David DeMatthews
@DrDeMatt
Former public school teacher and district/campus administrator. Professor. Advocate for public schools, principals, teachers, students, and families.
Rural superintendents face unique pressures—long hours, limited resources, & deep community ties. Our mixed-methods study reveals why they stay, why they leave, and what it means for district stability. @DianeRavitch @CaitlynnPeetz14 @edisonjaden @tasanet journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.11…
Let's see the #txlege go after this WASTEFUL SPENDING. We can't have TEA, friends of TEA, or districts pushing this hustle-reform waste in our public schools but that's what's happening in some TX districts. @MomsAGAbbott @GinaForAustin @TexasAFT seattletimes.com/opinion/how-di…
Hopefully, policymakers move away from politicizing higher education & get back to supporting them in preparing a workforce & citizenry, curing diseases, & inventing new technologies that improve society. @TexasAFT @AAUP @AERA_EdResearch @MomsAGAbbott @chronicle @InsideHigherEd
Texas can't find $$ for public schools, rural hospitals, mental health, flood warnings, & not much else to improve the lives of hard working families but always manages to dole out unnecessary tax breaks to Tesla, SpaceX, & oil & natural gas companies. apnews.com/article/texas-…
Improving schools isn't about quick fixes or few failing schools. Texas must create a supply of well-prepared teachers for districts to hire/develop/retain. Incentive pay models are quick fixes that can get test score bumps but don't fix root issues. @TexasAFT @MomsAGAbbott
Texans don't need state officials forcing districts to adopt untested trainings by well-connected consultants. We need high-quality teachers, counselors, librarians, & principals to actually educate kids. @ImRachelWhite #txlege @MomsAGAbbott @TexasAFT @edisonjaden @GinaForAustin
Our recent report on special ed in Texas was review by the @TexasAFT We hope more Texans become aware of the special ed challenges in our state & demand more from our legislature in terms of support & accountability. texasaft.org/uncategorized/…
Great time co-leading a mini-conference for VA & NC to improve principal preparation to support students w/ disabilities. Stay tuned for more opportunities & tools to improve leadership development. @CeedarCenter @UCEA @AERA_EdResearch @AERALSJ @AERALSI @NASSP @NAESP
I was honored to advise these 6 amazing doctoral students. We worked hard together over the past few years. They continue their journeys improving public education in Texas & beyond. What starts here changes the world isn't a motto, it's the truth! @UTAustin @utexascoe @utsystem
There's a lot of misleading info on the impact of vouchers, charters, & other factors causing public ed enrollment declines. So, we critiqued a report doing exactly that. Please share. @TexasAFT @DianeRavitch @MomsAGAbbott @edisonjaden @BlaiseGainey nepc.colorado.edu/sites/default/…
SCOTUS heard a case to allow a church to run a publicly funded charter school that would teaches religion. As a former HS Gov't teacher, my students learned about the separation between church & state within a week. We need laws improving life for families, not this garbage.
You can have all the accountability in the world, but w/o well-trained teachers in every classroom we won't see results. Adequately fund public ed, elevate teachers, create residencies, & THEN LET'S TALK ACCOUNTABILITY. @TexasAFT @tasanet @TEPSAtalk @DianeRavitch @MomsAGAbbott
Dr. Nolan Estes has been one of the most impactful members of our UT educational leadership community & he will be missed. We mourn his passing but know his legacy will be carried forward by his students & the many others they continue to impact each day in public ed. @utexascoe
We at Dallas ISD are mourning the passing of former superintendent Nolan Estes. An innovator before anyone used that word for public education, an integrator despite determined opposition, Dr. Estes never stopped showing up for our students and leaves a legacy we all aspire to.
No bias here - I've been lucky to have the best doc advisees! Clark/Jackson Scholars, post docs, leaders, & faculty pushing the field. Grateful to Taeyeon Kim for joining us to share her insights as we start a new tradition of having an annual AERA reunion. @utexascoe #AERA2025
Adopting an education policy that has been a proven loser in other states is educational malpractice - kids from low-income families lose & wealthy parents get a tax break. That's not historic - that's par for the course in Texas.
For the first time in Texas history, our state has passed a universal school choice bill. This is an extraordinary victory!
The voucher hustle - say you are prioritizing marginalized groups knowing full well very few if any will be admitted to private schools. @AFTunion @DianeRavitch @pastors4txkids @DiegoBernalTX @GinaForAustin @DiegoBernalTX @VikkiGoodwinTX #txlege houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…
Very grateful for this award. I wanted to be a professor to share evidence & insight about public ed. I've been able to do this ONLY b/c of the great mentors, journalists, peers, & administrators who supported me every step of the way starting at UTEP & in El Paso. Thank you!
.@DrDeMatt (@utexascoe) receives the Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award for his work to communicate the importance of education research to the broad public, including education communities.