Originally published in Politic365 on May 23, 2013.
Republicans and Democrats are pursuing Latino voters in Texas, but perhaps one of the most vivid illustrations of their different approaches is the way members of each party are creating education policy.
The majority of Texas students are Latino, the future of the state depends on Latinos, and yet Republicans in the state veered toward Arizona-style educational laws earlier this year. About the same time, Democrat and San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro — who has made education a priority in his city on several occasions — was re-elected to his third term as mayor earlier this month.
For Castro, education is not just important — it’s fundamental. “I see it as the legacy of a city that will be the most prosperous brainpower city in the nation,” he told Politic365.
The contrasts between Republicans and Democrats on education in Texas are pretty stark.
