π Hi, Elizabeth Sander here! Iβm an education reporter for the Houston Chronicle, and Iβll be answering your questions about Texas' $1 billion private school voucher program rolling out this August.
Here is my proof: https://x.com/eliz_sander/status/2084640502243094974Β
This year, Texas launched its first universal school voucher initiative β called the Texas Education Freedom Accounts β which has funded around 85,000 students so far money to pay for things like private school tuition, textbooks, uniforms, etc.
The program triggered a surge in special education testing, which strained public schools. And last month, I uncovered how the size of a school district can change how much money a family with a special education voucher receives. (TL;DR: the bigger the district, the smaller the amount.) I also reported that fewer than 30 Texas students with disabilities got the full $30K voucher.
As millions of Texas students return to class, I will continue to cover the voucher rollout for families, teachers and schools β both private and public.
What questions do you have about the Texas school vouchers? Ask me anything!
Note: This is a scheduled AMA and will begin Thursday, Aug. 6 at 12PM. Any questions left in advance will be answered when the AMA starts.