Mineral Wells Area News

Letter to the Editor

Voters in Parker, Palo Pinto, and Stephens counties know that Representative Glenn Rogers is the most conservative advocate for local public schools in the Texas House. His support for our public schools and the children that attend them, their parents, and the educators called to serve in our schools is unwavering. I know that my fellow citizens support our schools, too. There can be no more apparent contrast between Representative Rogers and his opponent than support for public education.  

His opponent, Mike Olcott, and a couple of billionaires and the voucher lobby that are bankrolling him are seeking to create an entitlement program that will divert our tax dollars and state resources away from our local schools. If voucher entitlement passes, the school children who remain in our public schools will be the ones who suffer the consequences. Public school programs, including the extra-curriculars, the arts, and sports, including Friday Night Lights, could be cut. The only ones who benefit are wealthy individuals already in the private school system and the profiteers or “vendors” who will get hundreds of millions of dollars administering voucher programs.

Trying to smear Rogers’ name, the voucher lobby has lied to District 60 about “Teacher Unions.” Here is the truth: Texas is a right-to-work state and doesn’t have teacher unions. There are groups like retired teacher associations, but they are nothing like a union. Mike Olcott and the people behind him either know this and are lying to us or utterly ignorant of Texas labor laws. Last campaign, .6 percent of Representative Rogers’ campaign contributions came from educator associations; he does not work for them. Glenn has proven that he works for students and parents of our district. His opponent, Mike Olcott, will be beholden to Tim Dunn, Farris Wilks, PACs, and dark money organizations funded by those who instruct him to pass legislation of their choosing. Those same groups will spend millions in an attempt to defeat Rogers. 

It simply isn’t conservative to support any program that sends our tax dollars to any entity, organization, or person and not hold them accountable for the use of those funds. That is exactly what Mike Olcott plans to do.

Throughout my wife’s teaching career, she has served in both rural and large school districts, worked in small-town schools in Palo Pinto County and the 2nd largest district in Parker County, and sees firsthand how the proposed voucher system will decimate our education system, especially those children with special services and needs.

School vouchers would be a seismic change in policy that would defund public schools, shift tax dollars to private schools, and, research suggests, assist wealthy families. Funneling funds to private schools via various school choice voucher programs is wrought with moral and logistical pitfalls.Our public schools are inequitable and underfunded as they are. Subsidizing private schools would exacerbate these inequities. Texas ranks 44th in spending and 39th in funding. So much for everything being BIGGER & BETTER in TEXAS. Why not invest in better, more appropriate funding for public education?

 I urge you to join me, my wife, and our family to vote for Glenn Rogers on March 5.

Alan Alison

Strawn, Tx