When it comes to education Governor Abbott puts politics first!
This week our Governor Greg Abbott was on one of his political events and announced that he would pass a “Parental Bill of Rights.” Yet, these rights are already something that all of our parents have in place for their children in Texas. Governor Abbott printed these rights, making us think that this is extraordinary event would give Texas Parents more rights. The bottom line is that Parents already have these rights, so the idea he presented is just another political scheme to gain numbers at the polls. The idea that he is not trying to find ways to help our teachers and schools is awful. Parents, we need a Governor that will find a way to help our teachers, staff, and schools during this crisis by finding new resources. If we helped pass so many mental health bills that help our children, then at some point, our teachers and staff need access to these same mental health benefits. This week, we have seen many teachers across Texas quit due to being overwhelmed with stress. I believe that all educators should have a safe place to vent their concerns to help them deal with all this stress; it could help save some teachers from quitting their jobs. As our schools are scrambling to find substitute teachers, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers, it seems that some schools want to call in the National Guard to help fill these jobs. When we have to call upon our National Guard, it’s because the nation is in a massive crisis. So, instead of our Governor printing leaflets, he should sit down with our schools to hear all their concerns and help them find a way to fix all these different issues. Then he needs to stand up and support our schools regarding safety protocols during this pandemic. Because as the number of positive cases rises, it is sad that our teachers and school staff have to fight to receive the KN95 masks they need to protect themselves and others around them.
Then once again, he is pushing for school vouchers which will not help our public schools or the minorities that attend these schools. If Governor Abbott wants to win this election, he must address the fact our Texas Educational System is on the brink of foreclosure. First, we must make him understand that we, too, have the parental right to call upon him to help our children in school. Then we must remind him that our National Guard has already been called upon to help protect our Texas borders. Just as our teachers are overwhelmed with stress, so too our National Guard, as many aren’t getting paid nor receiving all the supplies they need. So, the big question now is when Governor Abbott will make the time to develop a plan to help our schools. As we enter this election year, we need to remember that we need a governor who will give us the tools to help our educational system today and not tomorrow.
Lastly, please follow all the safety protocols to help stop this pandemic. Also, know that the U.S. Government is giving each household four free COVID testing kits per month, and the information to order these is below.
COVIDtests.gov – Free at-home COVID-19 tests
If anyone has any questions or concerns, please contact me at lena.lopez@saobserver.com Have a Blessed Week, Lena Lopez.
