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
Texas Is Restoring the Proud Story of America
For too long, too many American students have graduated without understanding the country they inherited. They may know scattered names and dates, but they lack the full context of American history: the greatness of Western civilization, the ideas behind our founding, the sacrifices that built this nation, and the principles that allowed America to become...
September 4, 2026