The Texas Public Policy Foundation recently hosted a panel on charter schools entitled “Innovation, Educational Excellence, and the Role of Charters.” Panelists included Senator Florence Shapiro, Chair of the Senate Education Committee; Linda Bridges, President of the Texas Chapter of the American Federation of Teachers; Tom Torkelson; CEO and Founder of IDEA public schools; and Paul Vallas; Superintendent of the Louisiana Recovery School District. This document lists the main points of each panelist.
K-12 Education
TEFA is a Success. What’s Next?
Texas’ launch of the Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) program has been nothing short of historic. It sends a clear message that families are demanding more control over their children’s education. Within the first 24 hours, more than 42,000 applications poured in, shattering national records for a school choice program rollout. By the time applications closed,...
April 2, 2026