This week, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced a new partnership with Turning Point USA (TPUSA) aimed at launching chapters of the conservative political advocacy organization on every Texas high school campus. The move immediately drew national attention and intense scrutiny from educators, parents, and civil rights groups who say state leaders are inappropriately using public schools to advance a partisan agenda.
Reports detail how TPUSA plans to create officially recognized student clubs on high school campuses, with political appointees and state education staff assisting in outreach to campuses. Critics warn the state is opening the door to government-backed political organizing in public schools, even as campuses face severe staffing shortages, safety concerns, and resource gaps.
Texas AFT President Zeph Capo issued a clear response, noting that the governor and lieutenant governor are prioritizing political theater over students’ real needs:“Do you know what I’d like to see on every high school campus in Texas? Water fountains without lead in them. Qualified, certified teachers in every classroom. Gun safety measures that would make sure our kids came home at the end of the day.”
Capo criticized state leaders for devoting energy to elevating a political organization while simultaneously fighting to restrict other student groups and teacher associations.
“Instead, the governor and lieutenant governor are directing their resources and the entire state apparatus to put their fingers on the scale for one organization while fighting tooth and nail to keep others off campus,” Capo said. “It’s beyond the pale.”
Educators across Texas have echoed these concerns, arguing that public school spaces must remain neutral environments where students can learn free from state-sponsored ideological pressure. As Capo concluded: “If the leaders of this state spent half as much time solving problems as they do inventing new problems to be solved, Texas would be the best-run state in the union.”
Texas AFT will monitor the legal and policy implications of this development and how districts respond.