Local Lawlessness
What to Know: A disgraced former Irving ISD administrator was recently busted on camera telling a parent how to evade rules that prevent males from playing in female sports. He sought to justify his actions by saying: “It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught, right?”
The TPPF Take: This crooked episode is the latest example of local officials acting lawlessly.
“A troubling mindset seems to have taken root locally wherein many officials believe they can pick-and-choose which rules, regulations, and laws to follow. This is an alarming development that should prompt an immediate response from policymakers,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “The Texas Legislature should make it clear that local officials must follow the law, or face serious consequences.”
For more on local lawlessness, click here.
DEI
What to know: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from state agencies.
The TPPF take: DEI programs are not only ubiquitous in the federal government, they are also riddled throughout state agencies in Texas.
“DEI is based on the belief that white supremacy is the predominant view driving America and that racism permeates every American institution and, indeed, everything Americans do,” says TPPF’s Sherry Sylvester. “According to the ideology of DEI, because slavery is America’s original sin, we are doomed to live forever in a country divided into two groups—the oppressors and oppressed. The oppressed get hiring preferences. The oppressors do not.”
For more on DEI, click here.
Let’s Be Realistic
What to know: You’ve heard it before; opponents of empowering parents with school choice say that Texas already has school choice—it has private schools, charters and homeschooling available to families.
The TPPF take: That’s a familiar refrain from opponents of creating school choice programs.
“They are, of course, technically correct because those are legal alternatives to sending kids to public school. But it’s also disingenuous,” says TPPF’s Brian Phillips. “They know those options have incredibly high barriers for most parents, especially middle- and working-class single parents. If someone doesn’t have reasonable access to something, can it really be considered a choice? I suppose I legally have the right to drive a Rolls-Royce or Ferrari, but I can assure you that neither of those cars are in any reasonable way a ‘choice’ for me.”
For more on school choice, click here.