HUMANITIES TEXAS RECEIVES STATE APPROPRIATION
Humanities Texas Past Chair Joe Krier, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and Humanities Texas Executive Director Michael L. Gillette tour Byrne-Reed House in 2008. Photo by Humanities Texas.
The 81st Texas Legislature has approved a biennial appropriation of $2 million for Humanities Texas, the first state funding in the organization’s thirty-six-year history. This support will enable Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, to significantly expand its enrichment programs for Texas classroom teachers, targeting new teachers in areas with low student achievement on state assessments. Julius Glickman, the organization’s chair, hailed the measure as “a great step forward that recognizes Humanities Texas’s important contributions to K–12 education.”
Lt. Governor David Dewhurst led the initiative by incorporating the appropriation in Article III of the Senate’s budget bill. Rep. Mike Villarreal added the provision to the House version of the legislation. The measure received strong support from House Speaker Joe Straus, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts and Vice Chairman Richard Peña Raymond. Rep. Scott Hochberg, the Education Appropriations subcommittee chairman, and his staff were also helpful in this effort, as were other members of the subcommittee.
“We deeply appreciate the inspired leadership of Lt. Governor Dewhurst,” commented Joe Krier, Humanities Texas past chair, who guided the organization’s effort to secure state funding. Krier also recognized the invaluable support of Lt. Governor Dewhurst, Rep. Villarreal and Speaker Straus.
State Representative Mike Villarreal at the San Antonio institute with teachers Larisa Castro (left) and Jennifer Rodriguez (right) from his district. Photo by Humanities Texas.
Many current and former Humanities Texas board members advanced the initiative by contacting their representatives. A number of friends of the organization, including former Lt. Governor Ben Barnes, also assisted the effort at critical stages in the legislative process.
For the past six years, Humanities Texas has held rigorous and innovative workshops in which Texas teachers work with foremost experts in history, literature and other humanities subjects to learn about current advances and resources in their fields. The state appropriation will support the expansion of these programs throughout the state, significantly increasing the number of teachers who participate.
“We will continue to enlist the state’s fine universities, leading scholars and distinguished educators in this major expansion of our highly regarded teacher institutes,” said Michael L. Gillette, Executive Director of Humanities Texas. “This appropriation will give Humanities Texas an unprecedented opportunity to enhance the quality of the state’s classroom teaching where it is most essential.”
Humanities Texas
Humanities Texas is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Our nonprofit organization supports and develops programs that provide opportunities for people to deepen their understanding of ideas, values, and the human experience.