Skin in the Game: The 86th Texas Legislative Session and the Impact of Advocate Diversity

A large group of advocates and lobbyists influence state-level public education policymaking in Texas. Unfortunately, this group often does not mirror the racial and ethnic makeup of Texas public school students, the decisive majority of whom are students of color. This article argues that a lack of diversity among state-level education advocates can lead to policies that do not fully and fairly reflect the will, goals, and desires of the students and families impacted by them and can, in fact, contribute to the passage of policies that have a harmful and disproportionate impact on them. The author urges education organizations to insist that state-level policy spaces include diverse views and voices in a meaningful way.