Houston’s Failing Schools
What to know: Democratic state Rep. Harold Dutton says he has no regrets about enabling the state to take over the failing Houston ISD.
The TPPF take: Houston ISD is riddled with corruption (multiple board members and staff have pleaded guilty to bribery charges) and a callous disregard for the students stuck in those schools.
“The status quo is failing low-income minority students,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “It has them trapped in collapsed institutions with no way out. If we want to improve the fortunes of this demographic, then it’s time get behind parent empowerment through education savings accounts.”
For more on parent empowerment, click here.
DEI
What to know: Like Texas, Florida is cracking down on woke “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” efforts in its public universities.
The TPPF take: DEI ideas have become twisted in their institutional implementation.
“There are important ways that society can and should elevate people who have not had opportunities in this country,” says TPPF’s Ron Simmons. “But the way DEI is applied in too many places risks deepening division rather than correcting historical wrongs. The meaning and application of diversity promoted under bad DEI practices has little to do with different points of view or experience. It instead embraces the idea of distinct and rival groups pitted against one another in a power struggle.”
For more on DEI, click here.
Austin Homelessness Follies
What to know: Austin’s policies are making the homelessness crisis worse. According to the New York Post, “top family destinations in Austin, Texas, have become magnets for the homeless — and the city’s woke policies are preventing cops from doing anything about the illegal scourge, critics say.”
The TPPF take: Austin’s policies are causing a humanitarian crisis.
“Homelessness significantly harms the health and safety of the surrounding community, as well,” says TPPF’s Michele Steeb. “Not only is it extremely difficult to witness the homeless perishing on our streets, homelessness imposes risks to public health. It reduces the availability of health care and public safety resources available to a community. It degrades the use of public parks, lands, waterways, and sidewalks that have become riddled with needles, human feces, and debris.”
For more on Austin and homelessness, click here.