𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘀
Dear Texas Republicans,
We need to talk as we head into convention next week. Education in Texas — from PreK through higher education — has been largely abdicated to the left. While Republican majorities have controlled the Legislature and Governor’s office for decades, the day-to-day reality in our classrooms, curricula, libraries, and campuses reflects leftist priorities: identity politics, explicit materials, and ideological capture rather than reading, writing, math, and American values.
This abdication comes with massive financial control. Education consumes a dominant share of the Texas budget — 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗜𝗜𝗜 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 $𝟭𝟯𝟰.𝟲 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲–𝟮𝟳 𝗯𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘂𝗺, effectively putting more than half of the state’s discretionary priorities under the influence of systems shaped by entrenched left-leaning interests in the education bureaucracy.
Hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars flow every year to vendors, contractors, curriculum providers, and education lobby groups. Far too often, these beneficiaries turn around and funnel money into left-leaning initiatives, teachers’ unions, and political causes that actively oppose Republican priorities on parental rights, curriculum transparency, and school safety. The education-industrial complex has effectively weaponized public education dollars against conservative values — growing bureaucracy and funding ideological programs while academic results suffer.
Under Commissioner Mike Morath’s tenure, state spending on public education has risen dramatically. As this graph clearly shows, per-pupil spending in Texas grew 48% since 2013 to approximately $12,300, far outpacing inflation. Yet the results have been devastating: 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝟴𝘁𝗵-𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗡𝗔𝗘𝗣 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟰𝘁𝗵-𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲 — 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗯. There has been nothing positive to show for the last ten-plus years under Commissioner Morath’s leadership. While education trends across the U.S. have seen similar challenges, it is widely known that Texas and California drive much of the nation’s education industry, textbooks, curriculum trends, and policy direction. Texas cannot afford to follow national decline — we must lead with conservative excellence.
Even under Commissioner Mike Morath’s leadership at the Texas Education Agency, we’ve seen DEI initiatives persist in various forms, while reports of educator misconduct have exploded. TEA data shows sexual misconduct investigations and “inappropriate relationship” cases surging dramatically. Parents are right to demand predators be removed from schools, not managed through ineffective oversight.
𝗧𝗘𝗔 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀. In Houston ISD, despite state intervention, an advocate named Bonnie Wallace was removed by police from a board meeting in March 2026 simply for reading aloud explicit passages from A Court of Silver Flames — a book still available in district libraries. If the content is too graphic for a public board meeting, it certainly does not belong in school libraries accessible to children.
In Fort Worth ISD — which was also placed under TEA control and leadership transition — we recently witnessed the district appoint (then reassign amid backlash) a principal whose social media history included strong support for movements and views many Texas parents see as hard-left.
These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a system where leftist ideology fills the vacuum left by conservative neglect of the classroom.
Texas children deserve a conservative TEA Commissioner who prioritizes core academics, parental rights, safety, and results over bureaucratic expansion and ineffective oversight.
𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘀: 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 “𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺” 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. This means aggressive action on removing explicit materials, enforcing transparency in curricula and libraries, prioritizing core academics over ideology, cracking down on educator misconduct with real consequences, restoring parental rights, and ensuring strong conservative leadership at every level of education governance.
Over time, as Republicans reclaim control of the classroom and reduce the flow of public dollars into left-aligned networks, it will become far easier to advance Republican values across Texas — from border security and tax relief to life and liberty. Texas cannot remain a reliably Red state if we lose the next generation in our own schools.
Parents are watching. Voters are watching. The future of our state — our culture, our economy, and our freedoms — depends on bold leadership now. The moment demands bold leadership. Let’s walk out of this convention united, fired up, and relentlessly committed to securing the future of Texas — our children.
Sincerely,
Mary Bone, PhD
Parent, Education Advocate, and Former Round Rock ISD Trustee
@RachelHaleforTX @voteRachal @Bentley4Texas @cslape @denisebellhoutx @M4LHarris @TrueTexasTea @TexasGOP @TxValuesAction @MQSullivan @GAWTP @RealBPhil @HicklandHillary @brianeharrison @BrendaHowardMus @TexasEd911 @Julie4TX @BrandonHallTX