electric cars for Eanes ISD. TESLAS!  Why?!? I’m over here driving a vehicle from 2007, and I’ve met thousands of parents making the same decision because we actually have budgets and must prioritize our spending. We can’t just whine for taxpayers to give us more money like the Pub-ed profiteers.

A waterpark—yes, a waterpark—for La Joya ISD. This story is wild, and true, and a total waste of $20 MILLION. The corruption and kickbacks were so outrageous, it resulted in TEA having to take over the school board and install a board of managers.

A $94 million football stadium for Prosper ISD. That’s bigger and more expensive than many college stadiums!

Don’t forget the newest $35 million football stadium in Melissa ISD. Isn’t she beautiful… and expensive? Can you imagine what a $94 million facility will look like – at the taxpayer’s expense?

And, I haven’t even mentioned the $5 - $20 MILLION spent at Palestine ISD, because, well, their Administration is in breach of Texas’s Public Records Act and refusing to show their funding or accounting for their massive new baseball stadium.

Yep, they don’t want to tell me or YOU, how much of your tax dollars went to their friends. I’m looking at you, Palestine ISD!

Parents, our school districts aren’t broke – they’re just playing parents, teachers and taxpayers for fools all while saying “We can’t allow PARENTS to be the decision makers of where their child attends school. It’s not fair and will 'defund us.' It’s a deceitful cycle y’all, but you, me, and the entire Parent Empowerment coalition is about to break this corrupt and wasteful cycle that is clearly failing millions of Texas kids.

We’re taking back our power and will ensure Texans become the best educated kids in the country once we pass Education Savings Accounts.

Our public school system needs to refocus its spending on what matters – kids and teachers. The way to make this happen is by empowering parents with Education Savings Accounts. In 31 other states, school choice is proven to raise achievement and refocus the school systems—we need this for our children, too.  

We can love our Texas public school teachers and kids, and fully fund them with and additional $10.3 BILLION added to the $85 Billion we already spend AND we can Empower Parents with Education Savings Accounts.

Contact your legislator today and let them know that you support empowering parents with Education Savings Accounts. Together, we can lift up all students—and fight improve our education system for the next generation of Texas students.

To learn more or to get involved, visit txparentsmatter.com.

Onward to Victory!

Mandy