Well, good morning, and thank you, Dr. Luna. We're so pleased to be here at Valley View this morning.
Last week, voters across Texas and across the country spoke with great clarity that they are looking for a renewed commitment from their political leaders to address their everyday lives and concerns. For every parent, there is no concern more pressing than the well-being of their children, both now and in the future. And for the vast majority of Texas parents with school-age children, their partner in securing and preparing for their children's well-being is their local public school.
Today, we are gathering to celebrate and elevate a vast chorus of voices here in the Valley and across Texas who have pledged their support for a new investment in our public education system here in Texas that would also help to future-proof our workforce. Since the spring, just shy of 1,300 business leaders, faith leaders, and local elected officials across Texas have signed on to endorse a new state-level public education and workforce endowment.
Here in the Valley, we have 89 endorsers, including 21 local elected officials across seven RGV cities, our value endorsers also include major employers like DHR and Titan Fuel. Owners of small businesses from hair salons, bakeries, and coffee shops to restaurants, attorneys, and consulting practices, pastors, reverends, ministers, lay leaders, and so many more. Endowment endorsers truly represent a cross section of the people who are making the Valley work, practically, economically, and spiritually.
And this is a group that knows that our growing economy here in Texas is still experiencing significant workforce shortages, from the construction industry to healthcare to advanced manufacturing. The list goes on. The returns from this endowment would provide crucial financial support to our public schools' career and technical education, or CTE programs, which help students develop skills, earn those credentials and credit hours, and have real-world, work-based experiences to equip them to contribute to their future communities and support their future families.
The Legislature has devoted significant resources and policy-making energy to our public schools CTE programs in recent years, you can see that here at Valley View High School. But the returns from a new public education and workforce endowment could help to meet two critical and ongoing needs: equipment, materials, and CTE teacher salaries. The equipment needed to help students learn the skills that allow them to step directly into a job, things like commercial welding units or a computerized patient anapen, is almost the most expensive that a school district will buy. It also wears out and needs to be replaced, often every five to seven years. And because of our state's workforce crunch, teachers qualified to teach these courses are becoming increasingly difficult to come by, as school district salaries fall further and further behind what an electrician or a nurse or an auto mechanic is able to make in their field.
The good news is that Texas is in a strong financial position, with a rainy day fund projected to reach 28.5 billion dollars and at least 4.7 billion dollars in general revenue available to start the legislative session. Tax collections this year have exceeded expectations, and a seven and a half billion dollar federal border security reimbursement has been approved. That gives lawmakers a solid starting point, even if they weigh significant demands across state programs.
And the equally good news is that large majorities of Texans want our lawmakers to act. Polling commissions by Raise Your Hand Texas found that 77% of Texas voters polled favor creating a dedicated funding stream to directly target career and technical education programs within Texas public schools. Eighty-six percent agree that we must equip the next generation with high-tech skills and industry certifications that AI can't replace, and 81% agree Texas students should be the primary pipeline for Texas' high-paying trade and technical jobs.
Come January, a whole new set of leaders will preside over our state government. They will have to collaborate with veteran legislators to deliver concrete benefits for Texas kids and families.
A new public education and workforce endowment would be the first new revenue stream for Texas public schools in 20 years, and it would be a meaningful step towards building resiliency in our workforce in a rapidly changing economy. But most importantly, it would be a permanent promise to Texas children that their state is ready to invest in their ability to achieve a modern American Dream.
Editor's Note: The above remarks were delivered by Libby Cohen, Ph.D, executive director of Raise Your Hand Texas. Cohen delivered the remarks at a press conference the group held at Valley View High School in Hidalgo, Texas. The “Dr. Luna” Cohen referenced is Monica Luna, superintendent of Valley View ISD. For more information about the proposed Public Education and Workforce Endowment, click here.
Editor’s Note: The above commentary is the first in a four-part series on Raise Your Hand Texas’ Public Education and Workforce Endowment.
