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We are a group of open-enrollment, tuition free, public charter schools together educating 145,800 students in Texas. Our 248 campuses are located in Central Texas, El Paso, Dallas-Fort Worth, greater Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and West Texas.
We have each received questions from our educators about current legislative proposals (HB 3979 and SB 2022) relating to how teachers should address U.S. History.
We believe deeply in the evidence-based practice of teaching full and holistic United States and Texas history in the public school system. We do not and cannot support efforts to suppress or politicize the basic facts our students need to learn, or to limit the ability of our students to meaningfully engage in the democratic process. Diversity of textbook and curriculum content authors, ideas, resources and teachers is crucial to student success. That is especially true for students who are traditionally underrepresented in those areas, and all students benefit from this teaching practice. Our students deserve no less.
As leaders of public schools who educate predominately students of color, we know that anti-racism work is essential to our mission. We will continue, wherever and however we are able, to fight against the systemic racism that directly affects our communities. As educators, we know that every just fight begins with education. We do not take a stance on specific bills but will continue to monitor proposals and provide guidance on any final legislation.
Our teachers do incredible work every day to bring important lessons about social studies, government and history to life. In a public school system as vast and diverse as Texas’, it is critical that our teachers have the flexibility to teach. We are committed to supporting our teachers and instructional staff and will continue to provide our students with an educational experience that prepares them for college, career and citizenship.
Sincerely,
| Matthew Abbott Wayside Schools | Mark DiBella YES Prep Public Schools |
|---|---|
| Sehba Ali KIPP Texas Public Schools | Kayleigh Colombero Étoile Academy Charter School |
| John Armbrust Austin Achieve Public Schools | Sarah Cotner Magnolia Montessori for All |
| Yasmin Bhatia Uplift Education | Paul Morrisey Compass Rose Public Schools |
| Rick Fernández Meridian World School | Stephanie Hall Powell San Antonio Preparatory Schools |
| JoAnn Gama IDEA Public Schools | Randal C. Shaffer Trinity Basin Preparatory, Inc. |
| Asia Klekowicz & Ryan York The Gathering Place | Adriana Tamez Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success |
| Christopher Mayes Beatrice Mayes Institute | Kathleen Zimmerman NYOS Charter School |
