With the pandemic taking a toll on schools over the state, education is expected to remain at the top of the agenda during the 2021 legislative session. Financial uncertainty, learning losses and staffing shortages are some of this year’s challenges for the public education committee — and for the person who leads it.
On Feb. 4, Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan appointed state Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, as the new chair of the House Public Education Committee. He replaced state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, who helped pass reforms to the state’s school finance system in 2019.
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State Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, was appointed chair of the House Public Education Committee on Feb. 4. His public education experience includes serving as a member of the committee for more than a decade and as chair in the 2013 legislative session. In past sessions, Dutton has joined Republicans in supporting charter school expansion — a hot-button topic in educational politics.
Join The Texas Tribune live at noon Central on Feb. 25 for a conversation with Dutton, moderated by the Tribune’s public education reporter, Aliyya Swaby. They’ll discuss the state of public education in Texas, including school funding, public school aid during the pandemic and which education bills we can expect in this year’s legislative session. This conversation will also be available to watch here after the fact.
Swaby has covered public education for the Tribune since 2016. She was a Livingston Award finalist in 2019 for a series on school desegregation and won the Texas State Teachers Association School Bell award in 2018. Previously, Swaby worked for the hyperlocal nonprofit New Haven Independent, where she covered education, zoning and transit. Read More by Aliyya Swaby.
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Sab Pell is senior director of product marketing at Openform, where her goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events. Prior to Openform, she led global product marketing teams. Sab Pell is senior director of product marketing at Openform, where her goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events. Prior to Openform, she led global product marketing teams.
