Texas Parent PAC poll shows Gov. Greg Abbott on the wrong side of Texas parents, voters, and teachers

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Austin, TX – Today, Texas Parent PAC released a public education poll by Change Research of Likely Texas Voters showing how Governor Greg Abbott is on the wrong side of Texas parents, teachers, and voters. 

The Texas Parent PAC poll found that 53% of Texas likely voters are against taxpayer-funded private school vouchers when hearing vouchers mean less money for their local public schools. Majorities of Texans are concerned that charter schools take money from local public schools (76%) and that charter school teachers do not need to be certified to teach (80%). 

The poll also shows:

  • School vouchers stack poorly against local public schools in popularity. Only 41% of likely Texas voters rate charter schools favorably and 45% rate school vouchers favorably, compared to 58% favoring local public schools and 62% giving public school teachers a positive rating.
  • 82% of Texans say they know vouchers will increase their property taxes and take funds away from public school classrooms.
  • Almost all voters (above 90%) support hiring more teachers, increasing teacher salaries, and increasing funding for school supplies. Eight in 10 (80%) voters support offering teachers a retention stipend for all of their hard work over the last two years.
  • Parents are clear about their priorities. More than six in 10 (62%) voters support allowing parents to opt their children out of standardized testing without penalty, including 75% of Texas parents.

Texas AFT President Zeph Capo commented today on the release of a new poll by Texas Parent PAC:

“The poll results are clear, Texans don’t want to defund public neighborhood schools for another private voucher scheme or more charter school CEO jet joyrides.

“Texans trust teachers to get their kid’s education right, not politicians like Greg Abbott. They know the Abbott agenda is a political bait-and-switch that will force property tax hikes on working Texans while lining the pockets of his donors.

“Before the pandemic, teachers were already leaving the profession in droves due to a lack of pay and support. Now, Texans agree that the most important thing to do is fund our schools, hire more teachers, increase salaries, and support the classrooms. 

A Texas AFT membership survey found 66% of Texas teachers said they recently considered leaving their jobs. This poll shows Texans respect our teachers and are willing to support them with retention stipends and higher wages.”

Click here to view the Texas Parent PAC’s poll by Change Research.

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The Texas American Federation of Teachers represents more than 65,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, support personnel, and higher-education employees across the state. Texas AFT is affiliated with the 1.7-million-member American Federation of Teachers and AFL-CIO.

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