About Our Schools Our Democracy: Our Schools Our Democracy (OSOD) is a Texas-based nonpartisan and independent 501c3 nonprofit organization established in 2024 to protect the fundamental rights of all Texans to a free, public education through research, education, outreach, and advocacy. OSOD’s purpose is to protect public education in Texas from growing privatization efforts, including private school vouchers and unlimited charter school expansion.

History: OSOD launched to the public in February 2025 with the publication of Facing Facts: Charter Schools in Texas: After 30 years, it’s time for change. This groundbreaking report provided facts from the public record to assess the outcome of 30 years of Texas’ charter school system. During the 89th Legislative Session, OSOD advocated for the policy recommendations presented in the report and joined Texans from across the state to oppose efforts to privatize Texas education through taxpayer-funded vouchers. OSOD educates and engages Texans in our advocacy at the Legislature and State Board of Education through workshops and community trainings.

In February 2026, OSOD launched the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency (TXCVT) to promote transparency, fiscal responsibility, and fairness for public school students in Texas’ new Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) voucher program. The Center is led by TXCVT Director Dee Carney, a respected public education policy expert and former classroom teacher and school district administrator.

Leadership: OSOD is led by co-founder and executive director Carrie Griffith, who has nearly 30 years of service in public education from classroom teacher to serving as the senior policy specialist at the Texas State Teachers Association. OSOD’s board of directors is chaired by Daniella Lopez Valdez, the current board president of Brownsville ISD, and also includes Patti Everitt, Patty Quinzi, JD, Joyce Foreman, and former Texas State Representative Glenn Rogers.