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High-Ranked TEA Official's conversation with parent released
FOX 26 Reporter Sherman Desselle explains what was said and has reaction.
HOUSTON - Audio of a top state education official discussing Governor Abbott's push for school choice has leaked online.
First reported by podcast host and education researcher Lynn Davenport, the Texas Education Agency Employee spoke to a parent who transferred their child out of the Joshua Independent School District to a parochial school.
BACKGROUND: High-ranking TEA official admits public school funds could drop with voucher-like programs
The official asked the parent, who chose to remain anonymous, if they would share their story with Governor Abbott's speechwriter to strengthen his push for school choice in Texas.
"If you're comfortable, I would love to connect you to tell your story to this speechwriter," says the official. "I anticipate that it would be used in some form or fashion...and, what a good way for you to stick it to Joshua ISD."
The parent then asked the official to clarify what the speechwriter was looking for.
"With this particular speechwriter, I know you were talking about parental rights," says the parent. "That's very important to me with school choice. Is this where the voucher would be used?"
"I have a very strong suspicion that this is part of his...like, ESAs or vouchers are needed in the state of Texas for this reason, right?" says the official.
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The TEA staffer also admits in the audio that if school vouchers are allowed in the state, funding for public schools would be negatively impacted.
While the TEA did not confirm their employee's identity with FOX 26, they did confirm the call happened in this statement:
"The conversation in question took place to help address concerns raised by a parent and to connect her with an opportunity to share more about her child’s educational experience. The parent expressed the need for her child to have a different educational option. TEA listened to her concerns and answered her questions. As a reminder, TEA seeks to maintain an open line of communication with families when their options for local recourse have been exhausted."
Davenport tells FOX 26 the parent was mainly contacted by the official to connect with the Governor's speechwriter and was given an explanation on why the office did not look into the grievance filed against JISD.
"The short version is the agency just didn't have jurisdiction," says the official. "You didn't say the magic words."
Zeph Capo, President of the Texas Federation of Teachers, says the audio is more evidence that cards are stacked against public schools.
"It confirmed every suspicion that we've had," says Capo. "It seems like the policy at the state and the state agency before it's even passed the legislature is to privatize at every opportunity. I think it was extremely inappropriate to take what was considered this parent's story or this parent's difficulty with the public school and try to turn it around into a political discussion."
Capo also thinks the high-ranked official should resign. We reached out to the Governor's office for a comment, but have not heard back as of Wednesday night.