Our Work

Research & Data

We conduct cutting-edge research and analyze data to educate and inform parents, policymakers, and the public about the threats posed by school privatization including private school vouchers and unlimited charter school expansion.

Read our landmark report, Facing Facts: Charter Schools in Texas: After thirty years it’s time for change.

Education & Advocacy

We are building the organizational infrastructure and capacity to conduct educational advocacy at the state and local level to raise awareness about efforts to privatize public education in Texas.

Learn about our advocacy at the Legislature and State Board of Education.

Grassroots Outreach

We partner with parents, community members, and existing organizations that share our support for public schools to build a regional grassroots network that empowers parents and advocates to take action locally and statewide.

Newsletters

October Insider

2 Oct at 4:36 pm

Sign up for the monthly newsletter Action Alert Next week, the Senate Education Committee is holding interim hearings to discuss student enrollment, teacher pay…and expanding private school vouchers. Use our No Blank Check toolkit to testify, email, call, and share the facts about Texas’ voucher program. Fast Fact Texas public schools will lose at least $227 million this school year alone to Texas’ new voucher program. The Houston Chronicle reported on our joint statewide WADA-based funding impact with Every Texan. The story includes an interactive map where you can see the number of…

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OSOD in Action

Choice on Paper, Not in Practice webinar

1 Oct at 4:42 pm

On September 30, 2026, OSOD held a public webinar to evaluate the early data on Texas’ $1 billion voucher program. The full webinar recording is below. Use our toolkit to share facts about private school vouchers and to contact your lawmakers to oppose additional funding to the TEFA voucher program.

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OSOD in Action

OSOD testifies against request to expand taxpayer funding on vouchers

14 Sep at 8:53 pm

OSOD Executive Director Carrie Griffith and Director of the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency Dee Carney testified on September 9. 2026 during an interim Legislative Budget Board hearing. The hearing considered the Comptroller’s Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) for the Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) voucher program. The Comptroller is seeking to increase funding for vouchers from the current $1 billion to potentially $4.4 billion of taxpayer dollars. A Legislative Budget Board hearing is a funding request—not a vote or an appropriation that has already been approved. During the next legislative session, lawmakers will have an important opportunity to evaluate…

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Newsletters

September Insider

1 Sep at 4:34 pm

Sign up for the monthly newsletter Action Alert New Public Information Request data obtained by OSOD’s Texas Center for Voucher Transparency shows that 80% of the eligible students on the voucher waitlist as of August 10 were not previously enrolled in public school. A Comptroller fact sheet earlier in the month revealed that 70% of voucher awardees in grades 1-12 had been previously enrolled in a private or homeschool. Share our confidential Voucher Watchdog portal to help Texans report their experiences with the program. Fast Fact After the Governor directed Comptroller Huffines to review…

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Testimony

OSOD delivers invited testimony to the House Committee on Governmental Oversight, Select on the Texas Public Information Act

27 Aug at 9:36 pm

Invited Testimony to the House Committee on Governmental Oversight, Select Item 2: Texas Public Information Act Study the applicability of the Texas Public Information Act, the entities currently subject to the Act, its effectiveness, and the necessity of exemptions from public disclosure. Additionally, review requirements related to public notices and make recommendations to improve citizen awareness and transparency. Chairman Vasut, Vice Chair Walle and Members of the Committee: Thank you so much for the invitation to testify today on the Texas Public Information Act on behalf of the experiences of Our Schools Our…

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OSOD in Action, Testimony

OSOD submits testimony to Delivery of Government Efficiency on “Preventing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse”

20 Aug at 8:45 pm

August 19, 2026 Testimony submitted to Delivery of Government Efficiency on “Preventing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse” Chairman and Members of the Committee: Our Schools Our Democracy (OSOD) is a Texas-based, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused solely on transparency and accountability as Texas privatizes public education through charter expansion, state takeovers, and TEFA vouchers. Protect Public Education. Preserve Democracy. Texas funds multiple education systems with different rules, funding, and oversight. As billions of taxpayer dollars flow through these systems, Texas must ask: Does the state have sufficient information and controls to identify risks and ensure taxpayer…

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Testimony

OSOD Testimony on Proposed Charter Rule Amendments

4 Aug at 7:51 pm

Testimony by Carrie Griffith Delivered August 3, 2026 Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the July 3 Texas Register proposed rule amendments on 19 TAC Chapter 100, Charter Schools. We are submitting comments that address each of the proposed changes, some of which we support and others we either oppose or for which we have recommended edits. Today I want, however, to specifically address Sec. 100.1095(c)(1)(B)(ii)(I)(-b-). This section as proposed would prioritize new charter schools with no track record to receive transfer of real property from closed charter schools. Our Schools Our…

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Newsletters

August Insider

3 Aug at 8:22 pm

Sign up for the monthly newsletterTexas students, teachers, and families are getting ready to head back to school this month. For families still shopping for school supplies, don’t forget about Texas’ annual tax-free weekend from August 7-9. Along with the usual back-to-school jitters, Texas families this year are facing unprecedented questions about the future of public education. Our Schools Our Democracy is meeting the moment with cutting-edge research, educational advocacy, and grassroots organizing with Texans working to support our neighborhood schools. Action Alert At least 15,000 voucher recipients have already opted out of the program.…

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Newsletters

July Insider

1 Jul at 7:28 pm

Sign up for the monthly newsletterThe 4th of July this month marks an opportunity to reflect on our mission to protect the fundamental rights of all Texans to a free, quality public education. We share that mission not only with you but with generations of Texas families, civil rights advocates, and community leaders who recognize that strong public schools that welcome all students are an essential cornerstone to our democracy. Thank you for all that you do for our schools! Action Alert Catch up with what we know (and don’t yet know) about Texas’ voucher…

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News, OSOD in Action, School Closures

School Closures Are Escalating Across Texas. ‘It’s Not a Local Failure.’

26 Jun at 5:39 pm

This article by Josephine Lee was published in the Texas Observer on June 24, 2026.

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