Statement of Principles

They are united in several key principles relating to improving public education in Texas. They pledge to engage in policy advocacy that puts students’ interests before all else and that seeks to affect positive change in every public school setting.

They believe:

• Nothing is more important to the future of children, their state, and thiernation than providing a quality education to every child in Texas.
• They define a quality education as preparing all children to have the freedom to do in this world what they want to do.
• For most of their children, successfully completing some form of higher education is required to have the freedom to do what they want to do.
• Results for low income children should be no different than middle and upper income children.
• Independent school districts and charter school systems in the same geographic areas should work together whenever possible in the best interest of students as a system of public schools.
• Public school students deserve the best teachers. Teachers deserve to be adequately trained, paid and supported.
• A public school system should be responsive to the various needs in its community, and choices in the system of public schools should be known, understood, encouraged and increased.
• Local public school leaders need flexibility from state-controlled policies to innovate and to best serve their students.
• Every Texas child should be guaranteed adequate and equitable funding, no matter which public school parents and families choose.
• In a diverse and vast system serving 5 million students, there is no single policy or proposal that can improve education for every Texas child.Bottom up solutions are better than top down.