Mission Statement
Our Schools Our Democracy (OSOD) was established in 2024 to protect the fundamental rights of all Texans to a free, quality public education through research, education, outreach, and advocacy.
Our Mission & Values
OSOD Values
- We believe all students deserve equal access to opportunity through a free, quality education as promised in the Texas Constitution.
- We believe school privatization through unlimited charter expansion, private school vouchers, and state takeovers is a dire threat to public education.
- We believe charter schools and voucher-accepting private schools should be held to the same high standards as public school districts.
- We believe every neighborhood deserves to have schools overseen by a democratically-elected body that is accountable to voters and has roots in the community.
Our Vision
Our Schools Our Democracy is singularly focused on raising awareness about school privatization in Texas through research, education, outreach, and advocacy. We envision:
- Well-informed citizens who demand quality public schools for all and understand the dire threat privatization poses to Texas public schools.
- Elected officials and education leaders who understand that unlimited charter expansion poses as much a threat to public schools as private school vouchers.
- A civil society that recommits to democratic values and understands the essential role public schools play in building a healthy and inclusive democracy.