4 Jun 29 - July 5, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Down on Our Permanent Record Dallas teachers grade ‘mind-boggling’ legisla- tive session: ‘a solid F.’ BY SIMONE CARTER A t the start of the 2023 legisla- tive session, Texas politicians promised teachers plenty. There was talk of increased public school funding, robust pay raises and even parental leave. Well, a few weeks have passed since the end of the regular session, meaning that teachers have had some time to reflect on lawmakers’ performance this year. The Ob- server reached out to several Dallas educa- tors to ask what grade they would enter for the 88th Legislature. The report card is just about as bad as you might think. Rosie Curts, a Dallas ISD teacher, and Rena Honea, president of Dallas’ Alliance/ AFT teachers union, each said they would give the past session a failing grade. (In her email, Honea formatted the “F” in a large, bright red font.) But Dallas ISD Superintendent Stepha- nie Elizalde replied to our inquiry a bit more charitably. “There were some plusses, such as the new state curriculum materials that will lib- erate teachers from needing to spend hours every day writing lesson plans,” she wrote in an emailed statement. “But I can’t turn in grades for this legislature yet because the teacher pay raises were held hostage to pass vouchers, and neither got done. We need the former, but the Governor has made it clear that he will call the legislature back for the latter.” Elizalde previously blasted the lack of teacher raises during an interview with In- side Texas Politics. “It’s truly mind boggling that the legisla- ture started with a $33 billion surplus and we’re having a conversation about teachers getting zero from that,” she tweeted re- cently. Honea, an educators’ advocate who worked as a teacher in Dallas ISD for 26 years, said “F” is the only grade she could give the session. She noted that some state lawmakers campaigned on boosting teacher salaries and funding public education. The way she sees it, they “should be ashamed of being deceptive” to get ahead in politics. Honea blasted legislators’ treatment as “demoralizing.” Republican Gov. Greg Ab- bott had even ordered the creation of a task force to address Texas’ teacher shortage but he ignored its suggestions, she said. When the Legislature meets, education- related bills always fall to the bottom of the agenda, Honea said, adding that the same was true this time around. Even though there will likely be addi- tional special sessions this summer, Honea noted that discussion of educational needs may not be held until September. By that point, teachers will be tied up with the school year and could be penalized by dis- tricts for stepping out of the classroom to speak at the Capitol. Honea thinks that the timing isn’t an ac- cident. “Students and educational personnel are tired of the crumbs and scraps thrown at them every biennium, and many teachers are refusing to continue being treated with no respect and dignity,” she continued. “They’re leaving their chosen career!” Curts, a high-school math teacher with Dallas ISD, also anticipates that without raises or more funding for public ed, Texas’ ongoing teacher shortage will only get worse. Seasoned educators will continue to flee the field, and it’ll be more difficult than ever to hire new teachers, she said. “And what that results in is just basically a really damaged quality of education for the stu- dents.” Oh, and there’s a sub shortage, too. A major reason the legislative session earned “a solid F” in Curts’ book and not a flat-out zero was because a couple of non- controversial bills skated through, including one on the prohibition of discrimination based on hair texture. Another big reason? Voucher laws were averted — for now. Curts said teacher raises and school fund- ing were “held hostage for the vouchers.” She encourages people to call their representa- tives to relay their gratitude if the lawmaker is a holdout on pro-voucher legislation. Aside from a worsened teacher shortage, an additional danger moving forward is a lack of supplies or funding for student expe- riences like field trips, she said. But those things don’t matter when there aren’t enough teachers to begin with. Curts compared the public education cri- sis to climate change. “It is really scary, because it feels like we’re sounding the alarm, but … people don’t do anything until they see it directly impact their life,” she said. “So when they see their schools closing or their kids not having a teacher for a whole year, hopefully that will finally be a wake-up call. “I wish we could get it before that.” ▼ POLITICS SMALL HAT, BIG RING FORMER TEXAS REP. WILL HURD SLAMS TRUMP IN PRESIDENCY ANNOUNCEMENT. BY SIMONE CARTER T he GOP presidential primary was al- ready crowded, but a moderate Texas Republican decided to squeeze in anyway. Former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd an- nounced on June 22 that he’ll be gunning for the 2024 Republican presidential nomina- tion. From 2015 to 2021, the conservative represented Texas’ 23rd Congressional Dis- trict, which stretches across the southwest- ern section of the state. Hurd has been an unabashed critic of for- mer President Donald Trump, and he didn’t hold back in the video announcing his latest campaign. The way Hurd tells it, the soul of the nation “is under attack” and our enemies are conspir- ing to sow chaos and jeopardize the American dream. He pointed to rising illegal immigra- tion, inflation, homelessness and crime and said it’s happening under liberals’ watch. “President Biden can’t solve these prob- lems, or won’t,” Hurd said. “And if we nomi- nate a lawless, selfish, failed politician like Donald Trump — who lost the House, the Senate and the White House — we all know Joe Biden will win again. “Republicans deserve better. America de- serves better. It’s common sense,” he contin- ued. To win the White House, Hurd will have to defeat conservative powerhouses like Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, both of whom are popular among the Texas GOP electorate. There’s also former Vice Presi- dent Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, to name a few. “Too many of these candidates in this race are afraid of Donald Trump,” Hurd re- portedly said of his fellow Republican pri- mary contenders. Hurd, a former CIA officer, decided against seeking reelection to Congress in 2019. CNN notes that he was the lower chamber’s only Black Republican at the time, and that he previously served on the House Intelligence Committee. Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, doesn’t think that Hurd will fare particularly well in the GOP primary race — “but he knows that, too.” Many politicians run for the White House even if they know they won’t win be- cause they want to relay a message they think the nation needs to hear, he said. Plus, their name recognition will grow for any fu- ture political campaigns. Hurd’s brand of common-sense, coopera- tive and bipartisan politics is something that the country parted ways with decades ago, Jillson said. Some voters may want to return to that being the national standard, he con- tinued, “but that’s not where we are today.” Joining such a crowded field, Hurd will have to have his wits about him, he added. The Texas Republican will need to come up with a plan that takes him from “zero to plausibility” in a reasonable time period. “Will Hurd is an attractive and accom- plished guy,” Jillson added, “and this is not his moment.” ▼ HOUSING GIVE THEM SHELTER 30 NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES COMING TO DALLAS’ JOPPA. BY JACOB VAUGHN W hen Temeckia Derrough moved to Joppa in 2006, she said the community was like a no man’s land. It might have stayed that way if it weren’t for Dallas Area Habitat for Human- ity, which she said has helped bring life back to the historic freedmen town. On June 20, Dallas County Commission- ers approved $1.6 million in funding for the nonprofit to continue work in Joppa. Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity has been working in the community for more than three de- cades, fixing up the infrastructure and build- ing homes. Derrough’s home in Joppa was built by Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity. The recently approved $1.6 million grant will pay for the construction of a new street and 30 affordable homes at 0% financing. The goal is for these homes to be available for families making 80% of the area median income. This, in theory, will help these fami- lies obtain generational wealth. “For more than 30 years, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity has been Getty Images Dallas teachers’ grade for the Legislature | UNFAIR PARK | >> p6
