Abbott launches multiple education initiatives, reducing screen time, new academies

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(The Center Square) – As part of his series of plans to improve education in the state, Gov. Greg Abbott announced new education initiatives that he says will improve outcomes. 

Abbott, who is running for his fourth term as governor, is in a close race with state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin. 

His education proposals include banning foreign influence in public schools, increasing penalties for educators who abuse children, and requiring administrative audits and oversight over how taxpayer money is spent.  

Other initiatives include reducing screentime in the classroom, establishing new academies to help students struggling in math and reading, and priorities new classroom commissioners will be focusing on ahead of the new legislative session next year. 

Abbott is traveling the state, meeting with parents, educators and community stakeholders as he makes the announcements from El Paso to Waco to Houston and beyond. 

At a roundtable with parents and educators in Waco, he proposed a new initiative to strengthen student learning by limiting the use of laptops, tablets and other electronic devices during classroom instruction. It also prioritizes direct teacher instruction, using physical materials, phonics and handwriting. 

“By prioritizing face to face social interaction, active learning, and conversations between students and teachers, Texas will equip the next generation with the skills they need to lead, innovate and succeed,” Abbott said. 

Under Abbott, the use of tablets and electronics in the classroom exponentially increased. Although the move to expand the use of electronics in the classroom has been ongoing for years, it increased during the COVID-19 lockdown era when virtual learning was implemented. With the increased use of tablets replacing books and virtual learning replacing classroom instruction, some schools reported 40% to 60% of students failing. Many parents also pulled their children out of public schools, The Center Square reported. 

In 2023, Families Engaged representatives testified at legislative hearings during the 88th legislature on SB 2141 and HB 5104 arguing that “medical evidence proves screen time can cause ADD, depression, anxiety, sleep disruption, addiction, stress, EMF exposure and myopia” and “interactive software does not substitute for dynamic teacher exchanges.”

They also pointed to studies showing that increased screen time slows reading, impairs recall and comprehension and produces fragmented understanding, they told The Center Square. “There is no appreciable improvement in student achievement to offset the cost or psycho-social wellbeing,” they said. 

They and others also oppose a Trump administration initiative to advance AI, humanoids and virtual reality in the classroom. Education experts point to decades of data showing how technology has reversed children’s cognitive development and weakened learning outcomes, The Center Square reported.

“My solution is to create a learning environment that prioritizes physical materials and supports our teachers, not replaces them,” Abbott said. “The phone-free classroom law I signed last year was a powerful first step. Now, we will finish the job by getting unnecessary screens out of the way and putting teachers, textbooks, and proven instruction back at the center of the classroom.” 

At an event in Austin, Abbott unveiled a plan to provide additional support to struggling students through new in-school Student Success Academies. The state legislature has allocated more than $600 million to help struggling students perform at grade level through various programs. The new in-school academies will implement these programs and use other tools to assist students specifically struggling in reading and math. 

They will also “give parents clear, easy-to-understand toolkits to work on reading and math with their children at home; strengthen early reading and math support at school to help students catch up; provide more robust parent notifications throughout a child’s progress in school; and give students struggling in reading and math-targeted interventions,” according to Abbott’s plan.

Earlier this year, Abbott launched the Texas Classroom Commission to bring educators together to improve reading and math. 

At an inaugural meeting in Austin, Abbott met with newly appointed commissioners to gather input and give directives. He requested that they focus on three key charges: improving student proficiency in math and reading, limiting screentime in classrooms, and identifying additional strategies to attract and retain high-quality teachers.

“Among the number one rankings we have in our state, it's time to add another: Texas must rank number one in educating our children,” Abbott said. Part of the goal of the commission is “to ensure the teacher perspective had a meaningful place in the decision-making process, and help educators engage in and influence education policy,” he added.

The commission has also been tasked with examining ways to better equip parents to support their children’s academic progress and reduce unnecessary administrative burdens so teachers can spend more time focused on classroom instruction. It will meet regularly and produce a report with recommendations to the legislature, The Center Square reported.