Latham provides a voice for educators across Texas

Gatesville High School educator Bonnie Latham is currently in her 16^th year of teaching. She teaches Honors World History and OnRamps U.S. History, which is a college level course through the University of Texas, Austin.

Latham recently made a trip to the Capitol in Austin on Thursday, Oct. 12, to listen to the debates regarding Senate Bill 1.

Senate Bill 1, authored by Senator Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, would create education savings accounts, a voucher-like program that would allow families access to $8,000 of taxpayer money to pay for private schools and other educational expenses such as uniforms, textbooks, tutoring, or transportation among other things.

During this year’s convocation at Gatesville Independent School District, Amy Dodson with Raise Your Hand Texas, spoke about vouchers and how they could be a problem for public schools.

“I was moved by what she had to say, and when she shared her contact information and told us to reach out if we wanted to know more, that’s exactly what I did,” Latham said. “The two of us met in September where she explained more to me about how vouchers could negatively impact public schools, especially rural public schools, and I wanted to know how I could help.”

After discussions between the two, it was decided that Latham would represent her fellow educators at the Capital.

“When Amy offered to host me at the capital and get me in front of my state legislators, I was not only honored but very excited,” Latham said. “Dr. Pollard and Mrs. Shoaf were incredibly supportive when I reached out and asked if I could go.”

Latham’s goal for visiting the Capitol was to speak with her legislators and to provide a voice for public educators that goes against the current narrative of being punished by Governor Abbott.

“Personally, I am a Republican, but how he has painted public education this past year has been incredibly disappointing,” Latham said. “There are not litter boxes in our schools. I am not pushing a woke agenda on my students or trying to groom them in any way, and we are not pushing pornographic material into the hands of our students from the library.”

“Every day, thousands of public-school teachers get up and go to work in a profession that is highly underpaid, undervalued, and yet one of the most demanding fields you can be in,” Latham said. “This career is a calling, and I thank God for that calling, but there’s also a reason why educators are leaving the field in droves: We are sick of being treated like this by our state.”

Latham expressed how educators are being sabotaged through state testing standards, lack of funding, and continued mandates placing even more demand on already nonexistent resources.

“It’s to paint the picture that we’re failing, but it’s the state of Texas that’s failing us,” Latham said. “We would like to see change as well and advocate for it often, but it falls on deaf ears because, of course, it would require properly funding public schools which is something Abbott clearly doesn’t want to hear or do.”

As the debates took up most of the day, Latham sat through them and absorbed everything she could. “There were senators really putting pressure on Brandon Creighton, the Senator who created the bill,” Latham said. “I learned that the 13 who voted against it knew that it was a losing battle, but they wanted to get Creighton on record owning up to the bill’s shortcomings.”

After the debates concluded, Latham was able to speak with Shelby Slawson’s Legislative Director, Jackson Woomer.

“I believe he was genuinely shocked when I told him some of the financial statistics of teacher pay despite how professionally trained, we are,” Latham said. “We are the 10^th largest economy in the world, and yet we rank in the 40’s in educational spending.”

She had a discussion with Woomer regarding rural districts, like the ones Slawson represents, and she pleaded her case as to why schools sincerely need Slawson’s support and the support of the House.

“Think of the amount of activities that take place at the schools that bring our community together, so I don’t like the idea of anything threatening public education and the culture it creates in towns, especially here in Texas,” Latham said.

Latham was also able to speak with Senator Pete Flores’s Senior Policy Analyst, Cassidy Driskell. The two spoke in the gallery outside the Senate Chambers as Senator Flores was in the session. “She gave me a lot of her time and was incredibly generous,” Latham said. “The Senator’s mind was already made up to vote for the bill, and we had to agree to disagree on several things, but overall, it was a productive conversation.”

“If you believe the current negative narrative about public schools, then I invite you to come visit one, talk with your local teachers and get involved to better understand how we operate,” Latham said. “Gatesville ISD is full of great educators that I’m blessed and honored to call colleagues and friends,” Latham said. “Public schools are the heartbeat of every small town in Texas.”