Testimony on Interim Charge 2:…

Houston’s Fat Cat Superintendents: The Hidden Benefits How Some of Texas’s Highest-Paid Public Employees Are Systematically Underreporting Their Compensation

Exorbitant and hidden superintendent pay reflects a culture of self-enrichment that has no place in Texas public schools, diverts taxpayer dollars from students, and betrays the public trust. Key points: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) understates the total compensation for some of Texas’s highest-paid superintendents. Though they oversee fewer people, many superintendents have drawn a...

Safer Communities Through Second Chances: The Case for Federal Expungement

When criminal records follow people forever, families struggle, employers lose workers, and communities lose productive citizens. Federal law offers almost no path to redemption, even though second chances strengthen public safety and the economy. Key Points The federal expungement system is effectively nonexistent. Permanent criminal records for non-violent federal offenses undermine work opportunities, family stability,...

Governing Blind: The Fiscal and Operational Impact of Immigration on Texas Public Systems

Governing Blind: The Fiscal and Operational Impact of Immigration on Texas Public Systems Written by Selene Rodriguez Download the full paper here. Key Points Texas operates at the intersection of federal immigration policy and the day-to-day realities of sustaining its public systems, bearing substantial costs driven by national mandates. This is very evident in education...