What Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa have to say about the importance of learning in the Texas governor's culture.

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The result of Texas ‘ gubernatorial election will determine who oversees the roughly 5.5 million children’s public education system, as well as the future of testing and school district acquisitions.

Republican Governor Governor Abbott and his Democratic opponent, state representative Gina Hinojosa, have divergent viewpoints on how position rulers should regulate public education. Their prior interests as government and state legislator, between, reflect these differences in their prior priorities for education. In addition, they appear in the candidates ‘ recent election campaigns for Texas ‘ highest office’s educational agendas.

The government appoints the state table for Educator Certification people, the head of the state board for learning, and the education commissioner. The state’s major leader has the authority to quickly pass legislation and approve or reject bills affecting students at Texas ‘ colleges and universities and common university campuses.

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In November, Texasians may choose Abbott or Hinojosa for whom they put more faith in handling that role. In the interim, here’s what you should know about each president’s educational objectives.

Abbott’s objectives

Abbott wants to impose harsher criminal sanctions on teachers who have been found guilty of abusing kids. The former wants those instructors to serve a minimum of 10 years in prison without the possibility of receiving a pardon. According to express information, Texas has received more than 1,800 complaints of improper contacts or connections between teachers and students in the last year.

Devices that can’t be used: Abbott has pushed for more display time limitations. The government vowed to focus on books, writing, and “direct professor training” at a strategy stop earlier this month.

The idea comes after Texas and other towns nationwide used federal pandemic relief funds to invest in technology. The move did follow the legislation passed last year that prohibits mobile phones in schools. The mobile phone ban, according to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, was credited with boosting teenagers ‘ academic performance on state tests.

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Financial responsibilities: Abbott wants to pass a new law that may reduce the amount of money that university districts spend on operational costs and cut “unnecessary” state requirements that consume the moment of school employees.

The state’s chief financial officer would review the spending behavior of the districts whose students struggle the most academically, while his plan would require that school districts lead at least 70 % of their money to school education.

Texas’s schooling law already imposes limitations on how schools can use money that have been approved by the government. Additionally, the Texas Education Agency regularly reviews towns ‘ finances annually.

Abbott predicted budget cuts for training authorities, which he anticipated. The training agency’s recent state inspection revealed that it employs too many professionals.

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Abbott supports requiring four-year Texas institutions to provide financial discounts to students taking summer lessons. Lower university tuition costs Students who enroll in up to five credit hours during the summer would receive$ 500 off of their tuition and fees, according to his proposal, or$ 1, 000 off of those who enroll for six or more. The idea would require congressional acceptance.

Some higher education institutions, including the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Dallas, now offer discounts on summer fee.

The government also gave the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board the task of developing pathways for learners to make bachelor’s degrees in three years. He claimed that the move would lower the cost of higher learning, shorten the time it takes to complete a degree, and speed up the state’s ability to meet workforce requirements.

Hinojosa’s interests

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A new director was appointed by The Austin Democrat, who vowed to appoint a job trainer in his place and fire Morath on her first time in office.

Morath has been the Texas Education Agency’s director for ten years, having formerly served as a trustee for Dallas schools. His only practical knowledge comes from his part-time tutoring advanced computer science.

According to Hinojosa’s webpage,” the organization that oversees our children’s schooling may become led by someone who has taught them.”

Eliminating high-stakes testing: Hinojosa wants to end the “tests like it” and State of Texas assessments of intellectual readiness, arguing that state lawmakers had reevaluate the A–F responsibilities system, which is largely influenced by children’s STAAR performance.

Existing law mandates the training commissioner to near the campus or appoint the whole district’s directly elected leadership if a school receives five subsequent F ratings.

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Legislators approved a plan to step out the Test check in favor of three shorter exams starting in the 2027–28 academic year during the 2025 legislative session. The education company will continue to play a significant role in developing the assessment, which will also be taken into account when determining districts ‘ accountability ratings.

Ending state coups: The former director of Austin schools said she intends to end Texas ‘ ongoing process of removing regions ‘ elected school board users and superintendents during takeovers.

During his day as director, Morath has taken control of seven towns for violating academic standards, including those in Houston, Fort Worth, and Beaumont. Hinojosa formerly served as president of the school board at Austin ISD, and two of its schools have been the subject of a string of failing responsibilities grades.

Eliminating vouchers: This year marks the first time that Abbott has made a major concern for Texas for households to use taxpayer funds to pay for their children’s personal or home-school training. Honojosa wants to end the education savings accounts, which she has long criticized as a handout to wealthy families whose children now attend private schools.

According to the comptroller’s office, light families account for the largest portion of participants thus considerably, as do those who are classified as low-income, according to a report released earlier this month. New data indicates that 70 % of people who have joined or have pending invitations to the program fall under that category, although the report did not specify how many students had previously attended private schools or received homeschooling.

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Cutting relations with vendors: According to Hinojosa, the state spends too much on assisting education programs and services. She suggested that instead of using that money to raise teacher pay, Texas teachers should be among the highest paid in the country.

Last year, Texas’s lawmakers approved a practically$ 8.5 billion funding deal for schools, the majority of which was dedicated to improving teacher pay. The largest workers union in the country, the National Education Association, ranks Texas 33rd in terms of average teacher pay.

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Aug 27, 2026Hill Country Post

What Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa have to say about the importance of learning in the Texas governor’s culture.

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