NEW: Hinojosa Holds Bipartisan Team Texas Public Schools Press Conference in Dallas

Former Republican Superintendent: “Returning Abbott to office is a clear and present danger to our students’ educational futures. I’m begging Texans of all stripes: for the sake of teachers, for the sake of our students, let Gina Hinojosa show us a different way to lead.”

Austin, TX – Today, Democratic nominee for Texas Governor Gina Hinojosa, joined by parents, union leaders, and educators, held a Team Texas Public Schools Press Conference to highlight bipartisan outrage at Greg Abbott’s hypocrisy around education policy. The press conference comes on the heels of the comptroller requesting to double Abbott’s voucher scam, costing taxpayers more than $2 billion and draining public schools.

“Today, I’m proud to stand here with supporters of my agenda, including Republicans who work with me and are supporting me in this run for governor,” Hinojosa said. “When I am governor, I will prioritize our kids in the classroom – not vendor contracts, not some corporation’s profits, not testing company profits – and make sure we have a great teacher in the classroom.”

“Our kids cannot afford another term of politicians, broken promises, and steaming piles of BS,” said former Superintendent John Kuhn. “Greg Abbott is the worst education governor the state of Texas has ever had. For the sake of teachers, for the sake of our students, let Gina Hinojosa show us a different way to lead. She is the one who will keep our promises to Texas kids and improve, not attack, our public education system.”

“I’m a 6th-generation Texan. I’m also a lifelong Republican. I believe in conservative values, which usually means less government control, and it feels like the opposite of what our state has become,” said Ashleigh Johnson, a Grapevine-Colleyville parent. “As we’ve gotten to know Gina and her platform, a lot of us see ourselves in her and what she has fought for and advocated for, so we’re not just voting anti-Greg Abbott,” Johnson added. “We’re voting for Gina, and what she stands for – and what an honor it is to be able to have someone in office that is truly going to advocate for all.”

“Teachers love to teach, but Greg Abbott [has] created such a toxic environment that many educators are giving up and leaving the classroom,” said Linda Estrada, president of the Texas State Teachers Association. “We all know this is an election year because he’s pretending to listen to teachers. Gina knows what public education and educators in Texas need. As governor, Gina will provide more resources for our classrooms, higher pay for teachers and support staff, reduce high-stakes standardized testing, take real steps to improve safety for our school communities, and work to repeal the new private school voucher law.”

Gina Hinojosa joined this fight as a mom when they tried to close her son’s school. From the Austin ISD to the state legislature, she’s spent her career fighting for our neighborhood schools because access to a good education is enshrined in the Texas Constitution and is the foundation of the American Dream. 

Learn more about Team Texas Public Schools HERE.

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