The CEO of H-E-B, Charles Butt, has pledged to invest $100 million in Texas public schools.
The financial investment will help to develop a leadership training program for Texas educators. The Holdworth Center, which is named after Butt’s mother, will train principals and superintendents of public schools across the state.
Butt, who is a huge supporter of public education, sought out leaders throughout Texas to help develop the program.
“The program will help develop the leader’s creativity, to get them to think like an entrepreneur, and to get them to think outside of the box when it comes to developing our children into critical thinkers,” Grand Prairie Independent School District Superintendent Susan Hull said.
Hull, was one of the few educators picked to help develop the curriculum for the training center.
“This is a gift, a huge gift that we cannot take lightly,” she said.
The structure and standards of education in Texas have reached a crucial juncture. The future state of traditional public education in Texas may rest on Senate Bill 3, which would allow for education savings accounts or vouchers. Under the bill, public tax money, once used to fund public education, could be used for private schools, homeschooling, tutoring, etc.
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“I’m a third-generation public school superintendent and I believe very fiercely that public schools are for the public good," Hull said. "That public schools are here not to provide an individual education for an individual child, going to an individual family who pay a lot of taxes or a little taxes. Public schools are here so that all of our children, our most precious resource are prepared to keep Texas’ economy strong. We want our children to be informed voters, to be good decision makers, to future leaders, and future teachers."
The institute has already rolled out a pilot program. The official program will start this summer.
