Our Schools Our Democracy
@osodtexas.bsky.social
79 followers 110 following 140 posts
Our Schools Our Democracy is a Texas-based nonpartisan and independent nonprofit dedicated to supporting Texas public schools & making charter schools more transparent & accountable to the public. Join us: bit.ly/OSODsignup Learn more: linktr.ee/osodtexas
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osodtexas.bsky.social
The Comptroller has chosen Odyssey to run TX’s voucher program.

But check receipts (& not just the up to $50m in state funds that we could pay Odyssey just in the next 2 yrs).

Odyssey has an alarming record of mismanagement, delayed payments, & inflated costs in multiple states.

buff.ly/BuV0D4w
The text reads "Given Odyssey’s track record of operational mismanagement and misuse of state funds in much smaller voucher programs, Texans should sound the alarm about the Comptroller’s decision to entrust Odyssey with $1 billion of our taxpayer dollars and the educational outcomes of our children." The text is centered between two oversized red quotation marks. At the top is a red Texas centered between light blue lines. At the bottom is an attribution for the text from Maggie Stern, OSOD's Director of Community Engagement.
Reposted by Our Schools Our Democracy
propublica.org
With our Private School Demographics database, you can look up detailed demographic information about thousands of private schools across the country and compare them to nearby public schools.

Check it out ⤵️
ProPublica Releases New Private School Demographics Lookup
Now you can look up detailed demographic information about thousands of private schools across the country and compare them to nearby public schools.
www.propublica.org
osodtexas.bsky.social
Did you miss our October newsletter? Catch up on our latest news and updates now at bit.ly/OSODNewsletter, and make sure to sign up at our website for our monthly newsletters!

#txed
The background is a half-transparent collage of photos of OSOD testifying and at community events. In the center is text on a cream-colored background that reads "September highlights" next a red apple graphic and then bullet points that read: We testified to the State Board of Education about poor performance among new charter campuses. Ten of the 39 charters approved from 2013 to 2023 have already closed – leading to disruption and instability for thousands of Texas families.  
We called for public transparency at the recent hearing on proposed rules for the voucher program.
We partnered with Northside ISD, Northside AFT, and San Antonio Councilman Ric Galvan for a public education forum to share the good work happening in Northside’s public schools.

At the bottom is red text that reads Learn more: bit.ly/OSODNewsletter.
osodtexas.bsky.social
🗣️ “Texans should know how our taxpayer dollars are being spent, especially as the $1b budget for year one of this program is likely to increase in the future,” said Maggie Stern, director of community engagement for the public education advocacy group Our Schools Our Democracy.
osodtexas.bsky.social
TX should report annual spending to prevent alarming costs like:
🧱 $1m on Legos (AZ)
🧗 $350k for ninja warrior training, trampoline parks, & climbing gyms (AZ)
🎢 State funds spent on Disney & Sea World passes (FL)

Check out @sosarizona.org and @strongflschools.bsky.social for more examples!
osodtexas.bsky.social
Today the Comptroller heard public comments on proposed rules for the new voucher program.

Alongside other public school advocates, OSOD raised concerns about public transparency into this $1,000,000,000+ program.

Read our full comments at osod.org/osod-comment...

#txed
OSOD Comments on Proposed Voucher Rules - Our Schools Our Democracy
Comments by Our Schools Our Democracy at the September 30, 2025 Comptroller hearing on proposed ESA/voucher rules. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed rules regarding the ESA…
osod.org
osodtexas.bsky.social
In June, the Commissioner named TEA’s filter for recommending new charters: “Is this gonna be an A- or a B-campus when it runs? It’s got to be good. Period.”

See the track record among newer campuses approved by the Commissioner: osod.org/osod-testifi...
A chart of charters approved by TEA Commissioner/SBOE between 2013-2023. The header summarizes that "newer charter schools earned 35 Fs and 16 Ds out of 87 A-F academic accountability ratings (59% Ds and Fs). More than half of these charter schools were rated D or F in 2025 alone." The chart shows 10 of the 39 charters highlighted in yellow, meaning that they are already closed.
osodtexas.bsky.social
This week, Our Schools Our Democracy testified to the State Board of Education on alarming trends among newer Texas charter campuses: underperformance, under-enrollment, and high rates of closure.

#txed
Reposted by Our Schools Our Democracy
Reposted by Our Schools Our Democracy
network4pubed.bsky.social
📣NPE’s National Center for Charter School Accountability (NCCSA), provides research & recommendations on increasing transparency & accountability for charter schools. Find it here on our website networkforpubliceduc...
osodtexas.bsky.social
Want more alerts like this one? Sign up for our newsletter at bit.ly/OSODsignup!
osodtexas.bsky.social
🚨 Action Alert! A Congressional House Subcommittee is meeting TODAY to consider the Trump admin's proposed $12 billion cuts to public schools, including Title I and IDEA funds. Email now to demand no cuts for students and full funding for our schools: buff.ly/XrmVNoc @npeaction.bsky.social
The header reads "Action Alert" to the right of a megaphone icon. The text reads "The Trump administration is pushing a budget for 2026 that cuts $12 billion from public schools and funnels more money to the federal charter school program. Raise your voice for our students today as a Congressional House Subcommittee meets to discuss the budget.
osodtexas.bsky.social
🚨 Action Alert! A Congressional House Subcommittee is meeting TODAY to consider the Trump admin's proposed $12 billion cuts to public schools, including Title I and IDEA funds. Email now to demand no cuts for students and full funding for our schools: buff.ly/XrmVNoc @npeaction.bsky.social
The header reads "Action Alert" to the right of a megaphone icon. The text reads "The Trump administration is pushing a budget for 2026 that cuts $12 billion from public schools and funnels more money to the federal charter school program. Raise your voice for our students today as a Congressional House Subcommittee meets to discuss the budget.
osodtexas.bsky.social
🔎 Find out how much funding your district could lose under proposed federal budget cuts at edlawcenter.org/research/tru...

🗣️ Then call your Members of Congress and tell them to stop the cuts and fund our schools!
A graphic entitled Reclaim the Schools. Stop the Cuts. It describes how the federal government is trying to cut $12 billion from public education and lists all the programs that could be cut, including six special education grants, teacher recruitment and training, and community schools. The background colors are bright pink and orange with text in cream colored boxes.
osodtexas.bsky.social
Congress can protect our students and stop proposed budget cuts to public education. Tell your Members of Congress: Let our kids learn! No cuts to public schools!

bit.ly/loveschools
The graphic is a set of red boxes showing the amount of money that the Trump Administration is proposing to cut from a series of programs. The list of programs: programs that support English Language Learners ($890 million cut), teacher recruitment training ($220 million cut), college access and preparation ($1.6 billion), community schools ($150 million), migrant education ($428 million), and civil rights enforcement ($49 million).
osodtexas.bsky.social
💪 Strong schools = strong communities 💪

But the proposed federal budget cuts $12b from public school programs like afterschool & summer programs, arts & technology classes, emergency preparedness, and more.

Find out how much your district could lose: edlawcenter.org/research/tru...
A graphic showing how much funding Texas would lose under the proposed federal K12 budget cuts in 2026. Texas will lose $1,763,695,078 in federal funding, which is the equivalent of 1,184 first year teachers, 176,110 Chromebooks, and 26,603 afterschool slots. This information is provided by the Education Law Center and the Education Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative. Using the link in the post, community members can find out how much their district or state will lose under these proposed cuts.
osodtexas.bsky.social
Another #CharterSchoolReckoning for @network4pubed.bsky.social's records - and at least the FIFTH charter closing in Texas just this year.
expressnews.com
Bexar County Academy, a decades-old charter school on San Antonio’s Northwest Side, has announced it is closing its doors just days before classes were slated to begin. bit.ly/47moXPt
Reposted by Our Schools Our Democracy
network4pubed.bsky.social
In 2023–24, 903 charter schools served fewer than 100 students, and 52 had zero.
That's not demand. That’s decline.

Read our new #CharterSchoolReckoning to learn more networkforpubliceduc...
osodtexas.bsky.social
🔎 Increasing charter school accountability and oversight
🛡️ Protecting Texas public schools from privatization
⚖️ Ending different rules for charter schools

Read our full legislative & SBOE recap at bit.ly/OSODRecapReport
A list of major accomplishments categorized by increasing charter school accountability and oversight, protecting Texas public schools from privatization, and ending different rules for charter schools. The background is a light blue rectangle with rounded edges, with a red shadow.
Reposted by Our Schools Our Democracy
osodtexas.bsky.social
Happening tomorrow ⬇️
osodtexas.bsky.social
Have you signed up for our upcoming recap webinar yet? Join us on Tuesday July 29th to learn more about changes to Texas charter schools after the 89th Legislative Session and the latest charter school application cycle! Sign up at bit.ly/OSODrecap.

#txed #txlege
The background is a faded photo of the Texas Capitol looking up at the dome from the ground. At the right of the photo is a bright red box with white text reading: "Join Our Schools Our Democracy for a webinar on Tuesday, July 29th at 6p to learn about: our landmark report on 30 years of failed charter policy, our advocacy to increase charter accountability during the 89th legislative session, our organizing against school privatization during the charter application cycle." At the bottom of the red box is a dark purple oval with white text with the event registration link: bit.ly/OSODrecap. At the bottom of the page is a dark purple rectangle stretching across the bottom of the photo with the OSOD logo, webpage, and social handles in white.
Reposted by Our Schools Our Democracy
network4pubed.bsky.social
Our new report #CharterSchoolReckoning documents the 50 schools that shut down or
announced imminent closures during the first half of 2025, nearly half had received
a combined total of $102 million in CSP funds for start-up or expansion. Learn more here networkforpubliceduc...
osodtexas.bsky.social
Happening tomorrow ⬇️
osodtexas.bsky.social
Have you signed up for our upcoming recap webinar yet? Join us on Tuesday July 29th to learn more about changes to Texas charter schools after the 89th Legislative Session and the latest charter school application cycle! Sign up at bit.ly/OSODrecap.

#txed #txlege
The background is a faded photo of the Texas Capitol looking up at the dome from the ground. At the right of the photo is a bright red box with white text reading: "Join Our Schools Our Democracy for a webinar on Tuesday, July 29th at 6p to learn about: our landmark report on 30 years of failed charter policy, our advocacy to increase charter accountability during the 89th legislative session, our organizing against school privatization during the charter application cycle." At the bottom of the red box is a dark purple oval with white text with the event registration link: bit.ly/OSODrecap. At the bottom of the page is a dark purple rectangle stretching across the bottom of the photo with the OSOD logo, webpage, and social handles in white.
Reposted by Our Schools Our Democracy
osodtexas.bsky.social
Have you signed up for our upcoming recap webinar yet? Join us on Tuesday July 29th to learn more about changes to Texas charter schools after the 89th Legislative Session and the latest charter school application cycle! Sign up at bit.ly/OSODrecap.

#txed #txlege
The background is a faded photo of the Texas Capitol looking up at the dome from the ground. At the right of the photo is a bright red box with white text reading: "Join Our Schools Our Democracy for a webinar on Tuesday, July 29th at 6p to learn about: our landmark report on 30 years of failed charter policy, our advocacy to increase charter accountability during the 89th legislative session, our organizing against school privatization during the charter application cycle." At the bottom of the red box is a dark purple oval with white text with the event registration link: bit.ly/OSODrecap. At the bottom of the page is a dark purple rectangle stretching across the bottom of the photo with the OSOD logo, webpage, and social handles in white.