Austin News

In the Center for Education Reform's 2024 Parent Power Index, Texas secured the twenty-eight position, with an Overall Parent Power Index Score of 67.4%.

The index, designed to assess the degree of parental power in each state, highlights key indicators such as Choice Programs, Charter Schools and Innovation. 

Texas scored a 50% in Choice Programs, which represents families' ability to access and choose programs that best fit their needs. 

The state's Charter Schools system, which is based on the availability of alternative educational options for students and families, scored an 82%.

In the final category of Innovation, scored on the state's dedication to fostering creative and personalized learning environments, Texas earned a 75%.

While Florida claims the top spot with a 93% overall score, states like Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina follow closely behind in the top rankings, emphasizing a national trend towards prioritizing parental involvement in education.

Kansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota round out the bottom of the list along with six other states that received a grade of ‘F’.

The Parent Power Index serves as a valuable resource for families across the country, offering insights into state-level educational policies and opportunities. 

Through the index's interactive map, parents can explore the status of parental empowerment in their state and discover avenues to advocate for greater involvement and choice in education.

"An above average charter school law provides the only publicly supported opportunities students have outside of traditional schools. And parents in many districts have access to innovative programs that prepare them for college and career. But deep in the heart of Texas, millions of students are without an education that will make them successful. Attempts in late 2023 to at least 250,000 of the most underserved students with a better education failed, but hope for success - and a better PPI score - looms large in the Lonestar state," the Parent Power Index notes.

"Governor Gregg Abbott’s promise to deliver education options to parents in 2023 was a long, hard fought battle that ended in defeat, despite calling numerous special sessions and threatening vetoes over other legislation. His tenacity, however, gave parent advocates confidence, and he plans to continue to fight throughout the remainder of his tenure, including challenging members of his same party who failed to vote to give disadvantaged students the chance to go to better schools," Parent Power Index said in its assessment of the state’s “Policy Environment.”