Texas AFT at SXSW EDU: a voucher conversation with Rep. Gina Hinojosa, Megan Vasquez, and Ayaan Moledina

On March 10, we made our SXSW debut with a panel on vouchers during the EDU conference. Texas AFT President Zeph Capo moderated a panel with State Representative and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa; Ayaan Moledina, Round Rock ISD junior and Federal Policy Director for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT); and Megan Vasquez, an AISD educator and Education Austin member who was named AISD Teacher of the Year in 2023. Our national president Randi Weingarten was in town for the conference and made a surprise appearance at the panel.

For an audience of educators, innovators, and students, the panel gave a brief history of the voucher fight in Texas and shared lessons learned for others fighting back against privatization in states across the country. Critically, the group also shared how the Legislature could better invest the $1 billion funneled to the voucher scam back into Texas classrooms: better teacher pay, fully funded special education, and mental health resources for students.

To close out the panel, Zeph and Randi surprised Ayaan and his peers at SEAT with a $20,000 fundraising match from the state and national AFTs to support their incredible student organizing and advocacy efforts.