WHEREAS, the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) provided guidance to Texas school boards encouraging harmful gender ideology in schools1 ; and
WHEREAS, Plank 106 of the 2022 Republican Party of Texas Platform reads:
106. Inappropriate and/or Harmful Content: We support passage of a law more comprehensive than the Florida law that prohibits instruction in sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. We advocate for those who violate any of the above to have their educator’s certification revoked and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law where appropriate; and
WHEREAS, TASB guidance would allow educators to withhold information about children from their parents, a recommendation which is specifically opposed by the Republican Party of Texas Platform in Plank 109:
109. Education Transparency: We support requiring Texas public schools to be fully transparent with parents regarding everything to which their child is or will be exposed, without exception; and
WHEREAS, TASB guidance encourages districts to adopt policies that would allow males to enter female spaces, such as restrooms and locker rooms; and
WHEREAS, TASB guidance encourages districts to adopt policies that would allow males to join female sports teams, a recommendation which is specifically opposed by the Republican Party of Texas Platform in Plank 125:
125. Gender Identity in Schools: We hold that biological men shall compete only against other biological men and biological women shall compete only against other biological women in athletics in the public school system of Texas and at the collegiate level; and
WHEREAS, TASB receives taxpayer funds from school districts and lobbies in Austin against the wishes of taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, Plank 123 of the 2022 Republican Party of Texas Platform states:
123. Withdraw from Taxpayer-Funded Lobby Groups Like TASB: Local independent school districts should sever all ties with taxpayer funded lobby groups including the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), and the Texas Association of Community Schools (TACS). Required training now provided by groups like the above-named organizations would instead be under the auspices of the State Board of Education, with funds appropriated for that purpose; and
WHEREAS, the following bills are representative of the intent of the SREC:
- HB 2501 authored by Representative Richard Hayes, which prohibits associations that adopt critical race theory principles as part of their mission statements or organizing principles from offering training or contracts for insurance to school districts
- SB 175, authored by Senator Mayes Middleton, which prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for lobbying activities
- SB 425, authored by Senator Angela Paxton, which prohibits the payment of dues to organizations that lobby for school boards; now
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas urges all Local Independent School Districts to sever all ties from Texas Association of School Boards (TASB); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas urges the Texas Legislature to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas urges the Texas Legislature to assist school districts in obtaining liability insurance from entities other than TASB.
1. https://www.tasb.org/services/legal-services/tasb-school-law-esource/students/documents/legal_issues_related_to_transgender_students.pdf
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