This spring, when the Texas House Committee on Public Education convened hearings on the state of education and expanding high-performing schools, TPCSA had a seat at the table. Our VP of government affairs, Bryce Adams, gave compelling invited testimony on the charter sector, while Elizabeth Goldsmith, founder and executive director of Thrive Center for Success, shared the importance of earlier funding projections.
Cynthia Trigg, CEO of Evolution Academy, was invited to represent dropout recovery charter schools. Though public charter schools serve an outsized portion of students seeking a second chance at success, they haven’t always had a voice.
Now, they do. With college and career readiness rates rivaling those of standard accountability schools, Evolution Academy blooms with the best. It’s pretty hard to impress every member of the committee, but Ms. Trigg did it.
Each year, TPCSA dedicates hundreds of hours to pruning red tape and enriching the policy landscape. In 2025-26, we tackled more than 40 proposed regulations from the Texas Education Agency and State Board of Education — and secured important wins — so that member schools spend less time in the weeds and more time changing lives.
Literary Works List: The SBOE recommended roughly 300 works for consideration, well exceeding the requirement of at least one literary work in each grade and specifying the year each must be taught.
Impact: We gave public testimony on the need to preserve curriculum autonomy and organized school advocacy efforts. Greater flexibility allows texts to be taught in earlier grades as part of advanced curricula, and the list was reduced by around 100 works.
Literary Works List: The SBOE recommended roughly 300 works for consideration, well exceeding the requirement of at least one literary work in each grade and specifying the year each must be taught.
Impact: We gave public testimony on the need to preserve curriculum autonomy and organized school advocacy efforts. Greater flexibility allows texts to be taught in earlier grades as part of advanced curricula, and the list was reduced by around 100 works.
ESA Implementation: Proposed comptroller rules required schools to provide proof of accreditation before becoming an approved provider.
Impact: Thanks to our public comments, the final rules require the comptroller to use electronic verification on the TEA website. This streamlines the process for schools that wish to serve families through the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program.
ESA Implementation: Proposed comptroller rules required schools to provide proof of accreditation before becoming an approved provider.
Impact: Thanks to our public comments, the final rules require the comptroller to use electronic verification on the TEA website. This streamlines the process for schools that wish to serve families through the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program.
DPS Process: Schools and TEA were wasting time on letters of good standing each time they needed access to the DPS background check system.
Impact: TPCSA engaged, and DPS updated its internal processes to remove the requirement.
DPS Process: Schools and TEA were wasting time on letters of good standing each time they needed access to the DPS background check system.
Impact: TPCSA engaged, and DPS updated its internal processes to remove the requirement.
This year, TPCSA helped member schools design memorable lawmaker events, showcase the impact of investments in facilities funding, and participate in roundtables focused on research and policy issues.
Our Amplify Advocacy Program activated 24 charter school board members across Texas — building a larger network of these influential advocates than ever before.
Our government affairs team branched out into federal advocacy, meeting with 95% of Texas congressional offices. These budding connections helped us grow awareness of three pieces of federal legislation championed by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools that would expand opportunity nationwide.
Sarah Tredway, director of the Amplify Advocacy Program (AMP), and Otis “Scotty” Scott, Jr., BRAINATION board president and longtime board advocacy participant, took the stage at the 2026 National Public Charter Schools Conference. Their session on tapping into the power of board members to grow charter influence inspired more than 300 advocates from across the country.
Sarah Tredway, director of the Amplify Advocacy Program (AMP), and Otis “Scotty” Scott, Jr., BRAINATION board president and longtime board advocacy participant, took the stage at the 2026 National Public Charter Schools Conference. Their session on tapping into the power of board members to grow charter influence inspired more than 300 advocates from across the country.
Our community celebrated 68 incredible Charter Champions from the 89th Texas Legislative Session, featuring a unique piece of student artwork to make each award special.
House Public Education Chairman Brad Buckley is a staunch advocate for public charter schools like Richard Milburn Academy, a dropout recovery school helping students turn their lives around. In recognition of his longtime education contributions, a classroom at the RMA – Killeen campus has been named in Chairman Buckley’s honor.
While there for the dedication, it seemed only fitting that he also receive his Charter Champion award from RMA board member Rose Thompson.
