Voters surveyed list public education as state's No. 1 priority
February 13, 2007
A recent poll, commissioned by the Texas State Teachers Association and conducted late last month, showed that 33 percent of the 802 active voters surveyed listed public education as the state's top priority.
Written by Beth Gallaspy, Beaumont Enterprise
BEAUMONT - The president of the Beaumont Teachers Association hailed a recent state poll as evidence that voters support public education and want the Texas Legislature to do more to support it, too.
"They're not hearing the parents. They're not hearing even the children saying, 'We are your top priority,'" said Rhonda Schell, who leads the organization of almost 800 Beaumont educators.
The poll, commissioned by the Texas State Teachers Association and conducted late last month, showed that 33 percent of the 802 active voters surveyed listed public education as the state's top priority. Education outstripped health care (top choice of 23 percent), illegal immigration (top choice of 22 percent) and cutting property taxes (top choice of 10 percent).
The poll also found that 81 percent of those surveyed believe the Legislature did not sufficiently address the public school financing issue in last year's special session. Among those surveyed, 84 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of Republicans said the Legislature still has more work to do on school funding.
Schell said the public support for public education shown by the survey "proves what people have been telling me for years. Texans do care about education."
The association is akin to a union for public school teachers in Beaumont. Schell, a teacher at Martin Elementary, also serves as the state's director for the National Education Association.
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