Education Systems

Gilmer-Aikin Laws 1949

Established Texas’s modern K-12 system: 12-year education, 175-day school year, elected SBOE.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Upheld “separate but equal” racial segregation.

Brown v. Board (1954)

Banned racial segregation in public schools.

Diego v. Bastrop (1948)

Banned segregation of Hispanic students in Texas schools.

How did Texas circumvent Diego v. Bastrop?

Used English-language learner (ELL) programs to segregate Hispanic students.

Public school funding sources

12% federal, 44% state (Permanent School Fund), 45% local property taxes.

Permanent School Fund (PSF)

Funded by oil/gas revenues and investments for K-12 schools.

Robin Hood Plan 1993

Redirected property taxes from wealthy to poor districts; harmed donor districts.

Education Reform Act of 1984

Mandated teacher competency, standardized testing, “no pass-no play” rules.

No Child Left Behind Act (2001)

Tied federal school funding to standardized test performance.

Higher education funding in Texas

Funded by Permanent University Fund (PUF), primarily benefiting UT and A&M.

Why UT and A&M are top-funded

Historic land grants + oil revenue (e.g., Santa Rita oil well); PUF splits 75% to UT, 25% to A&M.

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)

9-member board overseeing statewide higher education policy.

Sweatt v. Painter (1950)

Overturned “separate but equal” by proving Black law schools were unequal.

Hopwood v. Texas (1996)

Banned race-based admissions but allowed race as a “factor” for diversity.