Shine Campaign to ISD Employees: “Vote to Protect Public Education”
Letters Prompt Electioneering Complaints
As the March 5 Texas primary approaches, electioneering allegations are flying statewide with House District 55 Rep. Hugh Shine, R-Temple, the latest political entity facing such complaints after sending copies of a “vote to protect public education” letter to at least one local school seemingly for distribution to its employees.
A complaint filed with the Texas Ethics Commisison alleges:
The complaint is accompanied by photos of materials posted on X by Brad Johnson (as also shown above) and purportedly received at a Belton ISD elementary school. A subsequent social media exchange between two Bell County residents acknowledges receipt of materials at a BISD middle school and goes on to describe the district later directing all schools to refrain from distributing the materials. The exchange additionally says that the letters were believed to have been received and distributed at a Temple ISD elementary school. Three school districts are within District 55: Belton, Killeen and Temple.
An additional complaint has been filed with the Bell County District Attorney.
Is this electioneering? Does the Shine Campaign’s effort violate the Texas Election Code? The codes referenced suggest it could.
School personnel using taxpayer-funded time in distributing letters to school employees could certainly be considered utilizing an "internal mail system" as defined by the statute.
That the materials pictured were delivered via UPS, not through the United States Postal Service as specified, would seem to disqualify them from the exemption noted in subsection (b).
And is this action seeking to coerce a public servant? Might employees feel pressured from this letter authored by their elected House representative? And by a letter whose distribution was ostensibly sanctioned by their school district superintendent?
Commitment to the public education industry
Shine is one of 21 House Republicans who, during a fourth special session of the most recent Texas legislative session, joined with Democrats to neuter a major education bill over its inclusion of an Education Savings Account provision.
His commitment to public education was highlighted in Rep. Hugh Shine's Media Profile Expanded With School Choice Opposition upon Libs of TikTok releasing a rundown of his support from various public education organizations.
Noted by Raise Your Hand Texas as a Public Education Champion, Shine was one of 100 lawmakers - 75 Democrats, 25 Republicans – recognized by the group as having “stood alongside us to fight for Texas public education during the 88th Legislative Session.”
Shine mailers position him as a “strong supporter of Bell County Schools” with one even featuring an endorsement by Temple ISD Superintendent Bobby Ott.
Temple ISD Board Tapped for Raise Your Hand Texas’ Activist Training discussed Shine’s alliance with Ott.
Ott and Shine’s support of public education overlaps. In early 2023, Shine honored Ott with a House Resolution upon his being named 2022 Texas Association of School Boards' State Superintendent of the Year.
Months later Temple ISD named Hugh and Debbie Shine as “Friends of Temple ISD”:
And two Temple Daily Telegram articles have featured Ott applauding the Shines’ “spirit of community goodwill” regarding land they formerly owned that was sold to TISD and will be used for an upcoming elementary school.
With this close relationship, it would be unsurprising to learn Temple ISD distributed Shine’s campaign materials as potentially requested.
At this point it sadly appears the public education industry more fears the future success choice can bring rather than the current failure with which students are saddled.
Politics and its “monkey see, monkey do” nature
Shine is not alone in facing potential electioneering allegations with regard to school districts. The Liberty Justice Center has sent a demand letter to the Denton County District Attorney requesting an investigation into “criminal election interference by school officials who illegally used public resources to pressure employees into voting for favored candidates.
Texas Scorecard reports how Denison ISD Superintendent David Kirkbride sent an email to district employees encouraging their vote “for candidates who ‘support public education’ while decrying the governor’s push for school choice for Texas students.” Another article discussed “a short memo about Texas legislators and school leaders who continue to oppose vouchers” posted on the district’s homepage.
And Corey DeAngelis noted this alleged action by the Castleberry ISD superintendent. (Click post for all graphics.)
The sad reality
It comes down to this. Texas is not well-serving its public school students. The same can be said of Bell County. With two 2023 reports released in December finding that half or more of public school students routinely fall below grade level standards, something needs to change.
School choice critics charge education freedom advocates as quick with public school condemnation while failing to offer alternatives. To that end, Political Pursuits stated this regarding the 2023 findings:
More could be said and it has. School Choice Debate Shows Texas Public Ed More “For the System” than “For the Children” and Public Ed Doubles Down with ‘All and Nothing’ School Funding are two such examples.
Meanwhile, these numbers once again make the case that it’s time for education models that include new choice opportunities. No new effort – especially at its inception – will be perfect, but with more than half of Texas’ 3rd through 8th graders failing to meet or much less exceed grade level, it becomes increasingly hard to argue that anything won’t yield improvement.
At this point it sadly appears the public education industry more fears the future success choice can bring rather than the current failure with which students are saddled.
And while “free and fair elections” rely on a voting process administered with integrity and transparency, they also rely on candidates operating within the legal guidelines. Government officials charged with upholding these laws must take action as warranted. It may be uncomfortable, but it’s a job responsibility they voluntarily pursued. The public meanwhile has its own responsibility. As citizens we must stay vigilant and speak up when potential illegality occurs.
Lou Ann Anderson worked in central Texas talk radio as both a host and producer and currently hosts Political Pursuits: The Podcast. Her tenure as Watchdog Wire–Texas editor involved covering state news and coordinating the site’s citizen journalist network. As a past Policy Analyst with Americans for Prosperity–Texas, Lou Ann wrote and spoke on a variety of issues including the growing issue of probate abuse in which wills, trusts, guardianships and powers of attorney are used to loot assets from intended heirs or beneficiaries.