The election results are in, and the world has not ended. The sun came up and it also set. Some people are happy, and others are not. Pats on the backs and atta boys have been given to some, while finger-pointing and excuses continue to plague the airwaves. Let’s face it, society is never happy. In Texas, the dust has settled, battle lines have been drawn, and in usual form Texas public education faces challenges. This is not a new thing; we knew this was coming. The 89th legislative session will be a battle for the ages, with pro-vouchers versus public education at the forefront. Yes, Governor Abbott has more votes to help pass his legislation and this also includes private school subsidies.
I have been extremely frustrated with the advocacy efforts for public education in Texas. Just look at the posts on different social media sites and groups; they blame teachers, school staff, parents, and even the kitchen sink (maybe not literally) for the current political situation. Factions upon factions put together their pages and groups. People join and communicate, but these efforts only get us so far. People advocate for block voting, but that, too, only gets us so far. What happens after the elections?
Opinions are being cast that people do not care and that it will never change. This is where I fundamentally disagree. I believe we have to bring out the flashlight, the magnifying class, and our voices to bring the messages to the masses. Not just “Support Public Education,” but also spreading what is actually happening and what exactly politicians are saying, doing, and supporting. We have to begin the real, hard, uncomfortable part of advocacy, which means talking, sharing, and spreading the efforts.
Accountability is about holding people and organizations responsible for their words and deeds. This means having the clout to make politicians talk to you, so you can, in turn, hold them accountable. Membership and numbers matter. Look at the powerful viewership of Joe Rogan and his clout when he endorsed Donald Trump for president. Do you not think people listen when he speaks or that it matters when he interviews someone? Of course, it does. Numbers have power, the ability to affect change, and the capacity to shed light on the corrupt and unjust, holding people accountable for their ideas, words, and ultimately their actions.
Politicians have a power many do not possess: the ability to say what a bill does without citing where it says so in the bill. The general public trusts their elected officials without verifying what they are saying. This is where we must see change. We can join together to block vote and label people friendly and unfriendly, which helps but, again, only goes so far. When people are elected and are making laws, those labels do very little while in session. Continuous accountability comes from reporting and showing actuals, not conjecture.
It’s time to shed light on what is, not what could be. Let’s amass the clout necessary to make politicians really question their votes. We cannot afford to continue the same cycle. We must change, and change quickly we must.
