Texas parents are being asked to trust an education “expert” whose public résumé raises more questions than it answers. Julie Pickren markets herself nationally and internationally as “Dr. Julie Pickren,” appears on global stages as a Texas education authority, and was even promoted abroad as a Texas State Senator. Yet when Texans look for the academic foundation behind that branding, the record goes quiet. The doctorate that cannot be found Supposedly Pickren holds a bachelor’s degree from Wharton. That is in dispute. Even more alarming is the doctorate she advertises through the title “Dr.” followed by “D.P.S.” There is no publicly available dissertation. No named granting institution. No field of study. No doctoral advisor. No catalog record. No academic repository entry. That silence matters. Doctoral degrees are not private achievements. They are archived. They are citable. They leave a trail. When a public official repeatedly uses the title “Dr.” in professional promotion, international travel, and policy advocacy, Texans are entitled to ask a simple question. Where is the degree documentation. Misrepresentation on an international stage At Bett UK 2026, Pickren was listed in official promotional material as a Texas State Senator. She is not. She serves on the Texas State Board of Education. That distinction is not cosmetic. It is constitutional. It is the difference between legislative authority and an elected board role with limited statutory powers. Click here to learn more: open.substack.com/pub/alicel…

While Texans are distracted by the battle over the TEA’s deeply flawed Bluebonnet curriculum, something even bigger is happening behind the scenes. Private equity is moving into Texas public education. Tomorrow morning, June 26, the State Board of Education will cast the final vote on the Texas High School for Accelerated Learning charter application. This is not just another charter vote. If approved, Texas taxpayer dollars will flow to a Florida for-profit company owned by private equity firms. That company, not the charter school itself, will operate virtually every aspect of the school. Think about what that means. • Your tax dollars go to private investors instead of classrooms.
• The company operating the school is not subject to Texas open meetings laws and likely not open records laws.
• Nearly every employee, including teachers, would work for the private company, not the charter school, meaning they would not participate in the Teacher Retirement System. If this becomes the model, it threatens the long-term stability of TRS and the retirement security of Texas teachers.
• The academic results are alarming. According to information presented to the SBOE, Florida campuses operated by this company averaged just 18% of students on or above grade level in English Language Arts, only 12.4% in math, and graduation rates 26 percentage points lower than Aldine ISD’s dropout recovery campus.
• There are already multiple dropout recovery campuses serving these communities. This duplicates existing services while creating another taxpayer-funded revenue stream for private investors. And remember this. Once a charter is approved, it is not limited to one campus. After meeting TEA requirements, the Commissioner can approve expansion across Texas without another vote of the State Board of Education. This isn’t just about one school. It is about setting a precedent that allows Wall Street and private equity firms to profit from Texas public education. Please contact your elected State Board of Education member today and ask them to vote NO on the ycharter application. The final vote is Friday morning, June 26. Texas schools should serve students, not investors.