While we can debate different educational approaches, right now we're facing an immediate threat to rural communities. When a small town loses its public school, it typically doesn't get replaced with a classical academy or any other type of school - it just loses its largest employer and last remaining public institution. The current voucher proposal would accelerate this collapse while offering families just $2,000 - not enough to create real alternatives.

The question isn't whether schools need improvement - they do. The question is whether we'll still have schools to improve in rural Texas