"The
Teacher Retirement System of Texas has hit a
roadblock in its attempt to hire a new outside law
firm, an effort that has drawn sharp criticism from
legislative leaders in both houses. The Texas
attorney general's office has for now refused to
approve the proposed contract with the law firm,
saying there are too many potential conflicts of
interest," the Austin American-Statesman reports.
more
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Who Will Be the U.S. Education
Secretary?
November 18, 2008
New Website for Public Education Data
Texas Education Agency's new website, LONESTAR, provides fast, easy access to Texas K-12 and higher education data, including enrollment, accountability, TAKS and graduation. It displays data using charts and graphs at the state, region, school district and legislative district levels for the five most recent years. more
November 15, 2008
November 14, 2008 The TRS Board met on Nov.14, 2008 and received the annual actuarial report on the solvency of the system as of August 31, 2008. Almost the first thing the actuary said was that because of the plummeting stock market in the last two months the numbers in the annual report are essentially meaningless. As of August 31, 2008 the official report was that TRS had a portfolio value of about $105 Billion and was 90.5% fully funded. That portfolio value dropped to $96 Billion by the end of September and was below $90 Billion at the end of October. TRS only includes 20% of each year’s gains or losses in its annual reports. However the market was so bad in the last year that the $8.7 Billion in deferred investment gains that was reported in 2007 was now $5.3 Billion in deferred losses.
Going into the next session of the legislature the actuary urged caution in adopting any benefit improvements, even another 13th check, unless the legislature was going to fully fund the increase. He pointed out that it would take nearly a 30% increase in the stock market between now and the end of February 2009 to get TRS back to a positive 8% increase for the fiscal year. (TRS provides the legislature a fiscal update at the end of February.)
TRS’ Chief Investment Officer, Britt Harris, acknowledged that this has been the worst October in the history of the stock market and that the market is down over 40% for the last twelve months. He did try to reassure retirees that while they may not get an increase, their current annuities were secure. TRS still has nearly $90 billion and is still getting contributions from the state and active employees to help pay current benefits. He also reminded the Board that since WWII there have been twelve bear markets and the first eleven all ended. This one will too. In fact the average duration of the first 11 was about 14 months and this one has already lasted over a year.
The actuary report on the TRS insurance programs showed that they were in good financial shape at the moment. The furor from GASB 45 has died down but TRS is now reporting the cost of retiree insurance benefits. To fully fund the retiree insurance program would require an infusion of about $1.9 Billion or about a 5% of payroll increase per year in the amount employers are contributing to the fund. TRS has received a letter from the Governor’s Office asking them to reduce travel costs. The board agreed to reduce conference costs by 20% and moved the site for the February TRS Board meeting from Houston back to Austin in order to save money. They did not reduce the travel costs for the investment staff.
The decision about selecting a fiduciary counsel was back on the agenda after the newly hired Cooley firm withdrew from consideration after encountering legislative and AG opposition. TRS re-contacted the other semi-finalists for the position and they were still interested in being considered for the position. James Lee, the chair of the TRS Board, met with Sen. Duncan and even asked Duncan to meet with representatives from one of the firms, Morgan Lewis. After defeating (3-6) a motion to rehire the former fiduciary counsel, the board adopted a motion (7-2) to hire the Morgan Lewis firm.
As part of its efforts to improve communication with members, new Deputy Executive Director, Brian Guthrie, announced that TRS has created an Issue Management Council composed of TRS executive staff. They have already developed two white papers on current financial market conditions and prospective infrastructure investments and put them on the TRS website. They are already planning additional papers on actuarial valuations, investment policies and legislative proposals.
The next Board meeting and committees will meet December 11 and 12, 2008.
Legislative Leaders Allow for Limited New
Money in 2009
The members of the LBB include Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, House Speaker Tom Craddick, Sen. Steve Ogden, Sen. Robert Duncan, Sen. John Whitmire, Sen. Judith Zaffirini, Rep. Warren Chisum, Rep. James Keffer, Rep. Sylvester Turner and newly appointed Rep. Dan Branch. The LBB determined that the estimated rate of growth for the Texas economy from the 2008-09 biennium to 2010-11 biennium was 9.14 percent. Also, the level of appropriations from undedicated revenue during the 2008-09 biennium was $72.9 billion. Therefore, the LBB set the overall undedicated revenue spending limits that can be made during the 2010-11 biennium to $79.6 billion--which means the LBB has tied the Legislature to a modest $6.7 billion infusion of new money for the entire state’s budget next session without any discussion of other available options that would allow for greater spending flexibility.
November 13, 3008
This opportunity has arisen quickly, as members of Congress and their staff have returned following the election to face a continuing economic crisis. While the lame duck session was originally planned to focus narrowly on a series of land bills in the Senate, staff have indicated in recent days that – due to the changing political landscape and ongoing economic concerns – there is a 50 percent chance the Senate may take up pension-related legislation. Background: Congress passed the NEA-opposed Pension Protection Act in 2006 by an overwhelming majority. Since that time, the defined benefit pension system has gone into crisis as a result of the combined impact of the dramatic market downturn and the implementation of the PPA’s new funding rules, which are now beginning to go into effect. Since enactment of the PPA, NEA has been lobbying aggressively for a technical corrections package. In June of this year, the House passed the NEA-supported Pension Protection Technical Corrections Act, which included some critical fixes – most importantly a “smoothing” provision allowing employers to moderate the impact of radical changes in market values that occur over short time periods by taking such changes into account only gradually, over a longer period of time. The economic crisis has highlighted additional fixes necessary to protect defined benefit plans. Therefore, NEA is now urging the Senate to pass a corrections bill that includes a number of other fixes to the PPA. NEA has sent a letter to the Senate outlining our priorities for a technical corrections bill. IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Call your Senators TODAY! Urge the Senate to pass a pension protection technical corrections bill. Provide state-specific information about the impact of the PPA on your pension plan and the fixes you need. Also urge the Senate to include provisions that delay the effective date of the PPA funding rules and modify the PPA funding rules to: • Permit flexible funding elections for the
next two years. ONGOING ACTION NEEDED: Because there is only a 50 percent chance of passing this legislation during the lame duck session, NEA continues to work with congressional staff to lay the groundwork for immediate action in the 111th Congress. This is an extremely important issue for NEA and we understand the urgency for affiliates. We urge you to maintain ongoing contact with your Senators and Representatives as they prepare for the next Congress, to ensure that they understand the impact of the PPA on your state. November 13, 2008 Ector County TSTA/NEA President Chuck Isner reports that employees with direct deposit will receive their scheduled Dec. 31 pay on Dec. 22 instead. The district has arranged with a local credit union for employees who don’t have them to easily open new checking accounts. Isner credits Superintendent Hector Mendez, a veteran educator in Ector County ISD, with implementing the change that benefits members and other employees. He also credits Tonya Tillman and the staff of the district’s payroll department for making the change work.
“As an organization we are frequently quick to call attention to the
problems we find in administration (no matter whose name is on the
door), but I do believe that we should be equally quick to call
attention to the good and positive actions they take. None of us
like to be criticized, but it is always easier to take constructive
criticism from a friend who praises at least as freely and as often,
than from someone who can only find fault,” Isner wrote to Ector
County TSTA/NEA members. While serving on the Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2008, Gallian significantly aided the board in looking after the child care needs of local children. Last year, when the district presented a $282 million bond package to the voters, it included $2 million for a child care center for district employees, an item that she and the board advocated. As a board member, she was one of the first to support the growing trend of school districts providing child care facilities for its employees because as a single mother and educator, Gallian realized early in her career the need to provide child care for teachers. The Virginia Gallian Child Development Center is adjacent to the Ann Windle School for Young Children on Audra Lane. While on the school board, she also pushed for an after-school program for children of working parents that would have a stronger academic component. The district piloted the Extended School Day program in 2002 at E. P. Rayzor Elementary and then extended it to all of the district’s 20 elementary schools. The program now has almost 900 students. Gallian taught music in Denton’s public schools for 25 years, mostly at Ginnings Elementary School. She has participated as a flutist in the Community Band since 1980. As an educator, Gallian lobbied for teachers’ concerns in the classroom and was president of the local chapter of Texas State Teachers Association and served on the Board of Directors for the state organization from 1986-1992.
November 7, 2008 The summit, which is being conducted in conjunction with the Texas High School Project’s annual education conference, will be held at the Austin Hyatt at Town Lake. Some of the nation’s leading experts on dropout prevention, such as Mark Dynarski and Roberto Agodini from Mathematica, will present at the summit. more November 6, 2008 Pressure Forces TRS Fiduciary Counsel to Withdraw
"The outside law firm hired this summer by the Teacher Retirement
System of Texas has withdrawn following objections by key
legislators and the state attorney general’s office," the Austin
American-Statesman's Public Capital blog reports.
more TSTA-Endorsed Candidates Win Overwhelmingly TSTA posted a net gain of three more pro-public education seats in the Texas House of Representatives and one more in the Texas Senate in Tuesday’s voting. Overall, 87.6% of TSTA-endorsed candidates won, 10.08% lost, and 2.33% face definite or possible runoffs. more
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has redesigned its Abuse and Neglect reporting website to make it easier to use, and more integrated with the DFPS public website. The new reporting website will be available about Nov. 16. more November 4, 2008
TSTA President Responds to 2008 Election
Results
"We need a new system of funding public schools that is sufficient to meet the needs of the 21st century and flexible enough to keep pace with the changes our state is experiencing. We need a new accountability system that focuses on overall growth in student performance, that nurtures, rather than punishes, both students and educators, that encourages success rather than instills fear. We need a Teacher Retirement System that is solvent for the long term, that ensures retired educators will have the means to live in the dignity they deserve. TSTA members will be actively involved in helping ensure that lawmakers make the needs of our public schools, students and educators their top priority when the Legislature convenes in January," the TSTA president continued.
November 3, 2008 NEA President Dennis Van Roekel joins the nation in celebrating National American Indian Heritage Month this November. He urged educators, parents and students to commemorate the month by learning more about the rich history and heritage of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Tens of thousands of education voters and their families have already cast their ballots at the polls according to an NEA survey of early voters and returned ballots.
In the swing states of Colorado, North Carolina and Nevada, a quarter of NEA members and their families already cast their ballots. Other critical states such as New Mexico, Ohio and Florida are reporting impressive early voting results as well.
Historically, NEA members have been reliable voters. In the 2004 and
2006 elections, 86 percent and 71 percent of NEA members turned out
to vote, respectively. In contrast, 60.7 percent and 40 percent of
Americans of voting age went to the polls, respectively.
In June, the mansion suffered a devastating fire due to arson. Even
though the building was empty and many of its prized contents in
storage, the building still suffered significant structural and
architectural damage. You can be a part of the effort to rebuild
this historic building. Great or small, each donation to the
restoration fund will make a difference in returning the Governor's
Mansion to its former grandeur.
more Upgrade School Infrastructure to Jump-start Economy
National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel today
called on Congress to invest in school infrastructure as a way to stimulate
the economy and improve student learning during a hearing of the
House Ways and Means Committee on economic recovery, job creation
and investment in America.
“The economic crisis is not only threatening education funding but
is affecting the daily lives of our students and their families,”
Van Roekel said. “Congress needs to take immediate action to help
alleviate the pressure on state budgets and working families.”
On top of that, across the country, public schools are in desperate
need of repair and renovation. Children go to public schools built,
on average, almost 50 years ago. They enter overcrowded buildings
with leaky roofs, faulty electrical systems and outdated technology.
In some cases, classes take place in one of the more than 220,000
portable classrooms in use by public school systems in the United
States. “In a time of economic weakness, we have to act boldly,” Van Roekel said. “Public investments in the nation’s infrastructure can provide short-term stimulus and build the foundation for long-term economic growth. Such investments have shown to have a significant ripple effect on state and local economies.”
According to a recent study, researchers at Rutgers University found
that each $1 million of spending on school construction generates
$467,000 in income, more than $13,000 and $16,000 in state and local
tax revenue, respectively, and $611,000 in gross state product and
local jobs.
A growing body of research supports the relationship between the condition of a school’s facilities and student achievement. Study after study has found a positive correlation between the state of the school, school climate and student achievement. Conversely, a study of a large school district related poor school conditions to poor school performance.
“Clearly, a short-term investment in school infrastructure can have
a long-term impact on our nation’s economic well-being. We urge
Congress to invest in school infrastructure as part of any stimulus
package,” Van Roekel said.
The proposed drafts of the revised science TEKS were released in
September. TEA invites public comment on them, though an online form
or by email, fax or snail mail. Feedback will be forwarded to the
members of the SBOE Science TEKS review committees. Comments
received by the end of October will be used in revision of the first
draft. Additional feedback will be forwarded to members of the
review committees on a regular basis.
more
“More to the point, however, these changes will force states and school districts—which are in the middle of carrying out their plans for the 2008–2009 school year—to scramble to revise major procedures and systems two school years in a row. They deserve better than that unwelcome early holiday gift the Bush administration is leaving behind,” Van Roekel concluded.
U.S. Department of Education officials will discuss the regulations
and answer questions in a live webcast Oct. 30 at noon CT.
more
October 27, 2008 Economic Downturn Hits Permanent School Fund The Texas House Public Education Committee today heard testimony regarding the Permanent School Fund in light of the recent economic crisis. Holland Timmons, the director of the PSF for the State Board of Education and Texas Education Agency, reported on how recent economic events have affected the fund, which has not been immune. The value of the fund managed by SBOE was $23.2 billion at the close of the fiscal year and was $21.3 billion at end of September. At the close of business last week, the fund was valued at $17.5 billion, with a total loss since August more than $5 billion. Timmons noted that the fund is performing in line with or better than comparable funds. He indicated PSF investment managers are trying to add greater diversity within the fund. In response to questions about using the PSF to guarantee local bonds, Timmons reported that the fund is allowed to guarantee 2.5 times its value. It is being used to guarantee more than $50 billion in local bonds and has another $1.4 billion in requests that are being processed. The law requires TEA to keep 5% of the fund in reserve, and so, based on the last official valuation of the fund, in August, it has only about $2.2 billion capacity left to guarantee future bonds. The Texas General Land Office, which manages a small portion of the fund, also testified regarding its part in the management of the PSF. The current value of that part of the fund is $1.88 billion. Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson testified about the bifurcation of the PSF. He talked about the unwieldy system that has one fund, with part of it administered by the General Land Office and part of it administered by the SBOE. Patterson said this is a very inefficient management system. He encouraged the committee to allow the GLO to be responsible for real estate investments and not allow the SBOE to invest in that arena. Several members of the SBOE testified that the Legislature ought to have the GLO send the earnings on its portion of the PSF to the SBOE so this revenue could be included in the total return system now being used to determine how much money each year would be spent on textbooks and sent to school districts to help fund the cost of the foundation school program. --Jack Kelly and Portia Bosse, Government Relations Specialists. October 24, 2008 TEA Releases Final 2008 State Accountability Ratings Accountability appeals boosted the ratings of six school districts and 27 campuses, final results show. After appeals, four campuses moved up to an Exemplary rating and eight campuses moved up to a Recognized rating, while 15 campuses and five districts managed to upgrade their Academically Unacceptable rating. However, ratings remained unchanged for most districts and campuses. Overall, 33 of the 75 districts or campuses that submitted appeals were granted. more
Raise Your Hand Texas Seeks Accountability
Reform
Accountability Panel Holds Final Scheduled
Session
"Don't be fooled by e-mails saying that if you vote a straight Democratic ticket, you must also vote for Barack Obama to have the presidential selection counted. In reality, if you select the straight Democratic ticket and also select a candidate, the machine will interpret that as deselecting that candidate. A straight-ticket vote goes for every candidate of that party on the ballot.," The Dallas Morning News reports. more
The situation is more complicated for straight-ticket voters in three areas of Texas. Special elections are being held concurrent with the general election to fill vacant seats in Senate District 17 (parts of Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Jefferson counties), House District 55 (part of Bell County) and House District 81 (Andrews, Ector and Winkler counties). If you live in one of those areas and vote a straight party ticket, you also need to vote for a candidate your district's special election. Straight-ticket votes will not count in those special elections, according to the secretary of state's office. This is the only exception to the straight-ticket voting information above from the secretary of state's office and The Dallas Morning News.
October 20, 2008
Education Committee Tackles Dropout Rate, Other
Issues
TSTA President Encourages Members to
Vote
"The 2008 election is historic. It is the first time a major
party has nominated an African American for president and only the
second time a major party has nominated a woman for vice president.
The election will result in the nation’s first African-American
president or its first woman vice president.
NASA Offers Learning Opportunities for
Teachers
October 16, 2008
October 14, 2008 TEA Releases Federal Adequate Yearly Progress Results Seventy-five percent of Texas schools and 66 percent of school districts met federal Adequate Yearly Progress standards in 2008, the Texas Education Agency reported today. more TEA Will Seek Funding Hike for Adult Basic Education The Texas Senate Education Committee met on Tuesday, Oct. 14, to review the state’s Adult Basic Education program, emphasizing ways to advance literacy in Texas in order to promote economic and individual development and to review the coordination of adult education services among state agencies and the availability and accessibility of state and federal funding. Ray Glenn, the deputy commissioner for school district leadership and educator quality at the Texas Education Agency and the agency’s point person on Adult Basic Education, told the committee that Commissioner Robert Scott intends to ask the 81 st Legislature for $50 million in funding for ABE for the coming biennium. This would enable Texas to obtain more funding from the federal government and to make greater progress toward developing a skilled work force, which is essential to remaining competitive in the global economy. The state’s P-16 Council will meet to discuss roles and plans for ABE, with each agency (TEA, the Coordinating Board for Higher Education and the Workforce Commission) having a key role in the effort. Raymund Paredes, the commissioner of higher education, told the committee that Texas has historically underestimated the use of adult basic education in meeting education and work force goals. Texas can’t reach either goal without tapping into the vast pool of adult workers who are undertrained and undereducated. Only 100,000 of the 5.4 million Texans who are eligible for ABE services actually receive them. More than 21% of Texas adults have less than a high school diploma, compared with 14.8% nationally. More than 1.2 million people in Texas speak English poorly or do not speak English at all. Texas has the third-highest percentage of adults needing ABE of any state in the country. With the advanced funding Commissioner Scott is seeking, the state’s coordinated ABE effort would focus on giving adults basic literacy skills tied directly to shortages in the work force. Areas of the state that have particular work force needs would be identified, and workers trained to fill those needs. The goal is to give adults the basic literacy skills they need to be able to hold jobs. The state later could focus on additional literacy skills. The three agencies intend to have a plan developed before the 2009 session begins. They plan to use community colleges as to deliver this ABE training. Susie Painter, the director of the Christian Life Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, said adult basis education is a major emphasis for for her organization. Parents who take one step in learning bring along a second generation. Other states do a much better job of funding ABE than Texas. This state needs more community-based adult learning centers that are accessible, in the middle of communities, where children see their parents go to learn. Texas needs an affordable system to transition students from GED to college readiness and more emphasis on such areas as GED-plus developmental courses, bridge programs, ESL-plus and ESL-technology. Sheila de Leon of the Legislative Budget Board’s Higher Education Performance Review Team gave the committee an overview of performance review of the state’s ABE effort. She said the state agencies have had some difficulties in setting adequate goals and in reporting and sharing data. She added that today’s testimony indicates that they are making good progress in those areas and are on the way to achieving important goals. Adelina Silva, the Alamo Community College District’s vice chancellor for student success, told the committee about a local ABE effort that uses collaboration between state agencies and local programs and creates connections among local programs to work together better, align programs and avoid duplication. One component is training instructors in GED programs to drive students to think beyond GED: employment, work force training, going to college. Katherine Moser, the dean of transitional education and professional development at the College of the Mainland, told the committee that Texas needs a substantial increase in ABE funding. She recommended using this to combine basic skills of literacy with vocational training and with technical training for in-demand jobs., to target training that meets employee needs, to provide literacy education and work with post-secondary providers to provide curriculum and instruction to produce workers for job-in-demand occupations to earn a living wage. This will increase Texas’ skilled work force and bolster state economy. In public testimony, Wanda Garza, the executive officer for workforce development and external affairs at South Texas College, supported Commissioner Scott’s $50 million request for adult basic education and applauded the three agencies for coming together. She recommended that the state use some funding to create a Texas Competitiveness Advantage Program. Economic prosperity in communities is driven by per capita income. Higher education equals higher income. ABE is vital to help build the economy. Dropout recovery programs are important. Partnerships between school districts and community colleges are a way to do this, aligning with college readiness. Jon Engel, the chair of the Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, identified three fundamental needs for adult basic education. First, access. Adults are not necessarily comfortable going to high schools for classes. Out-of-district tuition is an issue with community colleges. Creating adult learning centers in more rural communities and interlocal agreements about out-of-district tuition could help. The prior knowledge of ABE students is very limited. Building a counseling component into ABE would help with that. Household budgets are tremendously constrained. The state needs ways not to strain the budgets of students who are undertaking post-GED college coursework. --Joe Bean, Public Affairs Specialist. Senate Panels’ Joint Meeting Reviews School Funding The Texas Senate Education Committee met jointly with the Texas Senate Subcommittee on Property Appraisal and Revenue Caps on Tuesday, Oct. 14, to review the current property tax rates at school districts, explore what mechanisms may exist to prevent any future constitutional funding challenges, and review any funding issues that are particular to certain types of school districts, such as fast growth districts. In addition, the joint meeting discussed the practice of school districts approving budgets contingent on the passage of a rate-rollback election. Sen. Robert Duncan R-Lubbock, talked about cost drivers and said he wants to give districts flexibility to meet staffing needs rather than provide across-the-board pay raises. Throughout the course of the meeting, he repeatedly spoke against across-the-board pay raises and for giving district greater discretion on how to spend money on salaries. Education Committee Chair Florence Shapiro, R-Plano said the Legislature needs to marry financial accountability to academic accountability. She also said something needs to be done on school funding in the next session as a temporary bridge. But total re-evaluation of all funding formulas won’t come until at least 2010. That task is not feasible before then, she said. Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, said hmeowners and businesses see property taxes going up, while districts say they’re running out of money. Helen Daniels, the director of state funding at the Texas Education Agency reviewed revenue targets for districts and the additional allotments districts receive from the state. Current formulas are not working related to the revenue coming in, she said, and state funding appears to be arbitrary, not related to local tax rates. Lynn Moak of Moak Casey and Associates, a school finance consulting firm, said Texas public schools will spend about $35 billion this year. Fixing school funding is a continuing obligation the state faces every two years. He reviewed standards of state funding responsibilities for public schools and said the state need to return to formula principles as soon as possible because they are out of whack now. Formulas are outdated, many going back to the 1990s. The Legislature needs to conduct thorough review of formulas as part of overall school finance reform. State guarantees of revenue per student are disparate from district to district, ranging at least a couple of thousand dollars. Disparity causes problems with equity and adequacy. Moak said raising floor on target revenues would address adequacy. He recommended raising the floor up to about $5,000 per weighted student at $1 local tax rate to begin to address equity. The Legislature also should make overall adjustment for salaries and energy costs for all districts. A common feature of many districts having tax rate elections this year is that they have low target revenue. Revenue system’s flat revenue guarantee does not allow adjustments for increasing costs, including competitive salaries. He recommended one- or two-time adjustment in target revenue per student to address that in next biennium. He further recommended raising the high school allotment closer to $500 level, from current insufficient $275. This would boost curriculum for college readiness. Finally, Moak recommended adjusting the school budging process to allow districts to hold TREs in either May or November. David Thompson III, who practices school law at Bracewell Giuliani, said the state’s higher standards are cost drivers. The delivery model of public schools is labor intensive with increasing needs. Thompson emphasized that the industrial assembly line doesn’t serve different learning styles. The ultimate question of adequacy under the Texas Constitution is whether districts have adequate resources to meet higher standards the state has established. Growth models rather than single high-stakes test will affect that. Sen..Shapiro, who is also a co-chair of the select committee on accountability, advocated the use of growth model to improve the Texas accountability system. Sarah Winkler, the president-elect of the board of directors of the Texas Association of School Boards and the president of the Alief ISD school board, told the joint meeting that the timing of TREs is a problem. Allowing a May election date would make more sense. She urged the Legislature to allow two more discretionary pennies without voter approval and said districts need regular funding adjustments for inflation. The way we’re doing school finance now doesn’t make logical sense to our public. The Legislature needs to make the system more understandable to the public, few of whom know about technical issues such as target revenue, what a district keeps and what the state gets, or TREs. The biggest cost driver is the need for competitive salaries. John Fuller, the superintendent of Wylie ISD and the vice president of the Texas Association of School Administrators, said his district is a growing one that has had a stable tax rate over several years because of a growing economy and student body. It has benefited from state allotments and compressed tax rates. Yet it has had to schedule a tax rate election for Nov. 4 because it needs to be more competitive on salaries. Wylie ISD is losing some quality teachers. The superintendent warned that his district – or any district – can’t rely on the fund balance for too long to cover recurring costs. A pay raise is contingent on passage of the TRE. The Wylie school board had to adopt two salary schedules, one with the TRE passing, one with the TRE failing. The district’s 2009-10 budget will be difficult if TRE fails. The staff will have to be cut, by attrition and by not hiring new teachers to meet student growth. Fuller asked the Legislature to look at allowing a May date for TREs, which would help districts with their budget planning process. Lisa Dawn-Fisher, the deputy associate commissioner for school finance at TEA, reviewed the statutory requirements and timelines for budgets and TREs. George Torres, the deputy superintendent of Northside ISD in San Antonio, testified on the specific needs of fast-growth districts. He urged the Legislature not to not consider revenue or appraisal caps that would increase the difficulty districts have in funding their needs. --Joe Bean, Public Affairs Specialist. October 13, 2008 Linden-Kildare Local Backs Area State Representative The Linden-Kildare Education Association, an affiliate of the Texas State Teachers Association and the National Education Association, recently announced their endorsement for state representative for Texas House District 1, Stephen Frost. Pictured in the photo of the presentation of a check from TSTA PAC, which ran in the Cass County Sun, were Dora Richardson, Billie Ruth Hankins, Sharron Henderson, Becky Cerliano, Rep. Stephen Frost, John Horton, Anne Gomez, Ella Jackson and Gail Dorgan. Election Excitement Builds on Texas Campuses "Millennials' record numbers at the polls during this year's primaries signaled that their turnout on Nov. 4 could be momentous, according to a study by the Harvard University Institute of Politics The number of voters between 18 and 29 years old tripled in the last few months of the primary and caucus contests in Texas, Iowa, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi and Oklahoma and quadrupled in Tennessee, according to a study by the institute.," the Austin American-Statesman reports. more Under No Child Left Behind, Even Solid Schools Falter "Across the nation, far more schools failed to meet the federal law’s testing targets than in any previous year, according to new state-by-state data. And in California and some other states, the problem traces in part to the fact that officials chose to require only minimal gains in the first years after the law passed and then very rapid annual gains later. One researcher likens it to the balloon payments that can sink homebuyers," The New York Times reports. more October 10, 2008 TEA Prepares for Base Realignment Enrollment Changes Military base realignments and closures will bring thousands of new families to Texas and trigger an enrollment surge in school districts in the El Paso, San Antonio and Killeen areas. To assist districts in preparing for this growth surge, Commissioner of Education Robert Scott today announced his intent to transfer up to $300,000 to three Education Service Centers to fund additional field service agents. Field service agents are problem solvers who serve as liaisons between service centers and school districts. more SBEC Lowers Alternative Certification Standards…Again The State Board for Educator Certification met Oct. 10. The board approved changes to certification rules that halve the number of hours of actual in-class observation for alternative certification from 30 to 15. It also allowed for a 10 percent exception to the required 2.5 GPA for teaching candidates using alternative certification. The board also implemented new restrictions on public testimony, as well. A coalition of agencies that advocate for blind children asked the board to eliminate the certification by testing system for visually impaired children. Much anecdotal information was given regarding the damage done to students who are taught by under-prepared, ineffective teachers, as well as the benefits of traditionally certified teachers. Their plea was disregarded, as no board member would so much as make a motion to this issue. The board approved a motion allowing Region IV to develop a certification program for Mandarin Chinese. Members also approved a consolidated, EC-12 bilingual education supplemental examination, making bilingual certification possible for all levels of teachers with a single test (this, in effect, reduces the number of bilingual tests). The board considered a proposal for a legislative agenda as approved by its legislative committee. It adopted this legislative agenda: Administrative Subpoena Power; Educator Preparation Program Accountability; and Reporting Procedures for Districts. The board adopted this vague legislative agenda out of concern that anything more would be perceived as lobbying the Legislature, which is in violation of state law. Christi Pogue, the chair of the legislative committee, outlined the problems associated with these issues. Texas Education Agency staff perceive that more reporting is required as districts and superintendents are not reporting educator and administrator misconduct as required by rule and that this failure to report results in bad educators going from one district to another with no record of their prior bad history. TEA staff has also conveyed to the SBEC that investigations are hindered because they cannot get the proper documents they need because of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the confidentiality of teacher evaluations. Portia Bosse, TSTA Governmental Relations Specialist, testified that the agenda proposed for harsher district reporting requirements is unnecessary. The law already mandates reporting of certified personnel when certain acts are discovered. To broaden the reporting requirements could frustrate the ability of districts and educators to resolve disputes at the local level for acts that are currently not required to be reported. Also, making this law stricter is not needed when no enforcement is currently being done for failure to report. Bosse also testified that administrative subpoena power is not warranted. TEA can get documents for investigations through the Open Records Act and through the State Office of Administrative Hearings process. To allow a licensing board to have subpoena power circumvents the legal process by not providing appropriate due process. The concern is that since the subpoena is not attached to a judicial tribunal, there is no remedy to contest the subpoena if it violates privacy law or is burdensome or harassing in nature. Bosse cautioned the SBEC is asking for more authority from the Texas Legislature and also provided written testimony on the current state of the law. SBEC approved the legislative agenda with Bonny L. Cain, Board Chair, and Janie Baszile voting against the motion. --Paul Henley, Teaching and Learning Specialist TRS Will Hold Fall Report Card Tour on Oct. 21 in Austin The Teacher Retirement System of Texas will hold its “Fall 2008 Report Card Tour" to enhance communication with members. This is an opportunity for TRS members to meet with key TRS executives and board members face to face in an informal setting and hear about the new investment strategy and other important issues, as well as ask any questions members might have. The event will be Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 6 to 8 p.m., in the TRS cafeteria at 1000 Red River in Austin. The meeting will begin with a presentation, followed by Q&A. For more information, please call 512-542-2856. For general information about benefits and other TRS news, please visit www.trs.state.tx.us. TEA Warns that TAKS Rewards May Violate Privacy Laws "Pizza parties, field trips and other rewards – including cash – for students who pass the TAKS may be in violation of federal privacy laws for students," The Dallas Morning News reported. "Confidential test score results may have been directly or indirectly disclosed." more
Newspaper Asks if TRS Is Too Eager to Take on
More Risk
September 25, 2008 For the first time, schools receiving a High School Redesign and Restructuring (HSRR) grant will be able to choose from a list of educational consultants to help implement their redesign plan. The HSRR program provides grant funds to high school campuses rated Academically Unacceptable under the state’s accountability rating system to implement innovative, schoolwide initiatives to improve student performance on the campus. more September 24, 2008 Keep the Texas Clean School Bus Program Growing In 2005, the Texas Legislature established the Texas Clean School Bus Program and in 2007 funded it with a portion of the dedicated revenues from the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan. During the first grant cycle, 51 school districts around the state received funds to retrofit about 2,600 buses. Clean buses are healthier for students riding them, their drivers and the environment. Read the letter from TSTA and more than a dozen other Texas organizations supporting the Texas Clean School Bus Program. Read the fact sheet about the program from Public Citizen. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced on August 15, 2008, that it is accepting applications for funding to retrofit school buses. The retrofits will reduce emissions and create a healthier environment for children riding the buses. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis through December 15, 2008, as funds are available. more September 23, 2008 Information for Voters in Areas Hit by Hurricane Ike Voters displaced by Hurricane Ike may not be certain of their future living arrangements, either short or long term. Voters who have been displaced have several options for voting in the November election, according to the Elections Division of Texas secretary of state's office. more TEA Posts Hurricane-Related Frequently Asked Questions The Texas Education Agency has posted FAQ: Education Services for Students Evacuated Due to Hurricane Ike. This also includes information for school employees in areas hit by Ike, such as staffing, accountability and textbooks. more
Districts Hit by Ike Can Obtain Surplus
Federal Property |