Issue Position: Public Education
Issue Position
Rep. Eddie Rodriguez is a first-generation college graduate from McAllen, Texas and has attended public schools all his life. After starting out at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, he transferred to the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a B.A. in Government in 1995. He later earned a J.D. from the UT School of Law in 2008.
Rep. Rodriguez is an outspoken advocate for public education and the teachers, faculty and staff who serve our communities. He was a member of the 86th Texas Legislature that made a historic investment in public education through HB 3 - including crucial enhanced funding for bilingual education, schools that serve economically disadvantaged communities and full-day pre-kindergarten (still not as widely available as possible) - and has advanced a series of legislation endorsed by education advocates, experts and community activists.
In regards to public education, Rep. Eddie Rodriguez is best known as one of the state's top champions for "Community Schools" (HB 92 - 86R) having worked together with a broad, bipartisan coalition of advocates and experts to promote the model since 2015 (HB 1891 - 84R). He is also becoming known for advancing visionary legislation inspired by and written with a former legislative aide that would expand social emotional learning in Texas (HB 4454- 86R). In 2013, he worked together with Senator Eddie Lucio and a diverse coalition including Texas Association of School Administrators, Children at Risk, the Texas Association of Dairymen and more to expand eligibility for the National School Breakfast Program, resulting in an additional estimated 700,000 Texas children facing hunger being fed at school (HB 296/SB 376 - 83R). The previous legislative session, they worked together to require schools where 50% or more of the students are eligible to participate in the national free or reduced-price lunch program to provide a summer nutrition program (HB 643/SB 89 - 82R).
Rep. Eddie Rodriguez has also expanded access to dual credit (count toward a college degree and also high school graduation) in Texas. He passed legislation in 2015 that removed the cap on the number of dual credits that high school students can earn in a semester and allowed freshmen and sophomores to take dual credit courses (HB 505 - 84R). Before Rep. Rodriguez passed HB 505, high school juniors and seniors (no freshmen and sophomores) were limited to taking two dual credit courses per semester unless they were enrolled in an early college high school. Rep. Rodriguez fought to eliminate this cap to empower hardworking students to pursue a higher education, if that is the path they choose, regardless of their family's means.
Highlights:
Texas Legislature Passes Historic Public Education Funding (HB 3)
Community Schools Bill (HB 92 - 86R)
Rep. Rodriguez has worked on this bill with a large, bipartisan coalition of education advocates and experts since 2015 when he worked with then-Senator Sylvia Garcia to file the bipartisan HB 1891/SB 1483 (84R). HB 92 was never taken up in the Senate though it had the votes to pass.
Austin Chronicle Bill of the Week (2015)
Statewide Social Emotional Learning Standards (HB 4454 - 86R)
Austin 360/Austin American-Statesman
National School Breakfast Program; Expanding Eligibility (HB 296/SB 376 - 83R)
Austin Chronicle
Removing the Cap on Early College Credits (HB 505 - 84R)
Policy Priorities:
Maintain funding for public education under HB 3, particularly the funding for schools that serve economically disadvantaged communities and full-day pre-K, and continue advocating for increased funding for career & technical education (CTE)
Fight for increased resources for historically underserved communities and for our governments to critically examine the achievement gap, its causes and implications
Pass Community Schools bill, empowering struggling schools to use the community schools model as a part of their campus turnaround plans
Pass Social Emotional Learning (SEL) bill, establishing statewide standards (Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills, or TEKS) for social emotional learning at all grade levels
Explore issues related to inequity in higher education among student body and faculty/staff, affordability for students from disadvantaged backgrounds
Collaborate with teacher unions, colleagues and constituents to fight for active and retired teachers
Oppose harmful effects of large charter school operators' expansion in Central Texas on the region's independent school districts and the communities/families they serve; reform process to protect public schools and communities' ability to make local decisions to meet their local needs
Shore up the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) and continue working with retired teachers to provide them with a cost of living adjustment, protect their pensions and improve their healthcare
Reform the system of high-stakes testing that deskills teachers and encourages teaching to the test
Provide Texans with student debt relief and work to make college more affordable and accessible for all who choose that path
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