The National Association of Scholars (NAS) is proud to endorse Texas House Bill 4561, which prohibits excused absences in Texas public schools for student political protests. HB 4561, introduced by Representative Steve Toth, was informed by our model Politics Out of Schools Act, drafted by Stanley Kurtz and jointly published by NAS and the Ethics and Public Policy Center. We are very glad that it may become statute in Texas.
The National Review ably summarizes what HB 4561 would do: prohibits school districts from issuing excused absences for purposes of political protest or lobbying; prohibits teacher training that promotes political student walkouts; and penalizes teachers and administrators that permit, or organize political student walkouts. The magazine also explains why Texas lawmakers are giving this bill a hearing: on February 24, the Texas PTA used just such an excused absence to bring hundreds of public-school students to Austin to lobby the legislature. This exercise in “action civics” was an exercise in progressive lobbying—and the students behaved shockingly bad during a speech by Republican Representative Brad Buckley, chairman of the Texas House Public Education Committee, who came to a hostile audience to make the argument for school choice.
Buckley was booed repeatedly and ultimately chased off the stage for defending school choice. Texas PTA President Jennifer Easley, no doubt concerned about alienating the Chairman of the House Education Committee, called for calm and respect as the attacks on Buckley heated up. Yet the audience swiftly rejected Easley’s plea, and Buckley was effectively harried off the stage soon thereafter.
Texas lawmakers have seen firsthand what “action civics” is: one sided political indoctrination at taxpayer expense, students brought to act as props for progressive causes—and habituation to tactics of “activism” that hover far too near to physical intimidation, and certainly are a far cry from the character of bipartisanship, tolerance—or willingness to listen—and courtesy that are essential civic dispositions. Certainly a day students spend catcalling is less educational than a day in their classroom seats, actually learning.
We think Texans certainly will know the great contribution HB 4561 will make toward improving their public education system. We want them to know as well that passage of HB 4561 will have a great positive influence on the other 49 states as well. Texas can become an exemplar for education reform across the nation by passing HB 4561. We hope the legislature passes it, and that Governor Abbott signs it into law.
Photo by Stephen Harlan on Unsplash
