The Friends of Texas Public Schools Mission and Vision

The Friends Mission

“To educate Texans about the strengths and achievements of Texas public schools.”

Vision

We at Friends of Texas Public Schools believe the people of Texas have a right to know that, in spite of the many challenges they face, our public schools are achieving more today than ever in their history. The popular myth of widespread failure in our Texas public schools is just that – a myth. We believe that much can be accomplished when people believe in - and talk about - the immense promise and possibility that exists within the classroom. We proudly embrace our schools as they strive to reach higher standards. Optimism breeds success; and children and teachers thrive in environments that are full of hope and encouragement. Our goal is to raise morale and bring a sense of optimism back to Texas public schools. We will draw attention to the many untold success stories and zero in on the accomplishments of our outstanding students, teachers, and administrators. By doing so we hope to restore pride in our schools and pride in the teaching profession so that more people will consider teaching as a career and so that teachers who choose to teach will choose to remain in the profession. We also believe that more parents and communities will get involved when they feel good about their public schools. And, in the end, we hope that our positive voice will inspire schools to continue to achieve and continue to improve.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of Friends of Texas Public Schools?
The purpose is to bring more good news to light. Our public schools do a remarkable job of educating Texas children. Sadly, "fixing" public schools is a favorite platform, and more often than not it's the need to improve, not the reasons to celebrate, that politicians, policy makers, and papers choose to talk about. The negative nature of news leaves out millions of success stories. We aim to share a few of them, and turn the slant in a positive direction.

What will friends of Texas Public Schools do?
Friends will launch a sustained statewide public relations campaign on behalf of Texas public schools. Friends will build bipartisan support by recruiting representatives and supporters from all walks of the business community, as well as from individuals, celebrities, politicians and educators.

Is this an effort to defeat vouchers?
No. You might be thinking of an unrelated organization called the Coalition for Public Schools.

Who is behind this organization?
We know it is hard to believe, but no one in particular. There are no teacher or educator associations driving this grassroots campaign. While there are many educators and educational organizations supportive of Friends of Texas Public Schools, the organization’s leadership is composed solely of private sector professionals. The Commissioner of Education is the sole exception, and her role is simply to facilitate access to raw data.

This grassroots campaign was started by a couple of Texans who were fed up with the incessant attacks on the character of our educators and decided to roll up their sleeves and do something about it.

What are the hidden agendas?
There are none.

How can I get involved?
We hope you'll sign on as a Friend of Texas Public Schools, review the hard facts about Texas public schools, and share the good news! As a 501c(3) organization, Friends of Texas Public Schools relies solely on tax-deductible contributions from individuals and businesses. Friends also hosts periodic fund-raising efforts. Friends will not accept funds from any special-interest groups and will not engage in lobbying or political action. Click here to learn more about getting involved.