Classical is Cool
What to know: The Associated Press seems aghast that many Texas families, who finally have school choice options, are choosing classical and Christian education for their children.
The TPPF take: Classical education focuses on the books that actually shaped our country — Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, the Federalist Papers, and other lasting works.
“It refuses to soft-pedal difficulty just to match the latest educational fad,” says TPPF’s Tom Lindsay. “To be sure, that’s not ‘conservative politics.’ That’s classical education. It’s the same method that once defined liberal learning and still produces students who can think, write, and reason.”
For more on classical education, click here.
Making TANF Work for Texans in Need
What to know: The U.S. Department of Justice is requiring states to report illegal immigrants, in an effort to ensure that unqualified people aren’t receiving welfare benefits, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
The TPPF take: That’s a good start. In Texas, TANF is no longer structured to build lasting, stable families.
“TANF is uniquely designed to help families through hardship while strengthening the conditions that give children the best chance to thrive,” says TPPF’s Hannah Bruck. “In Texas, the program often fails to prioritize two-parent households or give parents the tools they need to work, stay together, and pass on stability to the next generation. By reorienting these funds and ensuring a return to that core purpose, vulnerable Texas families are given the tools needed to not only survive, but flourish.”
For more on reforming TANF, click here.
Texas (and America) First
What to know: With the midterm elections nearing, President Donald Trump continues to campaign for conservative candidates in Texas, bringing his “America First” message, CBS News reports.
The TPPF take: “America First” matters for Texas.
“As President Trump makes his case to the country, Texas serves as a leading example of why and how those policies make Americans safer, freer, and more prosperous,” says TPPF’s Greg Sindelar. “In Texas, we believe that no American should have to accept violent crime as the price of living in a major city. In 2021, we moved to shut the revolving jailhouse door that allowed career criminals back on the street. In 2025, President Trump took that fight to the national level, using executive action to challenge the reckless practice of cashless bail. Texas is one of many states across the nation that has seen violent crime decline. America First means safe neighborhoods — and zero tolerance for those who prey on American families.”