School choice proponents say parents’ voices aren't being heard in public school districts across the state, so families should have the option to use state money to fund their children's education outside the public school system. But the idea still faces opposition from some rural Republicans and other public education advocates. They cite the lack of access to non-public schools in rural communities and the fact that public education is largely a hub of employment in many less-populated areas. Join us for a conversation about the education system and what can be done for the betterment of Texas students?
Join The Texas Tribune at 8 a.m. Central in Austin for a conversation with Laura Colangelo, executive director, Texas Private Schools Association; Scott Muri, superintendent, Ector County Independent School District;
Michelle Smith, executive director, Raise Your Hand Texas; and Randan Steinhauser, national school choice director, Young Americans for Liberty.
The discussion will be moderated by Brian Lopez, public education reporter for The Texas Tribune.
Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. at the Tribune’s Studio 919, 919 Congress Ave., Sixth Floor, in Austin. The hourlong conversation will begin at 8 a.m. Parking will not be provided. Street and garage parking as well as ride-sharing are recommended.
This in-person event will be simultaneously live streamed for virtual attendees and will be available to watch on demand afterward at texastribune.org/events.
Laura Colangelo is the executive director of the Texas Private Schools Association, an advocacy organization representing over 900 private, accredited schools in Texas in the state Legislature and in Washington, D.C. In this role, she is the “public voice of private schools in Texas.”
Prior to this role, she was the head of an Episcopal preschool in Austin, focused on providing a quality early childhood educational experience for a historically underserved population.
Muri has served as superintendent for the Ector County Independent School District since 2019. Previously, he served as superintendent of Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, where he oversaw a redesign of the compensation system and recruiting efforts to more effectively recruit and retain employees.
Michelle Smith joined Raise Your Hand Texas in 2018 after eight years with HillCo Partners, where she focused on public school finance, school choice, assessment and accountability, facilities funding, transparency and elections. With experience including work as a public school teacher, she connects policy, research and classroom experience to offer innovative approaches to the challenges in education policy in Texas.
Smith has advocated on behalf of education-based for-profits, not-for-profits, advocacy organizations and superintendent-led associations. She also was the executive director of the Fast Growth School Coalition for five years.
Randan Steinhauser is the founding partner of Steinhauser Strategies, an Austin public relations company. She has worked in more than 30 states on school choice issue advocacy and grassroots campaigns and currently serves as the national director of school choice for Young Americans for Liberty and as the Texas advisor to EdChoice.
She is the co-founder of Bastrop CAN: Charter Advocate Network and the founder of Sweetwater Scholè, a classical homeschool co-op that serves more than 40 homeschool families in her community.
Brian Lopez is the public education reporter for The Texas Tribune. He joined the Tribune in August 2021 after covering local government at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Star-Telegram was his first gig after graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington in May 2020, where he worked for the student-run newspaper The Shorthorn.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism.
Find a complete list of them here.
Email us at events@texastribune.org
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.
