Reading Across America
Caught wearing Read Across America ties at Frankford Middle School in Plano are Karl Gscheidle, Tom
Demetrion and  Patrick Davis.

March 12, 2010
Ridiculous…
The State Board of Education worked its way through dozens of amendments to the social studies TEKS curriculum on Thursday, with the right wing prevailing on most votes throughout the day. 

Cynthia Dunbar and her conservative wing-mates worked successfully on a series of amendments to minimize any separation of church and state characterization in the curriculum standards. One observer termed it “death by a thousand little cuts.” And, Dunbar’s fellow lameduck conservative leader, Don McLeroy, offered his revisions to civil rights history. 

Other “highlights” included: 

• Offering some questionable amendments during discussion of the World History TEKS, Barbara Cargill publicly announced that she had a black friend in Memphis and has another friend who adopted a black baby. Mavis Knight responded, “We may have come a long way, but we haven’t arrived,” adding that Cargill’s “true colors were starting to show through.” Mary Helen Berlanga held back tears, and Geraldine Miller spoke of discrimination against Jews.

• In Psychology, the board could not find a place to list Sigmund Freud as a significant figure. 

• In Sociology, Cargill advocated adding Robert Nisbet to the list of important figures. Although nobody seemed to know who Nisbet was, her motion passed 6 – 3. Cargill then removed a TEKS provision that differentiated between sex and gender and their roles in society. “Sex is how we are born anatomically, and this, gender, how we appear in public as a man or a woman,” she said. She said the language was an opening to the study of “transvestites, transsexuals, or whatever.” Other board members seemed confused about how the standard treated the changing roles of men and woman in society, and some members said that such a subject merited discussion in modern high schools. Cargill responded that she had typed on “the Google” the words, sex, gender and social constructs and had received disgusting results. The amendment was passed on a record vote. It should be noted that an actual Google search resulted in articles from Lafayette University, Stanford, Duke, and the National Institutes of Health but produced no graphic content.

• The board spent much of the afternoon removing Hispanics from the curriculum standards and replacing them with others. One key example was replacing painter Santa Barraza with Fred Avery, the creator of Daffy Duck.

At 7:35 p.m., McLeroy delivered the civil rights amendment set that everyone had been expecting. The inflammatory wording was mediated by Bob Craig, who convinced McLeroy to remove the words, “…and unrealistic expectations for equal outcomes.” McLeroy also offered language on the “adversarial approach taken by many civil rights groups…” During heated discussion, McLeroy couldn’t name any adversarial black groups. So his right wing-mates finally settled on the Black Panthers as the adversarial group to use for comparison. 

The board took a short break, and four of the five Democratic members left. With this attrition, the far right offered multiple amendments, which passed without serious opposition.  “Democratic society” was changed to “representative government” throughout the entire TEKS. Following this vote, Dunbar changed her mind, and “Societies with Representative Government,” will now be listed throughout all Social Studies TEKS instead.  All this was based on the whim of Dunbar. Craig motioned to adjourn, but the motion failed.  

At that point, Don McLeroy took over with nine amendments. “There are no ethnic Americans” he declared. Patricia Hardy noted one amendment was the most poorly written amendment she had ever seen. Hip-hop was removed and replaced by country music as culturally important. No amendment was rejected, with most votes, 8-3. 

Staff cannot have all changes prepared by Friday, so the board will vote on a nebulous document. -- Paul Henley

March 11, 2010
TRS-ActiveCare PPO benefits, premiums to change
On September 1, 2010, TRS-ActiveCare PPO benefits and monthly premiums will change. Premiums will increase by approximately 7%. For TRS ActiveCare 1-HD, the new premiums will be as follows: Employee Only will go from $245 to $262 (a 6.9% increase); Employee + Spouse will go from $600 to $642 (a 7.0% increase); Employee + Child(ren) will go from $382 to $409 (a 7.1% increase); and Employee + Family will go from $785 to $840 (a 7.0% increase). 

For TRS ActiveCare 1, the new premiums will be as follows: Employee Only will go from $278 to $297 (a 6.8% increase); Employee + Spouse will go from $633 to $677 (a 7.0% increase); Employee + Child(ren) will go from $443 to $474 (a 7.0% increase); and Employee + Family will go from $697 to $746 (a 7.0% increase). 

For TRS ActiveCare 2, the new premiums will be as follows: Employee Only will go from $370 to $396 (a 7.0% increase); Employee + Spouse will go from $842 to $901 (a 7.0% increase); Employee + Child(ren) will go from $589 to $630 (a 7.0% increase); and Employee + Family will go from $926 to $991 (a 7.0% increase). 

For TRS ActiveCare 3, the new premiums will be as follows: Employee Only will go from $498 to $533 (a 7.0% increase); Employee + Spouse will go from $1,134 to $1,213 (a 7.0% increase); Employee + Child(ren) will go from $794 to $850 (a 7.1% increase); and Employee + Family will go from $1,247 to $1,334 (a 7.0% increase). 

The premium rates do not include employer subsidies of at least $225 per employee per month. 

For all TRS-ActiveCare PPO plans, the allowable amount for out-of-network provider services, before the applicable deductibles and coinsurance are applied, will be 50% of the out-of-network provider’s billed charges. Currently, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas determines this amount. 

For TRS-ActiveCare 1-HD, the individual and family deductibles will increase from $2,300 to $2,400. 

For TRS-ActiveCare 1, the individual deductibles will increase from $1,150 per individual to $1,200 per individual. 

For TRS-ActiveCare 2, the primary care copay will increase from $25 to $30, and the specialist care copay increases from $35 to $50. -- John Grey

Board considers grants to use public school data
The Joint Advisory Board Texas Education Research Centers (ERC) met in Austin this week to review and approve additional grant proposals requesting the use of Texas data on public school students and employees of public schools.  No identifying information comes with the data and is encrypted.   

This committee has been working to approve grants which use this data for specified studies as outlined by the grantee for approximately 18 months.  The findings for the initial proposals granted should begin to come before the committee sometime this year. 

The following proposals were granted by the committee: 

1.                  UT Austin Proposal – Examining Differential Outcome Trajectories of Similarly Qualified Latino Students/Beginning Postsecondary Education at Community Colleges versus Less-Selective Four Year Universities.

2.                  UT Dallas Proposal  - Retirement Patterns of Educators Participating in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

3.                  UT Dallas Proposal – Effects of Grade Retention in Texas on Student Academic Performance and School Completion.

4.                  UT Dallas Proposal – Effects of Non-Promotional Mobility in Texas on Student Academic Performance and School Completion.

5.                  UT Dallas Proposal – Measuring the effectiveness of online instruction in developmental math and English courses in Texas community colleges.

6.                  UT Dallas Proposal – Impact of Youth Village Programs on School Performance of Juveniles in Placement.

7.                  UT Dallas Proposal – Middle School Brain Years Project: TAKS Correlates of Abstract Reasoning Abilities.

8.                  UT Dallas Proposal – Longitudinal Studies of Student Test Scores.

9.                  UT Dallas Proposal – Peer Effects from Students with Limited English Proficiency: How Does Sharing a Classroom with LEP Students Affect Native English Speakers? 

The ERC will meet again on June 9. -- Portia Bosse

House Appropriations hears testimony on budget
The House Appropriations Committee conducted an interim hearing to receive invited testimony on the current state of the state budget deficit and projected revenue shortfalls.  The Comptroller and Legislative Budget Board testified regarding the probable need for a supplemental budget bill at the beginning of next session due to the structural deficit Texas is facing. 

The Texas Comptroller’s Office testified first on the economy.  The report given stated that there is a further decline in jobs in the nation by 8.4 million making the U.S. unemployment rate unchanged at 9.7%.  At the start of 2008 until January of 2009 the pace of unemployment quickened to 50,000 jobs per month.  In January of this year, Texas added slightly over 30,000 jobs.  This has been a slow process to add jobs back in Texas but the jobs are coming two-thirds from firms that are temporary help firms.  In Texas, the unemployment rate is at 8.2% at the current time. 

The sales tax rundown given showed that in 2008 sales tax revenue started to slow down and in 2009 it went negative.  Currently, it is down 13.1% which is over the 10% that was built in to the budget.  The expectation is that the first part of this year it would continue to be weak but by second half of year, the revenue stream would start to get stronger again as expectations are that the economy is coming out of the recession.  As we move into recovery the expectation is that we will have the same revenue as last year but will eventually build to an increase from that status. 

The Rainy Day Fund by the end of this biennium will be $8.2 billion and it is $7.6 billion currently.   

The LBB testified regarding how Texas balances its budget and stated that the estimated shortfall is around $11 billion.  It was acknowledge that the LBB estimate is a low estimate as Texas paid $87 billion general revenue budget with $75 billion dollars and used $6.4 billion of federal stimulus money to pay for things normally paid for by general revenue.  Thus, Texas first has to fill in the $6.4 billion to meet the levels of funding for the next biennium.  It is expected that the Permanent School Fund will be healthy enough to make a transfer next budget cycle.  The LBB made it clear that this results in an $11 billion shortfall making the deficit larger than the Rainy Day Fund.   

Texas has also seen the lowest property growth value in some time with 1.3% growth versus double digit growth seen in the past.  The LBB made it clear that growing student population can no longer be offset by property growth. 

The LBB explained that the 5% budget reductions across state agencies will turn into $1.7 billion in savings.  This is based on lower projected revenue for this biennium and what will carry over to the next session budget mark up.  The intent is to give agencies the opportunity to start slowing down spending to deal with these shortfalls.  $570 million of savings comes this year, and $1.2 billion is for FY 2011.  Several agencies including TEA testified specifically to its 5% reduction and the impact.  The following are the most frequently found cuts to meet the 5% reduction: 

• Hiring freeze/vacancy savings

• Savings from fewer grant applications

• Travel reductions

• Deferring capital (purchases and new capital projects)

• Finance/method of finance swaps (keep revenue and use instead of GR)

• Reduce FTEs and agency run programs

• Reduce programs contracted out

• Reduce programs with non-profits

• Reducing rates to vendors

There are a few exempt items from the 5% current budget cuts as follows:

• Foundation School Program

• ERS and TRS (does not include insurance)

• Medicaid Program

• Debt Services

• Constitutional Funds 

TEA testified regarding its 5% reduction as follows:   

$52 billion exempt from 5% requirement.  Only have $2.7 billion available for the 5% reduction.  No cuts to developmentally disabled or most fragile section of our public school children, or disciplinary programs.   

Foundation school program is about $80 million short right now but can be recovered when the economy gets better.  Lack of property growth could be the culprit but student growth is not as high as originally estimated by TEA.  However, TEA projects the increase in student growth will not be covered by property growth due to the lack of property value growth.   

The agency will look at duplicity of effort, program effectiveness and program demands in its effort to cut the budget.  TEA did not offer any details regarding specific cuts being made to its budget.  However, one cut being made as identified by the Appropriations Committee is to the “Life Skills for Student Parents” funding.  Concern was shown by several members that these parent/students would have to quit school if this funding was cut. 

The Education Sub-Committee intends to meet to review all the cuts being made to the TEA budget in the near future. 

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board also testified regarding its cuts.  The Board testified that 5% reduction amounts to $1.46 billion for the biennium and 72% of that money relates to financial aid and the remaining 28% will be from the agencies operating budget.  The three guiding principles used in making the reductions were to minimize reductions impacting students; preserve the most effective programs and closing the gaps; and to avoid across the board cuts. 

The Board identified “Closing the Gaps” as the most important piece of the agencies work and it is about five years from its goal.  Colleges and universities are seeing the highest enrollment in history this year so cuts to financial aid will be prioritized. -- Portia Bosse

March 10, 2010
State Board of Education report (and it's only Wednesday)
The State Board of Education met as the Committee of the Full Board at 9 a.m. to discuss the Permanent School Fund (PSF). A representative from NEPC, the PSF’s custodian was present. He presented on the PSF’s current status and options. Board members held the representative accountable for unclear and conflicting information. The testimony and ensuing discussion took over an hour.  

After adjournment of the PSF meeting, the board reconvened at roughly 11 a.m. The board passed on final adoption the TEKS for English Language Arts electives without incident.

The Liberty Foundation (formerly the Free Market Foundation) held a press conference in the lobby to decry revisionist history, including the removal of Christmas from the TEKS (the holiday had been restored half a year ago). This was followed by another demonstration by students at the University of Texas, who arrived in yellow suits declaring themselves “Students for a smarter State Board of Education.” Fox News was chastised by TEA for inaccuracies on it’s “Fox and Friends” morning television show. The agency listed each statement from Fox, followed by “Truth:” statements. 

Testimony began with Rep. Dan Flynn and Rep. Wayne Christian. Testimony, allegedly limited to two hours, became a protracted listening exercise that included, among others, testimony accusing Governor Rick Perry as a Zionist and testimony that Lyndon Johnson assassinated John F. Kennedy. The chair has been inconsistent regarding the amount of public testimony that is taken by the board at any given meeting. Thus, there is no way of knowing how long any meeting will last. 

One speaker called for the 2009-2010 Tea Party movement to be added. Mercer agreed. Rep. Eddie Rodriguez followed this testimony. There was an argument regarding whether Dolores Huerta had been removed. Apparently, she had been. The meeting went on into the evening, and Oscar Romero was also rejected.  Amendments included Medieval European capitalism and the addition of a placeholder TEKS, which can be used to add names at a later date (presumably on Friday). 

At 8:45 p.m. the board became weary enough to postpone further action until 9 a.m. tomorrow.--Paul Henley

March 9, 2010
Watch webcast of February TRS meeting
The Teacher Retirement System's Feb. 23-25 meetings in Katy were videotaped for the purposes of creating a webcast that  members and other interested parties can view at their leisure.  Agenda items are individually listed in a catalogue; simply click on a specific item to view. more
 

NEA to Congress: ‘Economic recovery starts in classroom’
Recovery of the American economy will not be possible unless education becomes a higher priority, the president of the nation’s largest labor union said in testimony before a Senate committee today. 

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel told members of the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions there is an inextricable link between investing in education and building a strong, competitive nation.  

“An investment in education is the long-term answer to solving America’s economic woes,” Van Roekel said.  “Higher earnings of educated workers mean higher tax payments at the local, state and federal levels. Investing in education will help prevent harmful cuts in programs, preserve jobs and reduce soaring unemployment rates.” 

Van Roekel’s testimony comes as Congress gets ready to revise the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), more commonly known as the No Child Left Behind Act. NEA has developed guidelines for changing the law so it helps schools improve education and close achievement gaps. 

“Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce,” Van Roekel said. “We must address the opportunity gaps to strengthen our economy and build the educated workforce necessary to compete in the global economy of the 21st century. We cannot leave a generation of students behind by continuing to deny them the best education this country has to offer.”  

“Children are not experiments,” he said.  “Policies on accountability, assessments and transforming low performing schools into great public schools should follow research—not dogma.” 

For more information about NEA’s position on ESEA, visit http://www.nea.org/esea.

To read more about NEA’s 2008 Priority Schools by 2020 white paper, visit: http://www.nea.org/home/11041.htm.  

For more information on the Department of Education’s announcement, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/news/press
releases/2010/03/03082010a.html.  

March 5, 2010
Apply for a fully-funded Galapagos trip
Apply now for the 2010 Toyota International Teacher Program to the Galapagos Islands, a fully-funded professional development program for U.S. educators. The program aims to advance environmental stewardship and global connectedness in U.S. schools and communities. It takes place Nov. 20-Dec.4, and the deadline to apply is May 26. Full-time classroom teachers and librarians of all subjects for grades 6 -12 are eligible to apply.  more

March 4, 2010
Looking for Read Across America Videos
Post your video on SchoolTube’s Read Across America channel. more

NEA's Read Across America contest
Do you think you had the best event in the country? Send your entry form and supporting materials to NEA's Read Across America Awards, 1201 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 by April 20.Winners in each category receive $250. more

March 3, 2010
Runoff elections: the dates and our endorsements
With several House races yet to be decided, here is what you need to know about voting in the upcoming runoff elections.

You cannot vote in a runoff election if you voted in a different primary. So if, for example, you voted in the Democratic Primary, you can’t vote in a Republican Primary runoff, and if you voted in the Republican Primary, you can’t vote in the Democratic Primary runoff. If you did not vote in either primary, you can vote in either runoff. If you are not registered to vote, you have until March 15 to register to vote in the runoff election.

Early voting is from April 5 to April 9, and Election Day is April 13. TSTA has endorsed candidates in the following House run-off elections: District 66 Mabrie Jackson, 76 Norma Chavez, 83 Delwin Jones, 84 Mark Griffin and 127 Dan Huberty.    

Final results on TSTA races (5:30 a.m.)

Twenty TSTA-recommended candidates won outright, five lost and five will be in a run-off election. Here are the official results:

Congress
15 Ruben Hinojosa (Won)
18 Sheila Jackson Lee (Won)
23 Ciro D. Rodriguez (Won)

Free webinars on RTI
The federally-funded National Center on Response to Intervention (RTI) recently announced the following schedule of webinars on topics related to RTI. NEA serves on the Center’s advisory board and is pleased to be able to offer these free resources to our members and affiliates.  www.rti4success.org 

March 3, 2:00pm EST, RTI and Instructional Coaching: An Overview, Dr. Jim Knight

April 29, 2:00pm EST, RTI for English Language Learners: Appropriate Screening, Progress Monitoring, and Instructional Planning, Dr. Julie Brown, Dr. Amanda Sanford, and Erin Lolich

May 6, 2:00 pm EST, Using RTI to Identify Students with Learning Disabilities, Dr. Evelyn Johnson

Results (1 a.m.)
From information from the Secretary of State and other sources, here is what the races where the PAC made a recommendation look like. Please check the web site tomorrow for complete and official results.

March 2, 2010
Latest results (11:50 p.m.)

Gooden upsets incumbent Brown (11:28 p.m.)
Lance Gooden who was backed by TSTA just upset incumbent Betty Brown (HD 4) by 100 votes. Look for a recount in this one.

House incumbents in trouble (10:30 p.m.)
In the House, incumbents are in trouble on both sides of the aisle. Incumbent Democrats Dora Olivo (HD 27) and Tara Rios Yabarra (HD 43) are losing and Norma Chavez (HD 76) appears to be heading for a run-off. All are endorsed candidates. On the Republican side, TSTA-backed Tommy Merritt (HD 7) is behind and Delwin Jones (HD 83) will be in a run off.

White cruises to victory, will face Perry in November (9:30)

Bill White, who was endorsed early by TSTA, had a landslide win in the Democratic Primary for governor. Kay Bailey Hutchison has conceded to Rick Perry in the Republican Primary, so White will be facing Perry in November.

On the Democratic side of the ballot, Ruben Hinojosa (CD 15), Ciro D. Rodriguez (CD 23) and Sheila Jackson Lee (CD 18)--all endorsed by TSTA--are winning big.

Updated social studies TEKS
The revised social studies TEKS reflect amendments approved in January. more
 

March 1, 2010
Robison joins TSTA staff
Richard Kouri, assistant executive director for public affairs for the Texas State Teachers Association, announced today that former, longtime state Capitol newsman Clay Robison has joined the TSTA staff as a communications specialist. In his new role, Robison will be the media contact for TSTA and will write news releases and articles for the TSTA web page and Advocate magazine. 

"I welcome Clay to our staff," Kouri said. "He has long been a friend of Texas teachers and understands our issues and the state political process. He brings with him more than three decades of covering Texas politics and government and, as a journalist, won six TSTA School Bell Awards."

Robison is the former Austin Bureau Chief and columnist for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. He is the father of three children, ages 4 to 20. One is a high school freshman in the public schools, another is a graduate of the public schools and one soon will enter the public schools. 

"Teachers open the door to wonder and opportunity for thousands of Texas children every day," Robison said. "They are partners to hard-working parents and -- in many, many cases -- are hard-working parents themselves. I'm proud to be working on their behalf."

Read his blog or reach him at (512)476-5355, ext. 1233, or     clayr@tsta.org.

Contact House GOP members  to support H.R. 2377 for  National Classified School Employees of the Year Awards
There is a chance to move forward with H.R. 2377, the National Classified School Employees of the Year Awards bill to nationally recognize the work of education support professionals. 

Advancing the bill depends on whether Republican support can be encouraged and delivered. The NEA Legislative Action Center was updated to help with this outreach. Contact House GOP members that might represent you ASAP. 

Message: “I’m contacting you to urge your support for passage of H.R. 2377, the National Classified School Employees of the Year Awards bill. 

“H.R. 2377, the National Classified School Employees of the Year Award bill recognizes the hard, important work of often unrecognized professionals who transport, feed and keep our students safe, and clean our schools and keep them running. 

“Classified school employees—including paraeducators, clerical assistants, school bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, technicians and craftsmen, custodians, school nurses, and security professionals — provide essential services to America’s public schools and institutions of higher education.  

“Your support and vote on this bill would be much appreciated.” 

Find out who your House member is and contact them here: http://capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=14145306  

Or call their office (Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121) and ask them: Will you support H.R. 2377, which may come to the House floor this week? 

Feb. 26, 2010
Congress’ all-time favorite books
For the National Education Association’s 13th annual Read Across America celebration, members of Congress were asked to share their all-time favorite children’s book.

http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/RAA_MOC_list.pdf

Feb. 24, 2010
Free accessible library from Bookshare
A nonprofit, federally-funded resource for K-12 schools, Bookshare (www.bookshare.org) is the world’s largest online accessible library for individuals with print disabilities, such as blindness, low vision, a physical disability or a severe learning disability that affects reading. Bookshare is free to qualified U.S. schools and students, and has tens of thousands of books including best sellers, textbooks, teacher-recommended reading and periodicals along with two software applications that read digital books. Parents and educators can sign up at http://www.bookshare.org/signUpType.
 

Feb. 22, 2010
Senate Education looks at accountability, technology
The Senate Committee on Education met today for a hearing on interim charge eight, which directs them to monitor the implementation of legislation passed during the 81st Legislative Session on the state’s accountability system. Included are the revised dropout rate calculation, textbooks and the virtual school network; specifically, the committee is to monitor the implementation of HB 3, relating to public school accountability, and HB 4294, relating to textbooks and the use of technology.   

The first panel to address the committee today discussed implementation of HB 4294 and included invited witnesses from Texas Education Agency (TEA), Brownwood ISD and TechNet Texas. All reports to date are positive regarding the implementation of the bill, and TEA reported that districts may choose from four different options for instructional material. The iPod touch and netbooks are both in pilot stages at certain districts around the state and are rated favorably by the users. 

The second panel discussed implementation of HB 3. Concerns from the committee regarded the field testing of end-of-course exams. Since field testing is optional for students, the concern is that only the best and brightest students are participating, which would render any feedback meaningless. TEA agreed with this concern but is optimistic that end-of-course exams will result in better accountability in time, even in light of a lower passage rate among students in the beginning. Another concern expressed by the committee is that educators will be unable to adequately prepare students starting end-of-course exams, due to lack of foundation being taught in lower grade levels, and that educators might not be prepared with the essential subject matters which will ultimately be covered on the exams. 

Finally, the committee heard from two panels, one on cost drivers and another on the requested cuts to TEA’s budget. The discussion from board members and administrators on cost drivers centered on state mandates of maximum class sizes in grades K to 4, and on teacher contracts and the costs associated with firing ineffective teachers. TSTA expects these two issues to be central themes in the next legislative session even though TEA reported that every request for a class size waiver was granted and districts are able to discharge ineffective teachers already. 

TSTA will continue to monitor the interim charges relevant to public education and employee rights and keep you informed. -- Portia Bosse, TSTA legislative specialist 

Feb. 25: President Obama’s Health Care Reform Summit
This Thursday, Feb. 25, at 10 a.m. ET, President Obama will host and moderate a Health Care Reform Summit at the Blair House in Washington, D.C.

The President has invited senior House and Senate bipartisan leadership to attend the Summit, as well as the chairmen and ranking members of the committees that oversee health insurance reform in both chambers. Vice President Joe Biden, White House Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are also expected to attend. The Summit will be broadcast live on C-SPAN. There's additional information at http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting. The four critical topics that will be discussed include: insurance reforms, cost containment, expansion of coverage and the impact that health reform legislation will have on deficit reduction.

In preparation for the Summit, the President released his health care reform proposal this morning online (http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/proposal). The President’s proposal is expected to be the template for the discussions on Thursday, and it tracks closely with the Senate’s already passed bill with some improvements. The cost of the proposal is estimated to be $950 billion over a 10-year period, which is $75 billion more than the Senate bill but less than the $1 trillion cost of the House bill. It is expected to reduce the deficit by $100 billion over the next 10 years – and about $1 trillion over the second decade by cutting government overspending and reining in waste, fraud and abuse. 

Some of the highlights of the President’s proposal include:
• Imposes an excise tax on plans with premiums greater than $27,500 for families and $10,200 for singles starting in 2018 and adjusted annually by the consumer price index plus one percentage point.  The excise tax would include permanent adjustments based on age, gender and workers in high risk occupations. This would apply to all plans not just those that are collectively bargained and/or for state and local government employees.

• Expands Medicaid to all low-income, non-elderly and non-disabled people, including unemployed adults and working people with incomes below 133 percent of the federal poverty level ($29,000 for a family of 4 in 2010) with the Federal government paying a large percentage of this expansion. The Federal government will provide states with 100 percent of the cost of newly eligible people between 2014 and 2017, 95 percent of the costs between 2018 and 2019 and 90 percent in later years.

• Provides tax credits for lower and middle income people to help pay premiums. Reduces cost sharing assistance.

• Establishes a new, open competitive health insurance marketplace—an Insurance Exchange—the same as the one that members of Congress have.

• Increases the penalty for individuals who don’t obtain coverage but have hardship exemptions.

• Imposes a financial penalty on employers that do not offer coverage.

• Requires the removal of arbitrary annual and lifetime limits in health plans so people know what is covered. 

• Bans all insurance companies from imposing pre-existing condition limits.

• Requires preventive care to be covered.

• Creates a new Health Insurance Rate Authority to provide Federal assistance and oversight to States for review of unreasonable rate increases and other unfair practices by insurance companies. Insurers with a pattern of abuse could be banned from offering plans in the new exchange.

• Requires plans to cover adult dependents up to the age of 26.

• Establishes a re-insurance program for employers that offer health insurance to early retirees.

• Closes the Medicare Part D prescription drug “donut hole” by 2020.

• Eliminates the deduction for employer subsidies for retiree drug coverage under Medicare Part D.

• Imposes fees on insurance companies, medical device makers, brand name drug manufacturers, and indoor tanning services.

• Adjusts for overpayments made to Medicare Advantage plans.

• Includes an additional 0.9 percent Hospital Insurance tax for households (currently a flat tax of 1.45 percent) with incomes exceeding $200,000 for singles and $250,000 for couples filing jointly. It would also add 2.9 percent tax for high income households on unearned income including interest, dividends, annuities, royalties, and rents.

• Limits flexible spending accounts under cafeteria plans to $2,500 a year starting in 2012.

NEA’s current health reform activities
In light of the upcoming Health Reform Care Summit and the release of the President’s proposal, NEA is sending a message to Congress that we want health care reform now.  An article has been posted on NEA Today at http://www.nea.org/home/35796.htm that discusses how health care reform is, once again, moving forward in Washington.  Also on the page is information and links to NEA’s new health care reform advertising campaign with the focus on the needs of America’s children.  

Please contact your representative in Congress today and urge him/her to finish the job and deliver a health reform bill that meets the needs of America’s families.

Finally, a new report released today by Health Care for America Now (HCAN) – the nation’s largest health care campaign – shows that passing the current Democratic health care reform proposals will give residents and governments in all 50 states and DC hundreds of billions of dollars in much-needed funds.  A total of $849 billion will flow to the states, with $460 billion allocated to help families afford private health insurance coverage and $389 billion to supplement state Medicaid programs, according to a state-by-state analysis of pending legislation. This report does not include the impact of the President’s Proposal for additional Medicaid funds to the states and increased affordability credits, all of which further enhance the impact described in the report.  http://HealthCareForAmericaNow.org/CriticalHelp

Project connects kids with great explorers, great events
The JASON Project from National Geographic connects students with great explorers and great events to inspire and motivate them to learn science. Sign up for free and you can take part in the Storm Tracker Digital Lab and see if you can predict where the storms will hit. Or explore the Operation: Resilient Planet Game to begin your 3-D underwater adventure with JASON researchers. Or try your hand at Coaster Creator to see if you can build a safe and thrilling coaster. And don¹t forget to visit the JMC Message Boards to discuss your findings with teachers and students around the world. http://www.jason.org

Feb. 19, 2010
Calls to U.S. Senate needed now on jobs bill;
NEA jobs package call-in day Tuesday, Feb. 23
The U.S. Senate is expected to consider jobs-related legislation on Tuesday to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA health coverage. 

Educators need to call their Senators immediately and urge them to include important education-related elements in any jobs bill they consider.  We need the bill to contain the following: 

• An Education Jobs Fund to save or create hundreds of thousands of education jobs;

• An extension of federal Medicaid funding to relieve budget pressures and prevent more cuts to education funding;  and

• Private pension relief to protect retirement security.

The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a jobs bill with funding for states to hire and retain teachers and education support professionals. 

Now is the time for you to contact your Senators. NEA and its partner-organizations are sponsoring a “Jobs Package Call-in Day” on Tuesday, Feb. 23.    http://www.capwiz.com/nea/callalert/index.tt?alertid=14704801&type=CO  

Feb. 17, 2010
New Harris Poll: Teachers' Voices Unheard
Sixty-nine percent of teachers do not believe their voices are heard in the debate on education, according to the latest MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Collaborating for Student Success.  www.metlife.com/teachersurvey
  

Feb. 16, 2010
How Are Texas Kids Doing?
Each year, the Center for Public Policy Priorities attempts to answer that question with its report, The State of Texas Children: Texas KIDS COUNT Annual Data Book.  

"This year's data book chronicles how decades of state fiscal belt-tightening have squeezed off investment in child well-being in Texas, noting that even though federal stimulus dollars filled the gaps in the 2010-2011 state budget, resulting in a slight increase in state spending on services to children, Texas still ranks among the 10 states with the highest rate of child poverty in the nation, as it has for every year since 2000," the Center reports.

"Furthermore, the most current data available does not yet reflect the effects of the economic recession which hit Texas children and families much later than the rest of the country." http://www.cppp.org  

Bill White Visits Laredo
Bill White was in Laredo Feb. 15, one day before early voting began, and TSTA Region 1C was there to show the gubernatorial candidate that he has the support of all three local unions, who have a combined total of 3,600 members. TSTA-Political Action Committee endorsed White in early January. 

Laredo TSTA/NEA President Rene De La Vina, Region 1C President Hilario Cavazos and Region 1C Legislative and Political Action Committee Chair Ernest Davila were present at White’s appearance at a local restaurant, crowded by public education supporters. 

State Rep. Richard Raymond introduced the former Houston mayor as the candidate who will push public education in the right direction. “Bill White understands that education is key in developing quality jobs for our city,” Raymond said, “and that is why, as governor, he will work hard to improve our public schools.”    

White told the crowd that Texas needs to do much better for its public school students, noting that our state ranks "dead last among all states in the number of adults with a high school diploma."  

Cavazos said White deserves Democrats' endorsement and that he was an excellent Houston mayor who left the city in great shape. “You want someone with the credentials and the experience that will work for our schools and not contribute to their downfall,” Cavazos said.  

Feb. 12, 2010
TRS: Two Ideas for Cutting 5% from the Budget
In response to a request from the Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House for each state agency to prepare a budget with a 5% reduction, the Teachers Retirement System has proposed two options for the consideration of the Governor and the Legislative Budget Board.

The first option would return the $7.4 million in General Revenue (appropriated to fund exempted salaries for administrative operations) and reduce the draw on general revenue for the state contribution to retiree health care from 1% of covered payroll to .9634%.

The second option calls for TRS to allow 5% of the general revenue amount appropriated to fund exempted salaries to lapse and also reduce TRS’ draws on general revenue for the retiree insurance program from 1% to .95%.

More information can be found here, in TRS’ letter: http://www.trs.state.tx.us/about/documents/five_percent_
reduction.pdf

Now Online: TSTA-PAC Recommendations
TSTA’s Political Action Committee has screened the candidates in the upcoming primary elections and issued a list of recommendations. Note: We are not permitted to post Congressional recommendations on a public website but members can go to the Members Only area to view the full list.

• Full list of recommendations more

• List of state recommendations only more

Scott Questions Step Increase in 2010-11
Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott has requested an opinion from the Attorney General regarding the teacher pay raise passed in House Bill 3646. Specifically, Scott is requesting a ruling on whether a teacher is entitled to a step increase in the second year of the biennium (the 2010-11 school year). The language in the bill clearly states that teachers should receive a step increase for the 2010-11 school year, according to the salary schedule in place during the 2008-09 school year. In the near future, TSTA will file a brief with the Attorney General. We will keep you updated on our progress.

Feb. 11, 2010
Why Transportation Grants But Not Education Grants?
Video from the Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding hearing: Rep. Jim Dunnam (D-Waco) questions why Texas will accept transportation grants from the federal government but not education grants. more

Feb. 10, 2010
Texas Recognized by College Board for AP Scores
Texas was recognized today by the College Board as one of 20 states with the greatest percentage of students earning scores of three or higher on Advanced Placement (AP) exams.

In the AP Report to the Nation: 2010 released today, three Texas high schools were recognized for the strong performance of their minority students.

Feb. 9, 2010
Update on Seclusion and Restraint Legislation

HR 4247, the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act, is pending in the U.S. House of Representatives. The issuance of two major reports and national news coverage of the use of seclusion and restraint tactics that lead to the deaths of students prompted the introduction of this legislation. On Feb. 4, the House Committee on Education and Labor reported the bill out of committee with a bipartisan vote of 34-10. There is no timeline set for House floor action.                                            

Before the bill was marked up in committee, NEA sent detailed suggestions and amendments to Chairman Miller's staff which resulted in:

• preventing the creation of a national registry of educators accused of using abusive procedures

• preventing the inclusion of a requirement that all school staff meet a certification requirement

• focusing staff training on how to handle crisis situations safely and effectively

• preventing provisions focused on punishing or exposing those who make mistakes

• preventing data collection focused on targeting specific employees.  

In recognition of the good work educators do every day to make schools safe learning environments, Miller said, "This is about helping teachers, not punishing them." He added that the abusive use of seclusion and restraint in schools "...undermines the vast majority of teachers and staff who are trying to give students a quality education." 

At this point, the legislation: 

• bans the use of physical restraint techniques that impede breathing

• allows the use of appropriate seclusion or restraint in crisis situations that endanger students or staff

• requires that every school site have a sufficient number of trained personnel to ensure that seclusion and restraint techniques are used safely by trained personnel whenever feasible.

NEA successfully thwarted provisions that focused on publicly identifying and punishing educators accused of inappropriately using seclusion and restraint. As a direct result of NEA’s efforts, the House bill, as it stands now, includes provisions accomplishing the following NEA goals:

• acknowledges the right of education employees to work in a safe environment

• supports and authorizes the use of positive behavior supports and funding for professional development

• ensures that public schools are not unfairly targeted by applying provisions to all schools, including private schools and charters that receive public funding

• guarantees that provisions do not focus solely on students with IEPs by applying the appropriate use of seclusion or restraint procedures for use with any student whose actions result in a crisis. 

A summary of the legislation and an outline of the myths and facts (as described by committee leadership) can be found at http://edlabor.house.gov/blog/2010/02/myth-vs-fact-preventing-harmfu.shtml. The bottom line is that NOTHING in this legislation constitutes a prohibition against the appropriate use of seclusion and restraint techniques to ensure the safety of students and staff when a crisis arises.

Innovation Awards
Tell PBS why you are an innovative educator, submit a video clip or photograph showing them how you inspire your students, and you may win a PBS Teachers Innovation Award. March 12 is the deadline. more

Feb. 8, 2010
Grant for Technology and Educational Media Services
The Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program is designed to improve results for children with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration and use of technology; supporting classroom educational media services activities that are of educational value to children with disabilities; and providing support for captioning and video description that are appropriate for classroom settings. For more information, go to: http://www.disability.gov/education/news_%26_events. 

Feb. 5, 2010
SBEC Okays Educator Preparation Accountability System
The State Board for Educator Certification approved the newly-mandated Accountability System for Educator Preparation Programs. Very minor adjustments were made by staff before the system was approved by the board.

The board mandated new rules regarding certification of educators from other countries, to make things easier on SBEC staff. It also approved an educator preparation program from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas State University’s Master Mathematics Teacher program.

They spent two hours deliberating four contested certification cases. Deliberation came both in closed session and in public debate. SBEC staff advised the board that it will begin review of the Educators’ Code of Ethics this year. SBEC agency administration procedures and rules will also be reviewed. -- Paul T. Henley, TSTA Teaching and Learning Specialist

Feb. 4, 2010
House Education Committee Concerned About New Exams
Today, the House Committee on Public Education met to discuss health care issues and the partial implementation of House Bill 3, particularly  the new degree plans, the end of course exams and benchmarks for courses in which students will have to meet a certain minimum to obtain a diploma.

Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff explained that certain courses will have end of course exams; students will have to achieve a minimum grade on them to obtain a high school diploma. The committee seemed to be aware of this requirement, except for the fact that one of those courses will be Algebra II.  So, months after the Texas Legislature passed HB 3, some members were still not aware of the drastic changes in graduation requirements. Several committee members expressed extreme displeasure that such a high level math course could keep good students from obtaining a high school diploma. 

TEA staff also informed the committee that in some courses, students will have to meet benchmarks for the entire semester to obtain a degree. By the 2011-12 school year, those benchmarks must be in place.

TEA staff stated by way of example, that if a student needed to obtain a total number of 210 academic points in a semester (equaling a 70 for each six weeks period), the student would also have to obtain a minimum grade for each six weeks grading period in that semester. If the student does not reach the minimum benchmark for the six weeks period, then none of the academic points earned by the student would count toward the minimum cumulative number of 210 academic points needed to obtain a degree. TEA staff said that if the six weeks benchmark was a 60, and a student scored a 59 for the six weeks period, the student would receive no points toward the 210 total points needed to stay on track to obtain a degree. Again, this caused great concern among several of the committee members. 

The committee will reconvene in the fall to revisit the implementation of HB 3. -- John Grey, TSTA Government Relations Specialist

Feb. 2, 2010
Inflation Has Outpaced Teacher Salaries in Many States
Inflation over the past decade has outpaced teachers’ salaries in many states across the country, according to the National Education Association’s update to the annual report Rankings and Estimates: Rankings of the States 2009 and Estimates of School Statistics 2010. Adjusting for inflation, teacher pay increased only 3.4% on average, or $177 per year, during this period.

“Public schoolteachers across the nation are continuing to lose spending power for themselves and their families in an already struggling economy,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “We need to compensate teachers fairly for the work they do."

“How can we recruit and retain quality teachers for our students if we don’t pay them what they’re worth?” said Van Roekel. “Professional work deserves professional pay.” 

Rankings and Estimates provides statistics to raise public understanding of key issues affecting teaching and learning conditions in the nation’s public schools. Highlights:

. The national average public schoolteacher salary for 2008–2009 was $54,319.

. Public school enrollment was 48,960,698, up 0.1 percent over fall 2007.

. There were 3,229,545 teachers in 2008-09. The average number of students per teacher declined from 15.3 in 2007-08 to 15.2 in 2008-09.

. Males comprised 24 percent of public schoolteachers in 2009.

. The U.S. average per student expenditure for public elementary and secondary schools in 2008–09 fall enrollment was $10, 190.

The complete report, answers to frequently asked questions and other information can be found at http://www.nea.org/home/37872.htm.

Professional Development Online: Project Share
Professional development opportunities from Texas Education Agency begin this spring and continue into the 2010-11 school year. The TEKS-based professional development for K-12 teachers and administrators will address various topics such as the new science TEKS, end-of-course exams, math and science academies, and English Language Proficiency Standards. All professional development is designed to address content-specific TEKS as well as the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) and the ELPS. The professional development offered through this initiative will be provided at no cost to school districts and open enrollment charter schools.

In addition, there will be online training modules through the state’s digital platform. This new initiative, known as Project Share, was announced in November 2009 in a letter to the administrator addressed which may be viewed at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/taa/comm111309.html. TEA will provide more information about Project Share through the various conferences scheduled for spring 2010.  

In order for teachers and administrators to receive the full benefit of the upcoming professional development, both face-to-face and online, districts and open enrollment charter schools will be contacted by their respective Education Service Centers (ESCs) in the next few weeks with information about the professional development opportunities and schedule for access to the Project Share platform. This access will also be provided at no cost to districts and open enrollment charter schools.

Education Gets 7.5% Increase in Obama Budget Proposal
President Obama released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 yesterday. The budget includes a freeze on the overall level of discretionary spending apart from national security and mandatory entitlements such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. As proposed, education will receive as much as a 7.5% increase, roughly $3.5 billion.  

The President’s proposed budget will provide $1.35 billion to fund Race to the Top grants; provide $1 billion contingent on a No Child Left Behind overhaul; transform the federal student loan program; increase maximum per student award for Pell Grants to $5,710, an increase of $160; cover an estimated one million more students with Pell Grants; revitalize community colleges; provide $9.3 billion for early childhood challenge grants; help students by providing $8.224 billion for Head Start and Early Head Start, an increase of $989 million; and invest in programs that serve the needs of diverse students.

NEA feels that the budget proposal is more evidence of the President's commitment to education, that he is demonstrating that he believes education is the best anti-poverty program. NEa is encouraged by the President’s willingness to listen to educators and other stakeholders and by his promise to improve schools by investing in what works.

Students Around the World to Compete in World Math Day
On World Math Day, March 3, students ages 5-18 see who can answer the most math questions online in 24 hours. Last year, almost two million students from 38,058 schools in 204 countries answered participated. www.worldmathday.com

Learning Disabilities Webinars
The Texas Center for Learning Disabilities hosts webinars and offers information. http://www.texasldcenter.org

Jan. 29, 2010
SBOE District 10 Candidate Forums
There are two upcoming candidate forums for State Board of Education District 10. 

Thursday, Feb 11: Round Rock PTA Council will host an SBOE-10 candidate forum at 7:00pm in the RRISD Performing Arts Center at McNeil High School, 5800 McNeil Drive. 

Thursday, Feb 18: Bastrop PTA Council will host an SBOE-10 candidate forum at 6:30pm in the Cafeteria of Bastrop High School, 1614 Chambers Street, Bastrop 

Jan. 28, 2010
Oregon Voters Support Their Schools
From NEA Today: "In a stunning and welcome victory for schools, voters in Oregon [on Jan. 26] approved new tax increases on corporations and the wealthy to help fill the state’s budget shortfall. By raising the corporate minimum tax from $10 to $150 and increasing the tax rates on household income above $250,000, Measures 66 and 67 will protect nearly $1 billion in funding for schools, health care, and public safety in Oregon." more

Jan. 27, 2010
NEA Applauds President’s Plans to Invest in Education        NEA supports the concepts President Obama outlined to improve elementary and secondary education and make it possible for more Americans to attend college, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said tonight after the State of the Union address.

“The President made it very clear tonight that he refuses to sacrifice the education opportunities available to Americans as a way of digging out of our economic crisis. A country that makes education a priority is a country bound for economic success," Van Roekel said.  

“We applaud the President’s promise to improve our schools by investing in what works. NEA members have worked years under the flawed No Child Left Behind law, so we are anxious to work with the administration to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in a way that celebrates successful students, educators, and schools. We know that reauthorizing this law won’t be easy, but like the President, we believe the success of our children should not depend more on where they live than their potential.  We don’t know all the details of the proposals suggested by President Obama in his State of the Union address, but we agree with him that one of the best anti-poverty programs is a world-class education.   

“We know that education helps to improve the standard of living for individuals and American families.  We support the President’s plan to transform the federal student loan program and make college more accessible for a greater number of Americans. It just makes sense to invest in our students, not banks and private companies. We especially like his proposal to forgive some student loan debt for students who choose careers in public service. And, we join him in urging the Senate to pass legislation to help revitalize community colleges," the NEA president said. 

“The need for a dramatic plan to create more jobs and put more Americans back to work has never been more urgent.  We hope that the jobs bill will include additional funding to help rebuild and restore the nation’s crumbling public school buildings. We know that safe and modern environments are essential for student learning and success. Our experience tells us that students learn better in classes with fewer students and that laying off educators is a sure path to stunting innovation and impeding America’s prosperity.  We thank President Obama for acknowledging all of this in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and we applaud his plans to build on that effort. 

“Finally, we’ve faced some very tough challenges, individually and collectively as a nation. The President rightfully acknowledged the pain and sacrifices of working families over the past year. President Obama has demonstrated courage and leadership in tackling some very tough issues, but we know that the battle between policy and politics will continue. We move forward with confidence that with a shared vision for America, collaboration and hard work – the best is yet to come,” Van Roekel said.

Jan. 26, 2010
STAAR to Replace TAKS
Commissioner of Education Robert Scott announced today that the next generation of student tests will be called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR.

STAAR will replace the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), the criterion-reference assessment program that has been in place since 2003.

Pronounced "star, " it will be used for the 12 end-of-course assessments mandated by SB 1031 in 2007 and the new grade 3-8 assessments mandated by HB 3 in the 2009 legislative session.

The new tests begin in the 2011-2012 school year. Students in the graduating class of 2015, who are currently in seventh grade, will be the first students who must meet the end-of-course testing requirements, as well as pass their classes, in order to earn a diploma.

The new tests will be significantly more rigorous than previous tests and will measure a child’s performance, as well as academic growth.

The grade 3-8 STAAR tests in reading and mathematics, by law, must be linked from grade to grade to performance expectations for the English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessments.

During a speech at the Texas Association of School Administrators’ Midwinter Conference in Austin, Scott said the last TAKS-based school accountability ratings will be issued in 2011. Ratings will be suspended in 2012 while a new accountability system is developed. The new state rating system will debut in 2013. more

SBOE Amends Graduation Requirements
Starting with the 2010-11 school year, students will no longer be required to earn health and technology applications credits, the State Board of Education decided last week. Although the board adopted several amendments to Texas' graduation requirements, school districts retain the authority to add requirements beyond what is required in state law and rule for graduation. more

Jan. 25, 2010
NEA Health Information Network’s Stomach Bug Book
The NEA HIN and USDA have created The Stomach Bug Book to educate school personnel about Norovirus, its spread and prevention, and provide helpful resources for the school community.  It is important that students and school personnel, such as custodians, food service workers, bus drivers and school nurses, understand the importance of hand washing and cleaning during a Norovirus outbreak. To order copies contact: BrightKey, P.O. Box 371, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0371, call 877-250-5795, or fax 301-206-9789.  

New NEA Video Available on Social Security Offsets
NEA has a new video highlighting the impacts of the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision on educators.  The video, which runs just over six minutes long, features an introduction and closing call to action by NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, along with testimonials from impacted NEA members about the unfair offsets. Go to http://www.nea.org/home/16491.htm and click on the right-hand side of the page. Texas' Ginny Evans is one of the members offering a testimonial.

Status Update: The congressional agenda has been focused on health insurance reform, jobs, and national security, leaving little room for action on other items, including Social Security.  However, support continues to grow for the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 235/S. 484), which would completely repeal both offsets.  The House bill has 314 cosponsors and the Senate has 30. 

Repeal of the offsets remains a top priority for NEA.  Social Security reform will have to be addressed in Congress soon, and NEA will be pushing for repeal of the offsets as part of any package.  In the meantime, we continue to raise the need for repeal in as many different legislative venues as possible, including as part of any discussion on recruitment and retention of talented educators. 

House Passes Jobs Package with Education Jobs Fund
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Jobs for Main Street Act, a jobs package that includes a significant investment in education, by 217-212. You can see how all members of the House voted at http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll991.xml.   

Passage of this legislation builds on the historic increases in federal education funding passed this year, in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and both the fiscal year 2009 and 2010 education funding packages.  These victories for public education would not have been possible without the efforts of NEA affiliates and members across the nation throughout the year.     

Action now turns to the Senate, although that chamber is not expected to act on a jobs package until January. 

BACKGROUND/ADVOCACY EFFORTS: NEA has been working aggressively for weeks to ensure inclusion of education monies in a jobs package, especially given continued state budget shortfalls. Our Government Relations and Education Policy and Practice staff held numerous meetings on the Hill with key offices, including contact with the offices of Chairmen Obey and Miller, DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen, Representative Bobby Rush (co-chair of House Jobs Now! Caucus), Representative John Larson (who chairs the Democratic Caucus and is drawing attention to the need for hiring faculty and staff at community colleges), Senate Majority Leader Reid, and Senator Durbin (who is leading the Senate’s efforts on jobs package). 

We sent several letters to every Member of Congress (House and Senate) outlining our proposals for the package – including a specific request for an Education Jobs Fund.  Each Hill office also received a copy of an NEA chart (see attached) providing state-by-state data on the funds that will be lost after ARRA monies expire (the “funding cliff”).  Three consecutive Ed Insider cyber-lobbyist alerts asked cyber-lobbyists to contact Congress in support of the Education Jobs Fund.   

We also worked very closely with our partner intergovernmental organizations to secure the support of governors for our proposals, and actively participated in a Save Main Street Jobs coalition.

As a direct result of hard work at all levels of this Association, the House-passed jobs package includes significant education funding.   

SUMMARY OF JOBS PACKAGE:  The Jobs for Main Street Act includes several key provisions that will make a real difference for educators, public schools, and local communities: 

•        Education Jobs Fund -- $23 billion that will help states retain or create an estimated 250,000 education jobs over the next two years. This Fund – provided as NEA requested -- will have an immediate impact, as saving an education job involves no wait time to draw up contracts or acquire materials.  It will also help keep schools fully staffed with teachers and education support professionals at a time when many students are experiencing great stress.  A recent University of California study found that children in families where the head of the household had lost a job were 15 percent more likely to repeat a grade. 

•        School Construction -- Over $4 billion for school construction, renovation and modernization to modify bonds created under ARRA to make them more attractive to school districts and investors.  As a result, it will create greater opportunities to build, repair, and modernize schools, advance student achievement and generate construction related jobs in local communities in every state.        

•        College Work Study -- $300 million.  Together with institutional matching funds, this funding will help approximately 250,000 students stay in school.  

•        Federal Medicaid Match – $23.5 billion – extends for six months the higher federal match for payments to doctors providing services to low-income families under Medicaid, thereby providing an incentive for states to commit resources to Medicaid while helping ensure services for beneficiaries.   

A complete summary of the package is available at http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/Jobs_for_Main_
Street_Act_of_2010_Summary.pdf

Jan. 20, 2010
Laredo Editorial: Employees Need to Vote
The following letter from Rene De La Vina, full-time president of Laredo TSTA/NEA, was published in the Jan. 19 Laredo Morning Times:

Politics at times has been associated in our community with something negative, corrupt and detrimental to the overall growth of our schools. Some in our community view politics in our schools as a cancer that has permeated every classroom in our schools, somehow contaminating the purity and good soul of our teachers. The overall perception is that school politics is bad and those directly involved are even worse.

Like it or not, bad or good, school districts are governed by a school board and their members, school trustees, who got voted in through a political process we call elections. Without any input in this political process you might as well consider yourself an innocent bystander of "school politics."

TSTA has no interest in becoming an innocent bystander of school politics. We organize for power to move our schools forward and we make no apologies. But let's be clear here, we organize for social power and to reduce personalized power motive. We organize for social power to protect the rights of our members and stop abuses by individuals who seek to advance their own personal agendas. We organize to empower the collective and allow members to become main stakeholders in the direction of our schools.

That is why, as part of our organizing efforts, TSTA invites all public school employees to register to vote and make their vote count this 2010. Your vote counts and together as a voting block we can make a difference in our schools.

Things...They Are A Changin'...Done Changed!
James Harris, president of TSTA Region 2F, offered these thoughts in the January Lubbock Educators Association newsletter:

The world we live in is changing and in fact, it is changing faster by the day.  We can now go online and check out a person’s income to the dollar, what an individual paid for his home, and many more personal things.  Every little incident is quickly blown out of proportion and quickly put on the internet.  In fact, the internet is now used to search for loved ones and find one to love.  We see corruption at every level of business and government and there is a real sense that few folks do things to be helpful to others, their community, or even their jobs.  These are not reasons to fear that the sky is falling, but rather to understand that it is not business as usual and we must deal with things differently. 

Recently, the LEA President, Clinton Gill, advised members to periodically check their personnel folders.  I received a call from a teacher asking what was wrong.  The answer is “nothing is wrong.”  However, we live in a time when hackers can get into your files, they can set off a virus for fun, they can change information and they can steal your identity.  The Lubbock President is far thinking in making the recommendations-not because something is wrong, but to avoid the possibility of being a victim by circumstance. 

What we are expected to do as teachers is changing and while that change is difficult to confront sometimes, it is necessary to make the effort in order  to meet the needs of a changing society.  We will see Standard Based Curriculum in our schools soon across this state and for many teachers that will be a difficult adjustment.  While such a change seems overwhelming, it offers the creative teacher a real opportunity to help students in many more ways.  I am a person that is uncomfortable with change, but I know that as a professional, I’m in the business of change if I want to be successful.  In truth, our jobs depend on our professional flexibility.  In the face of new curriculum, new tests, and new standards, I would urge you to keep a very positive outlook and work to be part of the changes that are coming. 

I have no doubt that there will come a time in the future where we will look back at this period and be amazed that we allowed a political party to guide education because of their beliefs and that we would allow the quality of our students and ourselves to be judged by a set of tests that we had little or no input on deciding the content.  As long as we are financed by public tax dollars, we will try to meet the ever changing expectations of the political forces, but in their heart, each teacher strives to make a difference in the life of a student and you do it for the best and most pure of reasons.  The future brings big changes!  Just embrace them daily and do what you must do for the times in which we serve.  I believe with all of my heart that teachers are very special people who do a very special job and in spite of “test rankings,” you are honored by those you touch.

Jan. 19, 2010
NEA Urges Course Corrections on Race to the Top
President Barack Obama announced plans today to expand “Race to the Top,” a grant competition for education reform, during an event at Graham Road Elementary School in Falls Church, Va.

“The National Education Association shares the Obama administration’s goal of fostering innovation and reform to close the gaps in achievement and opportunity in our nation’s schools. NEA’s 3.2 million members have been part of numerous successful, targeted efforts to create optimal conditions for student learning and to develop and implement successful strategies to turn around struggling schools," NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said.

“As the Administration has recognized, educators are key partners in every successful education reform effort. The importance of collaboration must be emphasized in Race to the Top discussions and applications if the federal money is to be used efficiently and effectively.

“In light of decimated state budgets, the Administration must place more emphasis on fostering sustainability of reforms generated by Race to the Top. State and local partners must receive assurances and guidance that would increase the likelihood of sustained reforms beyond the next four years.

“While NEA supports the overarching goals of Race to the Top and its inclusion in the federal budget, the Administration must provide more detailed guidance and clarifications on how the program affects state and local laws, policies and agreements affecting school personnel. We urge the Administration to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the first phase of Race to the Top with input from national, state and local stakeholders and make necessary course corrections. If done right, we believe Race to the Top grants could accelerate education reform at the state and local levels and go a long way toward ensuring great public schools for every student.”

Some Minnesota Schools Shift to Four-Day Week

Minnesota school districts that have begun using a four-day school week say that students, teachers and the community generally accept the shorter week and, in some cases, prefer it to the traditional five day week. That's good news, because the districts had to go to the four-day weeks whether the students, teachers or community liked it or not. more
 

Jan. 15, 2010
SBOE Caves under Weight of Its Own Partisanship
Over 20 hours of testimony, deliberation, discussion, argument, hurt feelings, and misinformation have come to this one agreement: “Let’s save this for March.” 

First reading of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies will take place in March, not January.  Now the final adoption is scheduled for May. 

Today’s meeting began with a resolution from Board Chair Gail Lowe and SBOE Secretary Teri Leo extolling Governor Perry’s refusal to take federal money through the Race to the Top fund. Commissioner Scott was also commended, and he took the podium to explain that he had many friends who were making this mistake and that he needed to talk to them. Part of the yet-developed standards may have required Texas to adhere to 85% of them. Scott gave this example: That would mean if you had 10 math standards you could only change one and a half of them. 

As TSTA wrote earlier, the board finally gave up on TEKS work at about 10:15 last night. Thus, they began by meeting as a regular board, but then they broke back into deliberation on the TEKS. Things remained as crazy as they were last night. McLeroy’s amendments alone took well over an hour to discuss. 

At one point, Lowe called on the Parliamentarian to restore order.  He chastised them like children, saying that a teacher would never put up with such behavior.  He spoke to the issue of process, a problem familiar to this board. 

As of this moment, the only Supreme Court case meriting inclusion in the TEKS is Brown v. Board of Education. All others (Plessy v. Ferguson, Tinker v. Des Moines, etc.) will be listed in a “Such As” column. Mary Helen Berlanga attempted to include Delgado vs. Bastrop ISD because it integrated Hispanics into public schools much the way that Brown integrated African-Americans. Dunbar spoke for the social conservatives who didn’t want to add this, as it would make the inclusion list too voluminous.  

Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor was not placed into the TEKS because she had not proven her leadership at this point. Some members felt she was important as the first Hispanic justice; however, Dunbar cited Justice Benjamin Cardozo, a Portuguese man, who served during the Hoover Administration. Neither Webster nor the U.S. Census, nor the Associated Press would consider Cardozo a Hispanic, but the point muddied things just enough for social conservatives to keep her off of the list. 

The level of interest will only increase as the board makes a final push to complete an initial set of TEKS in two months. 

OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST 

Physical Education—TSTA members expressed concern regarding Physical Education options in the new graduation requirements. The board was looking to restrict the number of course offerings and options for students. TSTA staff worked with friendly board members, as well as physical education groups, to ensure the end result was a good one. The actual language can be found here.

The wording includes two very important caveats. First, it removes an injustice to special needs students.  As physical education was required on the Recommended and Advanced graduation programs, students with physical disabilities were only able to graduate on the Minimum plan. The new wording gives districts flexibility to resolve this issue. 

The second important effect of this new wording is that it gives closure to a two-year process started by a father and coach from Brenham, who approached the Committee on Instruction asking that athletics be offered for up to four credits toward graduation, similar to the status of ROTC and Dance I-IV. This language brings to fruition the work and TENACITY of a very brave man determined to make a positive change for his kid and the 4.7 million Texas public school students. 

Integrated Physics and Chemistry—Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) was scheduled to be removed from course offerings, altogether. Today, IPC fits into the science 4 x 4 curriculum, as long as it is taken before Chemistry and Physics. A student four-course set for Science could now be Biology, IPC, Chemistry, and Physics. The original options remain, but the board has now given students IPC as an option to complete the 4 x 4. 

Catch NEA On the Air
Jan. 15: CBMA Director Bill Raabe will appear in a taped segment tonight on PBS Nightly Business Report.  Raabe sat down with reporter Stephanie Dhue to discuss the agreement reached by unions on the excise tax. Check local listings or go to http://www.pbs.org/nbr/info/video.html. PBS Nightly Business Report focuses on economic issues. The show reaches 2.6 million viewers a week, airing on 250 local PBS stations and in several international markets.   

Jan. 18: Tune in Monday to listen to NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen, when she is a guest on the Thom Hartmann radio talk show. Eskelsen will discuss health care reform. Listen to it on your computer at http://www.thomhartmann.com. 

School Bell Awards: Nominations Due Now
Feb. 1 is the deadline for nominating your local media for a TSTA School Bell Award which recognize outstanding media coverage of education issues and events. Categories include: (1) newspapers and magazines, (2) radio, (3) television, and (4) electronic media. Nominations are accepted from any TSTA local or regional affiliate or by media self-nomination. Nominations should cover broadcast or publications over the calendar year (January 1 – December 31). Download our School Bell Awards instruction booklet and the nomination form, both in PDF format. Nominations should be returned to: TSTA Organizing Center for Public Affairs, 316 West 12th Street, Austin, TX 78701. more
 

NEA President Encouraged by Health Care Discussions
For most of the past week, the White House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reed have been working with labor organizations to rethink the impact and structure of the excise tax that was included in the Senate version of health care reform legislation.

Van Roekel joined other leaders of organized labor in a teleconference to discuss recent health care reform developments and the substantial progress toward improving the proposed excise tax formula for working Americans.

He, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, and Change To Win Chair Anna Burger told reporters they are "encouraged" by the significant progress and developments of the past few days.

Eskelsen Takes to the Radio on Health Care
While Van Roekel was meeting with the White House, NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen was equally busy taking our case to the public by way of a series of major radio interviews throughout the week. Here’s a link to Lily’s appearance on the nationally broadcast Bill Press Show from Wednesday, January 13. more

SBOE Meeting Part 2: Names to Know in Social Studies?
Education's Thursday meeting began with Commissioner Robert Scott's take on Governor Perry’s decision to quit the state’s Race to the Top (RTTT) efforts. While the money would only last two years, Scott said, the implications would be permanent. All comments on Perry's move were positive, as the RTTT guidelines would eventually remove some of the board’s powers. 

The board then heard a large quantity of testimony related to Career and Technical Education and Physical Education graduation requirements. Legislative action has required the board to take quick action, creating courses available to those students needing to fulfill the fourth course of the required 4 x 4 curriculum. The board has been using CTE courses as opportunities to meet these requirements, but testimony pushed to bring back Integrated Physics and Chemistry as a possibility. 

Craig moved to reinstate Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) as a course. IPC would have to be taken in either the 9th or 10th grade. It will even act as an offering in the Science 4 x 4 curriculum. In effect, IPC could act as a capstone course a student takes early. 

Physical education requirements were adjusted to the point where they remain essentially the same. Teachers will continue to teach the courses they were teaching previously. The one change is that physical education will only be given credit once per year and once per course. The specific wording will be posted on tsta.org as soon as the vote is finalized later today. 

After dispensing with these two items, the board took up the issue of textbooks. While law holds that every student be provided a textbook, parents have been complaining that their children are not allowed to bring textbooks home. Hardy posited that teachers thought it was too much work, and that it was illegal, but you have to count on the schools to do the right thing. This was agreed on, though Leo questioned whether that happened. 

Commissioner Scott told the board that TEA will bring the state-owned texts to the board and the public before adopting them. This gives them “the bully pulpit to beat me up before I make a decision.” 

At this point, the SBOE took to the task of shaping the new Social Studies TEKS. The board spent hour after hour deliberating specific names to be included in the Social Studies TEKS. Further, there is another list, the “Such As” list. Names were moved from one list to another, as well as removed from both. Further amendments sent the board on a course to hot debate and questionable decisions. Two of the most curious are those that make six year olds learn they need to hold their elected leaders accountable, and the altogether disappearance of Henry Cisneros from the history textbooks. At one point, Agosto attempted to reinsert the former San Antonio mayor and Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This action, too, was rebuffed by the board. The one official reason the conservative board members used was that in the past decade, Cisneros has not accomplished much.  

At about 10:15 p.m., the 8th grade TEKS were finished. The board, exhausted, gave up. They will tackle the onerous High School TEKS Friday morning. Thus, the Friday meeting looks to last well into the afternoon, if not the evening. 

TEA staff spent last night trying to compile a document that inserts hundreds of names while removing hundreds more — a document that almost ignores the work of standards work groups, as well as a significant amount of public input. Friday there likely will be a few hundred more amendments. 

Perhaps this entire exercise provides a lesson in civics, showing how poorly elected officials in Texas treat the state’s schoolchildren.

Something Sweet for Valentines from NEAMB
From Friday, Jan. 22 to Sunday, Feb. 14, NEA Member Benefits is going to treat you to special offers, discounts, giveaways and sweepstakes for Valentines Day.

Go to www.neamb.com and enter to win a “Sweet on You” gift basket that includes $100 from Barnes & Noble and iTunes, a cookbook, free H&R Block tax preparation, and, of course, a box of chocolates.

Look online for savings from NY & Company, maker of fine apparel, and more sweet deals like discounts from Snap Fitness health clubs, and incredible savings from one of our newest programs, NEA Auto Purchase Advantage, which offers a no-hassle car buying experience along with a low price guarantee!

Jan. 14, 2010
Haiti in Chaos: Lesson Plans and How You Can Help
Around the world, people are asking how they can help Haitians recover from the devastating earthquake that killed thousands -- and stands to kill more as medical care, food, and water are scarce. We have created a page with information that may be helpful to you and your local members. more

Lowe Stops Testimony with Five Hours Unheard
The State Board of Education heard testimony yesterday regarding the new Social Studies TEKS. More than 120 people registered to testify, and the general focus was on an underrepresentation of Hispanics in the American History TEKS.

Unfortunately, Board Chair Gail Lowe ended testimony at 6 p.m., leaving over five hours of testimony unheard.

TSTA's testimony was among those left out; it now will be given at the second hearing in March.

Jan. 13, 2010
It's Always Interesting When the SBOE Is in Town
...and what should be taught in social studies classes is on the agenda. Click to view the complete State Board of Education agenda for Jan. 12-15 or follow the fun by webcast starting at 9 a.m. Jan. 13. more

Perry: Texas Not Competing for Race to the Top Funds

Call for Submissions for National Gallery of Writing
National Board Certified Teachers are encouraged to participate in the National Gallery of Writing. NBPTS standards are based on the Five Core Propositions, which frame the rich amalgam of knowledge, skills, dispositions, and beliefs that characterize National Board Certified Teachers. How do the Propositions influence your teaching and your students’ learning? In what ways have you used the propositions to inform your decisions in other situations? Have you shared the Core Positions with your students and colleagues? What was the result? Submissions may include any form of writing or media including essays, poems, short stories, journal entries, letters, lists, dramatizations, narratives, lyrics, pictures, drawings, or audio or video clips no longer than three minutes. more 

Jan. 12, 2010
Health Care Update: We Must Stop the Excise Tax
NEA is watching closely as the U.S. House and Senate negotiate a compromise on health care reform legislation. Our primary concern is the excise tax on higher-cost health plans in the Senate version.

Beginning in 2013, this legislation would impose an excise tax on insurance companies and plan administrators of 40 percent on the amount of any health benefit plan above thresholds of $8,500 for singles and $23,000 for family plans. In subsequent years, increases in the benefit thresholds will be tied to the Consumer Price Index plus one percentage point, meaning that more and more workers and employers will be affected. As a result of this proposed tax, there will be severe and unintended consequences for middle income Americans who have forgone salary and wage increases in return for better health benefits. Health plans and insurance companies are likely to pass on the cost of this tax to their customers, forcing employers and employees to cut or limit coverage. 

Yesterday, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel joined other labor leaders in a meeting at the White House with President Obama. It was clear from this meeting that the issue of the excise tax is still open. Today, Van Roekel and the other labor leaders are meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

To prevent the Senate’s excise tax from becoming law, we must exert tremendous pressure from now until the end of January. Two things you can do:

• Go to the NEA Legislative Action Center at http://www.capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?
  alertid=14531266 to email Members of Congress, or call Congress via the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
• Watch the NEA website, www.nea.org for House- and Senate-specific alerts this week. 

Jan. 11, 2010
TSTA Endorses Bill White for Governor

This weekend, the Texas State Teachers Association Political Action Committee (TSTA-PAC) endorsed Bill White for Governor.  TSTA President Rita Haecker issued the following statement regarding the TSTA endorsement.

“Education was the first topic Bill White addressed in his speech declaring his candidacy for Governor, and Bill White will put public education front and center when he takes office as Governor of Texas.

“Having been raised by two parents who were schoolteachers, Bill White fully understands the challenges facing Texas teachers.

“Bill White will take steps to increase teacher salaries, aggressively attack the high rate of dropouts, logically address the damaging and degrading accountability system, and advocate for letting teachers teach instead of teaching to the test. Bill White believes in accountability but knows that high-stakes testing is part of the problem, and not a solution.

“Bill White has declared his commitment to putting our educational system under a microscope – not only to identify problems, but also to strategically implement solutions that will finally correct the ills that have plagued our public education system for over a decade.

“In 2008, Texas was 33rd in the country in teacher salaries and 44th in per pupil spending for instruction. Educational outcomes are affected by how much we invest, and we cannot create a first class school system without the resources required to educate a rapidly growing Texas student population.

“Bill White understands that Texas must attract and retain highly qualified teachers to give Texas students the skills needed to compete in the global marketplace. TSTA believes Bill White will usher in a new age of bipartisan educational reform in the State of Texas, and we greatly welcome the opportunity to effect that change alongside our next Governor.”

Why Bill White?

•         He grew up in San Antonio, the child of two public school teachers.

•         He was reelected twice as Houston’s mayor -- by margins of 86% and 91%.

•         He was awarded the John F. Kennedy Foundation’s Profiles in Courage Award for his leadership in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, "in recognition of his political courage in leading a compassionate and effective government response to the disaster."

•         Under his leadership, Houston had the lowest crime rate in 25 years.

•         He served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy and is recognized as an energy expert who pushes for measures to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil. 

Learn more about Bill White and find out how you can get involved in his campaign at http://billwhitefortexas.com; see see the photos from his meeting with the TSTA PAC on flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/tstapublicaffairs/sets/
72157623119165931.

Update: Watch a video of Bill White visiting the TSTA Board of Directors in February 2010. more

Dec. 29, 2009
Perry Appoints Bricker to SBEC
Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Laurie Bricker of Houston to the State Board of Educator Certification for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2013. The board develops certification and continuing education requirements and standards of conduct for public school teachers. more

15% Discount from SmileMakers
Through February 5, SmileMakers will be offering a 15%discount to members, up from the usual 5% discount.  Order incentive items, classroom aids and other SmileMakers products now.  As always, shipping is free regardless of the size of the order. Be sure to use promo code "NEAMB15 to receive 15% discount.  SmileMakers can be reached online at www.neamb.com; search SmileMakers in the upper right corner of the Member Benefits home page.

Dec. 24, 2009
TSTA Suffers the Loss of PR Specialist Joe Bean
TSTA Public Relations Specialist Joe Bean had an accident on Dec. 17 that led to his death this morning. He was 51.

Joe earned a master’s degree in journalism from The University of Texas. Before coming to TSTA, he worked as an editorial writer and columnist at the San Antonio Express-News, the opinion page editor at the Muskogee (Okla.) Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat, and the editorial page editor at the Victoria Advocate.

He will be greatly missed by his TSTA and NEA family. You can share your thoughts and memories of Joe in an online guest book.
 

Pursuit of Real Health Care Reform Continues
NEA expressed disappointment that health care reform legislation passed by the Senate Dec. 24 includes a provision that will tax the health care plans of millions of middle class Americans. Despite claims by some that the proposed excise tax could lead to increases in salaries for some workers, NEA has consistently argued that those assumptions are incorrect.

“The 3.2 million members of NEA are very disappointed that the Senate has chosen to finance healthcare reform on the backs of teachers and bus drivers, instead of millionaires.  Educators have worked tirelessly over the last 11 months to support the overall goal of quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans. While there are a number of positive provisions in the Senate healthcare legislation, the NEA adamantly opposes taxing the health benefits of middle class families," NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said.

"The fact that insurance companies have drastically increased premiums for our members’ plans, year after year, because of factors outside their control is not the fault of our members.  Public school employees have given up salary increases in order to maintain their health benefits for themselves and their families.  The excise tax in the Senate bill will lead to benefit cuts and increased out-of-pocket payments for education professionals who already are struggling financially.  Furthermore, educators’ employers—state and local governments—are in severe fiscal crisis.  Thousands of educators lost their jobs last year, and the forecast for the coming school year is worse.  We categorically reject the notion that an excise tax on the health benefits of dedicated public school employees is either fair or sound policy," Van Roekel said.   

“In short, the House got it right: quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans which is paid for responsibly and fairly. We are encouraged that members of the House share our belief that a nation as great as ours can bring real reform to our health care system.  NEA will redouble its efforts to ensure that the conference committee reports a bill that does not ask more of education employees and other working Americans than it asks of millionaires,” the NEA President concluded.

Dec. 18, 2009
Senate Education Committee: Interim Charges Announced
Review the state's education policy and initiatives regarding middle grades and make recommendations to prepare students, especially at-risk students, for high school retention and success;

Review the implementation of legislation related to the state's accountability system including the revised dropout rate calculation, textbooks and technology, and the virtual school network;

Review the performance and accountability of the state's charter schools and consider options for increasing the number of outstanding charter schools, identify best practices that can be implemented in other charter and public schools, and review options for a charter schools facilities program;

Examine cost drivers in education including state requirements that impact school district budgets. Recommend opportunities for achieving cost efficiencies  

Dec. 16, 2009
TEA Issues New Report on Enrollment
The Texas Education Agency Division of Accountability Research has released a new report, Enrollment in Texas Public Schools, 2008-09.  This report analyzes enrollment in Texas public schools from 1998-99 through 2008-09.  The report does include a chart which shows enrollment growth increasing from 3.2 million students in 1987-88 to 4.8 million students in 2008-09; however the report only analyzes data for the last ten years which shows enrollment has increased by 20.1%.  The report breakdown shows enrollment for White students has declined by 7.5 percent during this 10-year period, with Hispanics having the largest numerical increase in enrollment, rising by 49% (748,385 students).  In the 2008-09 school year, Hispanic students accounted for the largest percentage of total enrollment at 47.9%, followed by White students at 34%.  It was back in the 2001-02 school year when the number of Hispanic students surpassed the number of White students in Texas public schools.  Additionally, the report reflects that Asian/Pacific Islander students had the largest increase at 69.5% and Native American enrollment increased by 40.2% in the last ten years.  The report shows African American enrollment to be relatively stable at around 14.2 to 14.4% with an increase of 18.1% over the 10-year period.  To review the entire report on enrollment in our public schools, visit http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/research. -- Portia Bosse, TSTA Staff
 

Former Education Commissioner Dies
Former Texas Commissioner of Education Raymon Bynum died Dec. 10. Bynum was a recognized school finance expert who served as commissioner from 1981-1984. If you would like to send the family a card, the address is: Mary Esther Bynum, 2032 Village Green, Richardson, Texas 75081.

Impact of Industrialization: A Workshop for K-12 Educators
The America’s Industrial Revolution workshop at The Henry Ford will draw together K-12 educators with leading humanities scholars and museum staff for unique enrichment exercises centered around the impact of industrialization.

Participants will explore the diverse ways that Americans experienced social change between 1760s and the 1920s through lecture/discussions and by visiting with museum curators at selected sites in Greenfield Village including Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park Laboratory, Hermitage Plantation Slave quarters, 1760s Daggett Farm, 1880s Firestone Farm and a railroad round house. In addition, time is set aside each day for exploration of archival sources in the Benson Ford Research Center. The week’s activities will culminate with a visit to a related National Historic Landmark, the Ford Motor Company’s Rouge industrial complex.

Who is eligible to participate? K-12 educators (including librarians, substitute teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals) in public, private, parochial, and charter schools as well as parents home-schooling their children are eligible to participate.

Stipend and Travel Costs: Participants will receive a stipend of $1,200 following the residential workshop sessions. Stipends are intended to help cover ordinary living expenses, book and travel.

Professional Development or College Credit: This workshop entails approximately 40 hours of direct instruction and participation. Michigan SB-CEUs will be available for a nominal fee. Undergraduate or graduate credit is available for this workshop through the University of Michigan - Dearborn.

How to Apply: To receive course perspective and application information, please contact Ryan Spencer, Education Coordinator-Special Projects, at 313.82.6100, ext 2261 (RyanSp@thehenryford.org). For questions or inquiries, please contact Paula Gangopadhyay, Project Director, at 313.982.6063 (PaulaG@thehenryford.org). Each workshop is limited to 40 participants.

Dec. 14, 2009
Investing in Preschool is Worthwhile
Researchers at the University of Kentucky's Center for Business and Economic Research report that investments to expand the state's preschool could yield returns of as much as 500 percent.  The estimates were based on specific services included in the Kentucky program that are also provided by the much-studied Perry Preschool program in Michigan, the Abecedarian project in North Carolina, Head Start, and the Chicago Child-Parent Center that has been in operation for more than 40 years.   

The study looked at both public and private benefits. On the public side, the report noted the reduced need for special education and lower incidence of crime and public assistance, among other savings. As for benefits to the private sector, the study pointed to higher future wages.  Altogether, researchers estimate that expanding the program to include three- and four-year-old children in families with incomes between 150 and 200 percent of poverty would provide more than $5 for every $1 the expansion would cost. more

Dec. 11, 2009

TRS Board Approves TRS-Care Pharmacy Contractor
The hottest topic of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ Dec. 10-11 board meeting was the selection of a contractor to provide pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services for the Texas Public School Retired Employees Group Benefits Program, also known as TRS-Care. The current PBM services provider for TRS-Care is CVS/Caremark.

CVS/Caremark recently has come under fire from certain groups for a variety of reasons. (See the Houston Chronicle’s Dec. 9 story.) During the Benefits Committee portion of the meeting on Dec. 10, two people asked the committee to delay its decision on a PBM services provider until TRS could further investigate CVS/Caremark. TRS staff explained to the board that staff had thoroughly investigated every finalist for the PBM services contract and recommended that CVS/Caremark be awarded the PBM services contract. Staff also explained that of the 25,000 prescriptions CVS/Caremark fills per week, TRS receives approximately eight complaints, most of which are complaints about the state-mandated prior authorization rules. The committee voted 3-2 to recommend CVS/Caremark for the PBM services contract to the full board. Later that evening, without any theatrics, the board quickly voted 7-1 to award the PBM services contract to CVS/Caremark.

On Dec. 11, Deputy Director Brian Guthrie discussed with the board the Nov. 23 Texas attorney general’s opinion that blocked retired Texas educators from receiving a one-time, $500 “13th check.” Earlier this year, the 81st Texas Legislature approved the payments through bipartisan votes in both chambers. However, because the money was to come from general revenue, rather than the TRS trust fund, lawmakers made the payments conditional on approval by Attorney General Greg Abbott. His opinion said he could not “conclusively opine that such payments ‘are constitutionally and statutorily permissible.’” Accordingly, 250,000 retired educators will not receive a 13th check.

The positive news is that the money appropriated for the contemplated 13th check will be deposited into the TRS trust fund, upping the state’s contribution rate from 6.4% to 6.644%. Importantly, independent school districts that pay above the state minimum salary schedule will be required to match the state’s increased contribution, which will be backdated to the beginning of the school year.

The board also heard extensive reports on the actuarial valuation of the Pension Fund, the 2009 comprehensive annual financial report and updates on TRS-Care and TRS-Active Care.

Global financial markets have been extremely volatile over the past year, and the TRS trust fund value has fluctuated as well. In the past year, the market value of the trust fund declined from $104.9 billion on Aug. 31, 2008, to $70.6 billion on Feb. 28, 2009. As of Aug. 31 of this year, however, the trust fund has rebounded to $88.7 billion. For the fiscal year, the trust fund value declined by $16.2 billion or 15.4%.

Assuming the member rate is unchanged, the report estimates that the state annual required contribution (ARC) would have to increase to 7.72% to make the trust fund actuarially sound. The ARC is expected to increase over time because the current valuation defers net investment losses of nearly $18 billion that will be realized over time. The funded status of the trust find will decline as these losses are realized unless investment returns exceed the assumed annual return rate of 8%. Assuming the current contribution policy continues, the trust fund has assets in place to make benefit payments through 2058. TRS will be contemplating seeking contribution increases from both members and the state.

Unlike the TRS pension trust fund, the TRS-Care fund is not pre-funded. It is a cost-sharing, multiple employer plan that is funded on a “pay as you go” basis to maintain benefits each biennium. The TRS-Care trust is projected to remain solvent through fiscal year 2013. Some fund reserves are already being depleted, and TRS will have to address cost/payout issues in the near future. Fund reserves are equal to two months of total incurred cost. Executive Director Ronnie Jung stated that TRS will have to raise premiums at some point. Premiums were last raised in 2005.

TRS-ActiveCare is a self-funded, managed care plan. It will also force TRS to look at altering the current premium rates. TRS-ActiveCare is seeing an increase in the number of active members in the system, an increase in medical costs and an increase in pharmacy costs.

Expect to see premiums go up in the future for both TRS-Care and TRS-ActiveCare participants.

Newly appointed Chair David Kelly also announced that the TRS board would hold its next meeting Feb. 23-25, 2010, in Katy.
 

Dec. 10, 2009
Urban Schools’ Math Results Underscore Need for Change
The National Center for Education Statistics released their 2009 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) this week, and the results for the “Nation’s Report Card” on math are mixed.  In most districts, test scores from this ongoing, voluntary assessment remain static from 2007. Washington, D.C., and Boston posted some increases over the past two years in both fourth and eighth grades, and Austin and San Diego made gains in eighth-grade scores over the same period. The majority of the districts who participated in TUDA from 2003 have made positive progress over the past six years.

Urban school districts choose to participate in TUDA—part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—to measure their progress against similar districts and the nation. The most recent assessment compared 18 major urban areas with the nation, their states and other large cities. Though progress has been made in some urban districts—Charlotte, in particular, scored higher than the national average—the results underscore the reality of America’s achievement gaps. Gains were made primarily among lower performing students, and in more than half of the participating districts, 35 percent or more of fourth graders and 48 percent or more of eighth graders are performing at a “below basic” level.

“These test results indicate we still have a long road ahead of us if we want to close the achievement gaps,” said National Education Association  (NEA) President Dennis Van Roekel. “Too many students in high-poverty communities are in chronically underfunded, understaffed, unsupported schools. Lower-performing schools are priority schools for NEA. By leading permanent changes in these priority schools, we will transform the lives of tens of thousands of students.”

NEA’s Priority Schools Campaign includes a vow to work side-by-side with communities and with policymakers in state capitals, in Congress and the Obama administration; to partner in pursuit of innovative programs to measure student success and teacher quality; and to fight to attract and keep the best educators and necessary resources for the schools of greatest need.

The Obama Administration finalized its rules for reforming the nation's lowest-performing schools last week.  Under the rules, districts would choose from four models of turning around their schools, including replacing the principal and at least 50 percent of the staff, closing the school and reopening it under the management of a charter or education management organization, closing the school and transferring its students to higher-performing schools in the district, or implementing a comprehensive “transformation” strategy. Of the four options, NEA supports the transformation model.

“We believe that comprehensive school reform requires us to look at more than just test scores,” said Van Roekel. “Policymakers must be held accountable to provide students in low-performing schools the learning environment they need to learn, and provide educators the tools and resources they need to teach.” 

NEA examines the achievement gaps in terms of performance measured by valid and reliable student achievement tests and classroom assessments, access to key courses and educational opportunities, including quality teachers, and attainment that includes graduation, post-secondary education, college completion, and more. 

To learn more about NEA’s Priority Schools Campaign, watch the video or visit http://www.nea.org/priorityschools. 

Dec. 7, 2009
Education Austin Celebrates 10 Years
Ten years ago, a team representing TSTA, NEA, Texas Federation of Teachers and American Federation of Teachers created Education Austin, a merged local association. At a gala Dec. 4, Education Austin announced that scholarships have been created in the names of those team members. The honorees, and the groups they represented at the time of the merger: Louis Malfaro and Julie Bowman, the TFT local association; Brenda Urps and Rita Haecker, Austin Association of Teachers (the TSTA local association); John Cole, Texas Federation of Teachers; Donna New Haschke, Texas State Teachers Association; Mark Chaiken, American Federation of Teachers; and Carmen Quesada, National Education Association.  photos

School Improvement Grants
The United States Education Department announced a budget of $3.5 billion for its Title I School Improvement Grants (SIGs). SIG awards are designed to help states and districts improve failing schools, as determined through high-stakes test scores.

The Turnaround Model: Replace the principal and at least 50 percent of the staff and also adopt new or revised instructional strategies. The new leadership needs to consider extending the school day and year, offering social services and recruiting, placing and developing highly effective teachers. TSTA strongly opposes this model.

The Re-starts: Close the school and re-open it under the management of a charter organization or an education management organization (EMO). The education management organization may be a for-profit company or a non-profit entity. The school must admit, within the grades it serves, all former students who wish to attend. While TSTA is not opposed to charter schools, such entities are not a panacea. Further, there is no need to close a school when it could simply take an adjustment in approach. Such an approach may result from only minor changes. TSTA has always opposed the use of EMOs based on our experience with for-profit providers such as Edison.

Closures: Close the school and transfer its students to higher-performing schools in the district. TSTA opposes this model. Punishing a building for low test scores is nothing short of ridiculous.

The Transformation Model: Implement a comprehensive transformation strategy that, at a minimum, replaces the school leadership and develops and rewards teacher and leader effectiveness; adopts comprehensive instructional programs; extends time for students and staff and offers community-oriented services; and provides operating flexibility and intensive support. TSTA favors this model above all others. The National Education Association was instrumental in the creation and implementation of the Transformational Model. Without the NEA, this model would not have been an option, leaving teachers completely vulnerable in struggling schools.

Dec. 4, 2009
Summary of Senate Health Care Reform Activity
Health care reform activity is now focused on the Senate as floor debate of their health reform bill (HR 3590) began on Monday, Nov. 30. In the meantime, NEA and state affiliate leaders and staff continue to contact and visit with members of Congress and their staff , as well as with White House representatives, to impress upon them why  the 40% excise tax on high cost health plans is not only bad policy but bad politics.

Senate Activities: A number of amendments to the bill have been approved. Some of the amendments that passed so far:

•Maintain proposed Medicare budget cuts of more than $400 billion that come from reductions in excessive government overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans and insurance carriers. The Medicare Advantage cuts are one of the main sources for financing health care reform.  

• Authorize the federal government to require health insurance plans to cover women’s preventive health screenings such as mammograms and annual screenings for cancer, without a copayment. 

The Senate also approved a compromise proposal that states that HR 3590 would not reduce the guaranteed Medicare benefits and that savings would be redirected back into the Medicare program. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has indicated that he will continue with the amendment process and will file a motion to end debate on the bill as soon as possible. Reid has called the chamber to session on Saturday and Sunday Dec. 5 and 6. Senate Democrats are still hoping to pass their bill before the holiday break.

NEA Activities: NEA and state affiliate leaders and staff have met in person and by phone with many members of Congress and their staff along with White House representatives to impress upon them how the excise tax would hurt NEA members' health plans and will result in a back door tax to middle class workers and their families along with benefit reductions. State affiliates are asked to continue contacting their members of Congress asking them to use progressive financing of health care reform such as the methodology in the House bill which taxes the wealthiest Americans. Let them know that taxing middle-class Americans is the wrong way to pay for health reform.

Dec. 3, 2009
2008-09 AEIS Reports Now Available  
The Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) pulls together a wide range of information on the performance of students in each school and district in Texas annually. This information is put into the annual AEIS reports, which are available each year in the fall. Performance indicators are:

1. Results of Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS); by grade, by subject, and by all grades tested;
2. Participation in the statewide assessment programs (TAKS/TAKS (Accommodated)/TAKS-M/TAKS-Alt);
3. Exit-Level TAKS Cumulative Passing Rates;
4. Progress of Prior Year TAKS Failers;
5. Results of Student Success Initiative;
6. Attendance Rates;
7. Annual Dropout Rates (grades 7-8, grades 7-12, and grades 9-12);
8. Completion Rates (4-year longitudinal);
9. College Readiness Indicators;
10. Advanced / Dual Enrollment Course Completion;
11. Completion of the Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program;
12. Participation and Performance on Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Examinations;
13. College-Ready Graduates;
14. Texas Success Initiative (TSI) – Higher Education Readiness Component; and
15. Participation and Performance on the College Admissions Tests (SAT I and ACT).

Performance on each of these indicators is shown disaggregated by ethnicity, sex, special education, low income status, and limited English proficient status. The performance of at-risk students is also shown on the district, region, and state AEIS reports. In addition to the performance indicators, the reports provide extensive information on school and district staff, finances, programs, and student demographics. http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/aeis/2009/index.html

Want to Serve on a State Review Panel?
The Texas Education Agency is now accepting nominations for the state review panels that will evaluate instructional materials submitted under Proclamation 2011. The deadline for submission is December 18, 2009. 

Dec. 1, 2009

Education Research Centers Board Approves Projects
The Joint Advisory Board of the Texas Education Research Centers (ERC) met December 1 to consider five new research projects all from the University of Texas at Dallas. The ERC board approved three of the five, leaving the other two proposals tabled until the next meeting so that additional information can be provided by the grant writers.

The first approved research project will study the effects of Limited English Programs (LEP) on academic performance. This study will compare immersion programs with bilingual programs to determine which one is more beneficial to English language learners. ERC board members stressed the importance that this study will need significant control measures on lots of data. The intent is to go back five years and compare the data already collected by school districts and the Texas Education Agency.

The second approved research project will study performing arts participation in high school and its links to academic success. The committee expressed the need to separate the data between lower socio-economic students and the non-disadvantaged students as some students practice arts outside of school.

The third research project the ERC board approved will study On-Track for High School Graduation Indicators for Texas School Districts. This study is based on the Chicago “Early Warning Indicators” system that identifies at-risk students for dropout prevention at the ninth grade based on that student earning at least one “F” or failing grade in a core subject area. This will be the first of three phases for this study. Phases two and three will look at college readiness, if this study goes well. The cohort for this study will be ninth grades starting in the 2004-05 school year and it will be based on a pass/fail grading system. Nineteen Texas school districts have volunteered to be a part of this study.
 

Nov. 25, 2009

TRS Trust Fund Begins to Rebound from Downturn
On November 23, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott blocked retired Texas educators from receiving a one-time $500 “13th check.” Earlier this year, the 81st Texas Legislature approved the payments through bipartisan votes in both chambers. However, because the money was to come from general revenue, rather than the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) trust fund, lawmakers made the payments conditional on approval by Abbott. The attorney general issued an opinion saying that he could not “conclusively opine that such payments ‘are constitutionally and statutorily permissible.’” Accordingly, 250,000 retired educators will not receive a 13th check. The positive news is that the money appropriated for the contemplated 13th check will be deposited into the trust fund, upping the state’s contribution rate from 6.4% to 6.644%,

On November 18, TRS conducted a briefing that covered the following topics: actuarial valuation of the pension fund, 2009 comprehensive annual financial report and updates on TRS-Care and TRS-Active Care.

Global financial markets have been extremely volatile over the past year, and the TRS trust fund value has fluctuated as well. In the past year, the market value of the trust fund has declined from $104.9 billion on August 31, 2008, to $70.6 billion on February 28. As of August 31, however, the trust fund has rebounded to $88.7 billion. For the fiscal year, the trust fund value declined by $16.2 billion or 15.4%.

Assuming the member rate is unchanged, the report estimates that the state annual required contribution (ARC) would have to increase to 7.72% to make the trust fund actuarially sound. The ARC is expected to increase over time because the current valuation defers net investment losses of nearly $18 billion that will be realized over time. The funded status of the trust find will decline as these losses are realized unless investment returns exceed the assumed annual return rate of 8%. Assuming the current contribution policy continues, the trust fund has assets in place to make benefit payments through 2058. TRS will be contemplating seeking contribution increases from both members and the state.

Unlike the TRS pension trust fund, the TRS-Care fund is not pre-funded. It is a cost-sharing, multiple employer plan that is funded on a “pay as you go” basis to maintain benefits each biennium. The TRS-Care trust is projected to remain solvent through fiscal year 2013. Some fund reserves are already being depleted, and TRS will have to address cost/payout issues in the near future. Fund reserves are equal to two months of total incurred cost. Executive Director Ronnie Jung stated that premiums will have to be raised at some point. Premiums were last raised in 2005.

TRS-ActiveCare is a self-funded, managed care plan. TRS Active-Care will also force TRS to look at altering the current premium rates. TRS-ActiveCare is seeing an increase in the number of active members in the system, an increase in medical costs and an increase in pharmacy costs. Expect to see premiums go up in the future for both TRS-Care and TRS-ActiveCare participants.

On October 8 and 9, the TRS board met and received authorization from the Legislative Budget Board to adopt a resolution that makes a fiduciary finding directing staff to transfer up to $3 million from the TRS trust fund to be used for administrative purposes. The board asked the LBB to approve a request to transfer up to almost $6 million from the TRS trust fund for administrative purposes.

Also, TRS staff made a proposal to amend the rules relating to service credit. The proposal would simplify Retirement Plan Rules §§25.4 (substitutes) and 25.131 (required service). TRS staff proposed that the rules be amended to allow for a year of service credit based on 90 paid days in an eligible position during a school year. The board, however, decided to pull down the proposed amendments, so the rules will stay the same for now.
 

Nov. 24, 2009
Perry:Education Standards Should Be Set by Texas, Not DC Governor Perry, in a letter to Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott, has directed the commissioner not to commit the state to the adoption of national standards and assessments in its application for Race to the Top stimulus funding. The U.S. Department of Education has said it would give preference to states that adopt national standards and assessments in awarding funding, although no national standards have been adopted. more

Annual Educator Retention and Shortage Areas Survey
In the upcoming weeks the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will send the Educator Retention and Shortage Areas Survey for local education agencies (LEAs) to complete educator information that TEA is required to report annually to the Federal Government. This survey will inform loan forgiveness programs, teacher shortage areas, teacher certifications and other educator programs that benefit the LEA. A sample survey is located at www.tea.state.tx.us/loan/survey.aspx. Completed surveys are due by Jan. 31, 2010.

Nov. 23, 2009
Attorney General Rules Against Retired Educators
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today blocked each retired Texas educator from receiving a one-time $500 “13th check.”

The 81st Texas Legislature earlier this year approved the payments by bipartisan votes in both chambers. But because the money was to come from general revenue, rather than the Teacher Retirement System of Texas fund, lawmakers made it conditional on approval by Abbott. The attorney general today issued an opinion saying that he could not “conclusively opine that such payments ‘are constitutionally and statutorily permissible.’” So 250,000 retired educators will not receive even this small 13th check.  

“We are disappointed that the attorney general ruled against our retired educators and that the Legislature still fails to fund the Teacher Retirement System properly and to provide retirees with regular cost-of-living adjustments,” TSTA President Rita Haecker said. “We will explore the legal and legislative options we might have on behalf of retired educators.”

2010 Western Region Leadership Conference
This year’s NEA Western Region Leadership Conference—Today’s NEA: Hope. Innovation. Transformation.—will be January 15-17, in Mesa, AZ. The conference includes workshops on a wide array of topics, such as culturally diverse students, building effective locals, the importance of political involvement, and building an ESP local. If interested in attending, please visit the NEA website at: http://www.nea.org/members/wrlc.html

TSTA Awards Deadline – Dec. 1
December 1^st is the deadline for nominations for TSTA’s Friend of Education Award and Frank J. Tejeda Award for Public Service. Forms and nomination information about these and other TSTA awards are available on the TSTA website at: http://www.tsta.org/news/current/awards.shtml

Texas House Interim Charges Impact Education
Last week, the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Joe Straus, released the Interim Committee Charges for the 81^st Legislature. There are numerous charges that could have an impact on education in the State of Texas. TSTA will be closely monitoring these charges and, when necessary, actively intervene to affect the outcome of the charges. Listed below are the specific charges TSTA will be monitoring. 

House Committee on Appropriations 
2. Monitor the use of funds, adherence to state and federal reporting requirements, and ongoing development of federal rules and regulations provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Evaluate the impact of those funds on the state's economy. Joint Interim Charge with House Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding 

7. Examine the Texas Education Agency's programs and services, including the Student Success Initiative, and evaluate their impact on achieving the stated agency and statewide goals. 

House Committee on Higher Education 
4. Study and recommend strategies for improving community college participation and success. Examine the role of community colleges within the state higher education system. Include a review of programs, practices, and incentives to improve efficiency and productivity, such as expanding dual credit options, encouraging credit by examination, and improving student preparation in high school. 

House Committee on Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services 
2. Examine Texas school districts' administration of their employees' optional retirement investments. 

4. Examine the performance and accountability of the Texas public pension funds and make recommendations as needed. 

5. Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction. 

House Committee on Public Education 
1. Monitor the implementation of the public school accountability, college readiness, and other reforms enacted by HB 3 (81R) and recommend adjustments as needed. 

2. Study the role of public schools in promoting student health, providing health related information, and responding to infectious diseases, including the H1N1 virus. 

3. Study the best leadership and management practices of campus administrators for improving student achievement, with particular focus on effective leadership models for improving low-performing campuses. Make recommendations on how to implement successful strategies at scale. Review the current administrator certification process and make suggestions for improvements. 

4. Review policies to ensure the availability of quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum to all students in primary and secondary education. Examine strategies to increase the supply and improve retention rates of teachers in STEM fields. 

5. Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction. 

House Committee on Redistricting 
1. Conduct public hearings in appropriate locations to obtain public input on all issues relating to the redistricting of legislative, congressional, and State Board of Education districts following the release of the federal census in 2011. 

2. Gather information regarding the existence and location of communities of interest to be considered in the creation of legislative, congressional, and State Board of Education districts. 

House Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding 
1. Monitor the use of funds, adherence to state and federal reporting requirements, and ongoing development of federal rules and regulations provided under the

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Evaluate the impact of those funds on the state's economy. Joint Interim Charge with House Committee on Appropriations 

House Committee on State Affairs 
1. Review state compliance with federal law regarding undocumented immigrants. Evaluate the costs of services and benefits provided to undocumented immigrants by state agencies and local governments.

The Last Bracey Report
Researcher Gerald Bracey died recently. Bracey spent his professional career challenging how policymakers, politicians, and the media use – he would say “abuse” – education statistics and research.

A Stanford-educated psychologist, he was a fellow at the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University and at the Education and the Public Interest Center (EPIC) at the University of Colorado at Bolder and an associate at the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.  

For the 2009 Bracey report, Bracey was asked to discuss the research support for what he considered to be three of the most important assumptions about how to reform public education: (1) High-quality schools can eliminate the achievement gap between whites and minorities, (2) Mayoral control of public schools is an improvement over the more common elected board governance systems, and (3) Higher standards will improve the performance of public schools. 

His conclusions? With regard to mayoral control of education, Bracey found data did not support claims of improvement after takeovers in New York and Chicago. He found that the statistics used to argue for higher standards also lack persuasiveness, while simultaneously suffering from the failure to distinguish between content standards, performance standards, and opportunity to learn standards. Finally, Bracey questioned whether any school, even one designated "high quality," could single-handedly overcome the challenges of poverty, including disproportionate incidences of low birth weight, inadequate health care, poor nutrition, lead poisoning, and family stress to eliminate achievement gaps.

Nov. 20, 2009

TSTA Opposes Lawsuit to Roll Back Truth-in-Grading Law
Six school districts from the Houston area are suing the state to roll back the truth-in-grading law both houses of the 81st Texas Legislature unanimously passed earlier this year, with TSTA’s support. Senate Bill 2033, by state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, bars school districts from adopting policies that require teachers to award students grades they do not actually earn. “It is never appropriate to force a teacher to give a student a grade that they haven't earned,” Nelson said in response to the lawsuit. Yet that is what the plaintiff Fort Bend, Aldine, Klein, Alief, Anahuac and Clear Creek districts want to do. TSTA opposes this misguided attempt to take control over grades out of the hands of classroom teachers.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Houston Chronicle ran reports on the lawsuit.

SBOE Finishes Year with Contentious General Meeting
The State Board of Education met for a general meeting on Friday at the William B. Travis State Office Building in Austin.

Many of the initial items were simply housekeeping items. Textbook funding may be a problem, though. The board will transfer $60.7 million from the Permanent School Fund to the Available School Fund to be used for textbooks. This is less than one-tenth of typical transfers. The board did not discuss implications for districts. The board noted its concerns, but it also agreed that there was nothing that could be done, based on the investment returns.

Integrated physics and chemistry (IPC), which had been resurrected during the Committee of the Full Board, was killed today. Interesting, Chair Gail Lowe, R-Lampasas, made very sure that all members were allowed to return and vote before calling the vote. This runs counter to the move to kill the advanced mathematical decision making (AMDM) course at the end of the last meeting. AMDM will be evaluated by TEA staff before the next meeting.

Proclamation 2010 was passed without issue. This call for texts involved the English language arts and reading (ELAR) Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards that were the subject of controversy for over a year. The board was very pleased with itself. Geraldine Miller, R-Dallas, noted that, for the first time since she had been a board member, no testimony was offered for this final adoption decision. The board may have mistaken acquiescence for support.

The board agreed to a question and answer document for publishers that regarded prekindergarten materials, as well as the ELAR TEKS. The board is very opposed to textbook publishers using the terms TAKS and, TEKS in ways members believe are inappropriate, as these terms are trademarks owned by TEA. Some changes were significant. At one point, the word “No” was added on unanimous consent. Other remarks dealt with semantics.

The board approved graduation plans to be consistent with House Bill 3 and moved the proposed social studies TEKS forward.

Committees reported their actions to end the general meeting. However, on a point of personal privilege, member Rick Agosto addressed the board.

Agosto’s remarks were very pointed, though he did not name names. He has been cleared of any wrongdoing, as accused in the previous meeting. Still, he has found it extremely difficult to clear his name from the false accusations that beset him from the accusations. He is not running for reelection in 2010; however, he told the board that the decision had been made this past summer. He plans to build his business and spend time with his family and remarked that the workload was enormous.

When Agosto finished, the board adjourned. The next State Board of Education meeting will take place in January 2010.
 

AEW: U.S. Secretary of Education & NEA President
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan & NEA President Dennis Van Roekel rolled up their sleeves and donned chef hats to serve lunch to hundreds of students at John Adams Elementary School in Alexandria, VA, on National Education Support Professionals Day, Nov. 18. NEA’s National ESP Day is part of the Association’s weeklong celebration of American Education Week.

• See the photos
• Watch the video
• Read the news release

Nov. 19, 2009

SBOE Committee of the Full Board Discusses Textbooks
The Committee of the Full Board of the State Board of Education met at 9 a.m. Thursday at the William B. Travis Building. The committee began by discussing parliamentary procedure and heard a performance report regarding the Permanent School Fund.

The committee then took up the issue of textbooks. Books for English language arts and reading (ELAR) have been produced in draft form, and members had been given copies to proofread.

Conservative members expressed frustration that a publisher had indicated where Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards were met. The board saw TEKS and the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests as proprietary, as stated in the question and answer document. Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff had allowed such use by textbook companies. Thus, both TEA and the publishers were culpable in the eyes of some members.

Minor changes were made throughout Proclamation 2010 and Proclamation 2011.Some members wanted to delay decisions until May. But Chair Gail Lowe, R-Lampasas, informed them that the parliamentary procedure the board uses allows delay only until the next meeting.

Talk turned to a “state license” offer from a textbook company. This would involve TEA purchasing the content, retaining intellectual property rights and offering it to all districts. For many reasons, the board objected to the idea of TEA ownership. Objections were based on cost and whether the other textbook companies would be treated fairly. Education Commissioner Robert Scott informed them that the new legislation gave the commissioner the authority to proceed with or without the board’s approval.

Another source of contention was the new open-source textbook legislation. Members were both confused and concerned. Don McLeroy, R-College Station, stammered, “I’m just…it’s just…it’s up in the air.” He lifted his three-ring binder and said, “Here. This could be the textbook. Right here.” He asked whether the board could stipulate different levels of printing quality. Pat Hardy, R-Weatherford, said, “Can we say, ‘Can of worms,’ here?” She maintained that open source materials need to meet the same manufacturing standards as standard textbooks.

The committee pointed to the possibility of strong inequities between districts. But the board would retain jurisdiction on quality level, so members are relatively comfortable. While the content would be open source in nature, the state would own the actual printing contract.

At least that is the current understanding.

Classrooms will remain equipped with textbooks. Secondary teachers will have at least 32 books per classroom, and elementary teachers will have a minimum of 22. The board tried to change the elementary number to 24, but that exceeded the 103% cap the board had set on its own in previous sessions.

The committee discussed social studies TEKS, with the conservative wing wanting no more input, whatsoever. The chair reminded them of the upcoming hearing in January.

After the Committee of the Full Board adjourned, the Committee on Instruction gave TEA staff guidance on middle school fine arts requirements. Language in House Bill 3 requires the board to establish rules requiring students to have one credit of fine arts in grades 6-8. The committee decided that one year of fine arts was enough for middle school. They also decided that these requirements should begin with the sixth grade class starting in the fall of 2010.

The SBOE holds its general meeting Friday. TSTA will continue to monitor and report on its work.

Free Book on Neuroeducation
The Dana Foundation has released "Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain," its newest free education resource. The book, the culmination of a summit sponsored by The Johns Hopkins University School of Education's Neuro-Education Initiative, focuses on the convergence of neuroscientific research and teaching and learning, with an emphasis on the arts.

The book begins with an introduction by the late Dana Chairman William Safire. "A circuit has been forming over the past two decades, relatively unremarked, between cognitive neuroscience--the science of learning--and the practitioners of education," wrote Safire. "What was needed to close the knowledge circuit--to give a jolt of energy to the trend toward neuroeducation--was a field of experimentation familiar and accessible to both disciplines, one that would dispel a sometimes inbuilt mutual wariness."

In the book, education and brain experts discuss their experiences, challenges, and potential next steps to allow for the crossover from classroom to lab and lab to classroom. The concerns and hopes of those working in the field are presented in a summary of the roundtable discussions that served as the centerpiece of the summit.

The book is available online at http://www.dana.org/news/
publications/publication.aspx?id=23964. To request a free hard copy, e-mail jgoldberg@dana.org. Please include your institutional and mailing information.

Nov. 18, 2009
SBOE Committee of the Full Board Holds Long Meeting
The State Board of Education’s Committee of the Full Board met at the William B. Travis State Office Building at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Education Commissioner Robert Scott’s comments included the new U.S. Education Department’s interpretation of the Texas Highly Qualified teacher status. Scott also discussed TEA’s efforts to secure USED Race to the Top funding.

The agenda began with board ethics amendments. David Anderson, a Texas Education Agency attorney, led members through current and suggested language limiting the amount and circumstances where board members can receive contributions. Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, expressed concern as to whether such ethics rules would apply to all candidates and not just SBOE members. Mercer is running for a second term in 2010. David Bradley, R-Unknown Residence, joined Mercer and mentioned his empathy to lobbyists in light of these new proposed ethics rules. This discussion took the entire morning.

When the committee reconvened, state Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, testified under personal privilege as to her frustration at the lack of Hispanics from the Social Studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards. She represented Hispanic caucuses from both the Texas House and the Texas Senate. Pat Hardy, R-Weatherford, engaged the representative and expressed her frustration at the “revisionist history” she believed was being pushed by minority representatives. Mavis Knight, D-Dallas, brought the question of what “revisionist history” is. Chavez replied that she represented groups that want the social studies TEKS to be accurate, not revisionist. At that point, the questioning sank to partisan attacks on and partisan support for the representative.

The committee took testimony regarding career and technical education, health, speech and other subjects in relation to the new graduation requirements the Texas Legislature included in House Bill 3. Members considered the notion of certifying the advanced mathematical decision making course the board had killed in September, as well as the place of integrated physics and chemistry (IPC) in the science curriculum.

At 5:19, Scott offered members food.

Once the testimony was complete, members discussed graduation requirements with each other. They considered the advanced mathematical decision making course for the Minimum Graduation Plan. This became a heated issue between Knight and Terri Leo, R-Spring. Knight brought the real issue to a head when she began, “I know I’m not a member of the club At this point, Chair Gail Lowe, R-Lampasas, broke in to demand decorum. “You want decorum? I’ll give you decorum,” Knight replied. The motion eventually failed, but the board agreed to direct TEA staff to further develop TEKS on the course.

Discussion turned to other potential courses to meet the fourth-year requirements in the 4x4 curriculum. Almost every idea was shot down, leaving many questions unanswered. Amendments from moderates failed on a regular basis. As of now, IPC must be taken as a first- or second-year science credit. Such a rule would put any student a year behind in science, making it difficult to satisfy the 4x4 requirements of the Recommended Curriculum. TEA staff asked the committee if it expected students to take anything concurrently. There were some sarcastic remarks regarding the “flexibility” set forth by HB 3. The issue remained basically unresolved. The board will discuss it further during Friday’s general meeting.

After graduation requirement deliberations were concluded, the board turned to public testimony on the upcoming social studies TEKS. The board listened to a litany of testimony coming almost solely from right-wing think tanks and conservative “concerned citizens.” The testifiers seemed organized and working with design, as conservative members of the board egged them on, lengthening testimony more and more. The testimony ended after 10:30 p.m. even though half the testifiers had left. Testimony ranged from semantic issues (free market versus capitalism) to the need for people to get off of welfare. Knight challenged much of the testimony from a societal perspective, and Hardy repeatedly expressed frustration at the lack of respect given to the work of the TEKS writing teams.

TEA staff will be spending much of their time making sense of what the Committee of the Full Board did today. TSTA will keep you informed on further actions by the SBOE and its committees.

Weekly Tip: Homework is Important
Tell your parents and students why homework is important: research has shown that the retention rate of new learning drops drastically if that new learning is not used in some way within 10 hours.

Nov. 17, 2009
Nominations for State Review Panels Are Being Accepted
The Texas Education Agency is now accepting nominations for the state review panels that will evaluate instructional materials submitted under Proclamation 2011. The deadline for submission is December 18, 2009. Proclamation 2011 of the State Board of Education calls for instructional materials in the following areas:

Prekindergarten Systems

• English Language Arts, Grades 2 - 8

• Spanish Language Arts, Grades 2 - 6

• English as a Second Language, Grades K - 8 -

Student and Teacher Editions

• Spelling, Grades 1 - 6

• Handwriting, Grades 1 - 3

• Speech, Grades 6 - 8

English, Levels I - IV
The state review panel is charged with evaluating instructional materials to determine coverage of the TEKS and to identify factual errors. The panel members play a very important role in ensuring that students throughout the state of Texas have the benefit of quality instructional materials. The materials adopted under Proclamation 2011 will be used in schools beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. The TEA encourages you to nominate individuals for appointment to the state review panels by completing the application posted at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/textbooks/
proclamations/proc2011/index.html. Individuals are permitted to nominate themselves. Appointments to the State Review Panel are made by the Commissioner of Education and will be announced in March 2010.

State review panels will convene in Austin during parts of June and July of 2010 to review instructional materials submitted under Proclamation 2011. Appointed state review panel members will serve for one week during that period. Members will attend an orientation/training meeting at the beginning of the week, and should plan to remain on-site for a period of five days to conduct the evaluation. The Texas Education Agency will reserve hotel lodging, and reimburse panel members for all travel expenses, as allowable by law.

Please complete and return the application via email to Review and Adoption at review.adoption@tea.state.tx.us. Please save this form beginning with "nom_" followed by the nominee's complete last name and the first initial of the nominee's first name (example: Gerry Washington would be "nom_washingtong").  Completed forms should be returned no later than December 18, 2009. Thank you for your participation.

Nov. 17, 2009
SBOE Committee Moves to Hike Funds for Indirect Costs
The State Board of Education’s Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund met to discuss several items. The hot topic of the day concerned increasing the maximum allowable indirect costs for special programs under the Foundation School Program (FSP). Currently, 19 TAC § 105.11 says that no more than 15% of FSP special allotments can be expended on indirect costs related to the following programs: compensatory education, gifted and talented education, bilingual education and special language programs, and special education. The rule also limits the maximum indirect cost for career and technical education to no more than 10%.

House Bill 3646, which the 81st Texas Legislature passed during this year’s regular session, provides that up to 45%, rather than 15%, may be expended from FSP special allotments for indirect costs for the compensatory education program. HB 3646 also directs the SBOE to by rule increase the indirect cost allotments established for special education, bilingual education, and career and technical programs.

The proposed amendment to 19 TAC § 105.11, approved for first reading and filing authorization by the SBOE in September 2009, increases the percent allowances for indirect costs for the FSP special allotments to no more than 45% for the compensatory education program and no more than 35% for gifted and talented education, bilingual education, career and technical education, and special education.

The committee today moved to increase the percent allowances for indirect costs for the FSP special allotments for gifted and talented education, bilingual education and special language programs, and special education to 45%. The committee also moved to increase the percent allowances for indirect costs for the FSP special allotments for career and technical programs to 40%. The committee passed the motion unanimously, and the full board will act on it Friday.

Education Austin's 10th Anniversary Gala & Benefit 

Day Care Workers Celebrate Back Pay Win
Five San Antonio Alliance members were denied extra pay for the overtime work they were required to perform "off the clock" at the Fox Tech district daycare facility for children of students enrolled in the district. Not anymore.

The five employees sued the district in federal court, and this month the district settled the case by paying the employees double the amount of the two years of back pay they were owed--nearly $30,000--plus attorney's fees totaling $47,000. 

Alliance Vice President Rachel Martinez and Field Organizer Joseph Salazar worked with the employees to help them gather their documentation and records to file the lawsuit.  “It took a lot of bravery to overcome the obstacles to follow through. These employees love their job and the children they work with. I can’t commend them enough for their courage to come forward for help,” Martinez said.   

The case has sent a strong message, with the central administration in the district now working to make sure that supervisors throughout the district understand the importance of complying with federal law on overtime.

Apply for the Local President Release Time Program
The 2010-11 Local President Release Time Program Application Packet was mailed in October to local associations with membership of 200 or more. Information about this program has been sent by NEA to the presidents of all locals with 200 or more members. If there are any locals that did not get the information but who have a budget large enough that they are considering establishing a full or part-time release president, please contact Brenda Pike at 877-ASK-TSTA or brendap@tsta.org and we will forward the information. Dec. 14 is the deadline for interested locals to apply to TSTA, following instructions in the packet.
 

Nov. 13, 2009
Project Share Launches
The Texas Education Agency, in collaboration with Epsilen LLC, and The New York Times Company, today announced the creation of Project Share, a new initiative that will build a portal system to expand the development and delivery of high quality professional development in an interactive and engaging learning environment and provide access to online resources, online course content, academic networking, and professional learning communities. If you would like to see the initial phase of this project, go to www.tea.state.tx.us and click on the curriculum portal and then on the red link on the left side of the page that says Project Share.
 

Nov. 10, 2009
Rally Update: Meet at TSTA at Noon Saturday!
If you are coming to the Rally for Health Care this Saturday, Nov. 14, please meet Portia Bosse in the TSTA parking lot at noon. Enter our parking lot off 12th Street; we are between Lavaca and Guadalupe. If the TSTA parking lot is already full, you can park on the street; meters are free on Saturday. Among the rally speakers are Louis Malfaro of Education Austin and Glenda Hawthorne of Socorro Educators Association.

Nov. 5, 2009
Volunteers Needed for Health Care Rally
Volunteers are needed for hot dog preparation, kitchen duty and delivery. Volunteers would report at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 to the Texas AFL-CIO Auditorium at 1106 Lavaca in Austin. Call Vivian Willis at 512-477-6195 if interested.

Volunteers Needed the Week of the Health Care Rally
Volunteers are needed to help with phone banking on Monday, Nov. 9 from 5:30-9:00 p.m. and with sign building on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 5:30-9:00 p.m. Both events will be at the Texas AFL-CIO, 1106 Lavaca in Austin. They would like volunteers to bring resources such as markers and poster boards to help defray costs. Contact Joe Arabie at 512-477-6195 if you have questions.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching are the nation's highest honors for teachers of mathematics and science. The Awards recognize outstanding K-12 teachers for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession. Since 1983, more than 4,000 teachers have been recognized for their contributions to mathematics and science education. If you know great teachers, nominate them to join this prestigious network of professionals. more

Nov. 4, 2009

Many Texans Still Willing to Invest in Public Schools
Even with the economic downturn that has seriously hiked the unemployment rate in Texas, many voters across the state are still willing to invest in their local public schools to make up shortfalls in state funding.

And candidates that TSTA locals backed in Alief and Cypress-Fairbanks ISDs fared well in Tuesday’s trustee elections in those Houston-area school systems.

Twenty-six districts across the state decided tax rate elections to increase local school district revenue. Voters in 17 of them, or 65.38%, ratified the proposed higher tax rates, according to results Joe Smith of the TSTA School Bell Award-winning TexasISD.com website compiled and posted by 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Twenty-eight districts across the state decided bond elections to fund physical plant additions or upgrades. Voters in 15 of them, or 53.57%, approved the proposed school bonds, with voters in two districts splitting multiple bond propositions, TexasISD.com reported

These results are encouraging given the financial struggles so many Texans are experiencing. They may not be quite as good as Texas needs, but they are at least somewhat better than expected in the current economic climate. Tuesday’s results do reflect TSTA polling that shows the majority of people in this state, regardless of political party, believe their public schools are worth investing in.

Three of four Alief-TSTA/NEA-backed candidates won election, turning back a strong campaign by would-be tax cutters seeking to take control of the school board so they could starve the district of the funding it needs.

Incumbent trustees Sarah B. Winkler and Gary L. Cook handily won re-election, and retired educator Ella M. Jefferson will join the school board.

“The quality of these candidates is outstanding,” Alief-TSTA/NEA President Ovidia Molina said of the local’s endorsees. “More important, they truly do put our kids first and know what is essential for the district’s future.”

Backed by Cy-Fair TSTA-NEA, incumbent trustee Lida Cowen Woodul handily won another term on the school board.

“Lida Cowden Woodul puts kids first,” Cy-Fair TSTA/NEA President Frances Smith said in announcing the local’s endorsement. “We need to keep her dedication and experience on the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Board of Trustees.”

With the 2009 election cycle now completed, TSTA is already gearing up for the 2010 campaign season, which will see elections for the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government, as well as races for school boards and votes on tax rates and school bonds at the local level.
 

Nov. 3, 2009
$1000 to Purchase Books: Apply by Nov. 20
The NEA Foundation makes $1,000 awards to public schools serving economically disadvantaged students to purchase books for school libraries. The NEA Foundation will make approximately 50 awards of $1,000 each. Application deadline is Nov. 20, 2009. Go to www.neafoundation.org and click on "Educators" then "Grants to Educators" and then Books Across America.
 

Oct. 29, 2009

TEA Holds Public Meeting on Open-Source Textbooks
The Texas Education Agency held an informational meeting for publishers considering textbook submission for the next two school years. For the first time, textbook options will include open-source materials (House Bill 2488) and electronic delivery systems (House Bill 4294). Publishers understandably had many questions about these two delivery systems, as well as the current English language arts and reading textbooks, which are being constantly amended by the State Board of Education (SBOE).

Logistics will hit school districts hard in the next year. By statute, reading textbooks must be ordered by April 1, 2010. The actual list of approved textbooks (physical and electronic versions) will be released some time in March. That ensures districts will have less than a month to review textbooks and render decisions. Spring break will factor into the equation, making things worse for districts and the teachers who make textbook decisions.

This is more significant in larger districts, which have logistic issues of their own. One representative from a large district told Anita Givens, associate commissioner of standards and programs, that they had no lag time because they need textbooks delivered by June 1. Otherwise, they have no way to get so many textbooks to so many schools in time for the beginning of the school year. Givens replied that this is the best TEA can do at this point in time.

While physical textbooks will follow the established patterns, the new formats will not. Unlike textbook “Adoption,” by SBOE, electronic formats will be “Selected” by Commissioner Robert Scott. Instead of SBOE’s issuing new proclamations, TEA will now call for adjustments in what publishers have already sent. Someone even mentioned that TEA now uses Twitter. Following that logic, it may well be that TEA could “tweet” new demands to electronic publishers, giving them the 30-60 days to make the requisite changes. TEA isn’t sure of the process at this point.

In fact, the entire process for electronic publishing and open-source materials is still uncertain. TEA staff gave publishers a Q&A booklet; it was in draft form, as TEA anticipates many more questions. Staff asked for questions from the audience and for any others to be submitted by early November to give them time to answer the questions before the next SBOE meeting.

“There’s a first time for everything,” Givens said. “This is the best we can do.”

But the impact of such a process on teachers is a real concern. The potential unintended consequences of legislative, SBOE and TEA actions on textbooks and on classroom educators will require that TSTA continue to closely monitor the evolving process.
 

Oct. 27, 2009
NEA Vice President to Appear on HITN-TV
NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen will appear on HITN-TV (Hispanic Information and Telecommunication Network) on Thursday, Oct. 29 at pm ET.  The program is “Destination Casa Blanca”,  a weekly political show that presents a “grass roots” approach to television politics, offering an in-depth analysis of the new federal administration from the Latino perspective.  This week’s topic is English Language Learners.  (The subjects are early childhood education and bilingual education).

Oct. 23, 2009
TRS Fall Report Card Tour
The Texas Teacher Retirement System is taking staff leaders and board members on the road to meet with active and retired TRS members in San Angelo (Nov. 6 morning), Fort Worth/Metroplex (Nov. 13 in Haltom City), and Abilene (Nov. 6 afternoon). At the meeting, you'll be updated on the fund's status, report on recently enacted laws, and answer questions. more
 

Permanent School Fund Rebounds
Despite turbulence in financial markets worldwide, the Permanent School Fund, which is overseen by the State Board of Education, has rebounded to a value of almost $22 billion, up from $15.9 billion this spring. more

Oct. 22, 2009
Education Austin Member Wins Milken Award
Maricruz Aguayo-Tabor teaches world history and European history classes at Austin’s Liberal Arts and Sciences Academy High School. She won a $25,000 Milken Educator Award today. more

30,000 Texas Teachers Lose ‘Highly Qualified’ Status
The U.S. Education Department (USED) recently reviewed Texas certification standards. In this review, USED found many teachers were not Highly Qualified under current No Child Left Behind rules. Under the new interpretation, any elementary teacher who was new to the profession when hired for the 2009-10 school year and whose demonstration of subject competency was based on passing a subject matter exam would NOT be considered Highly Qualified to teach in grades EC-6 until he/she has also passed a Generalist exam that tests subject knowledge in reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. 

Therefore, if any new teacher holds one of these teacher certificates, he/she is not Highly Qualified to teach in an elementary school (EC-6): 4-8 math, 4-8 science, 4-8 social studies, 4-8 math/science, 4-8 ELA/reading, 4-8 ELA/reading/social studies, EC-12 music, EC-12 theater, EC-12 special education or EC-12 art. 

Only the following tests meet this new interpretation: TExES EC-4 or EC-6 generalist, TExES EC-4 or EC-6 bilingual generalist, and TExES EC-4 or EC-6 ESL generalist. 

Now, to the issue of the change in the interpretation of the U.S. Education Department’s rules on what constitutes “Highly Qualified” elementary teachers. An estimated 30,000 Texas teachers hired this school year started the year believing they were Highly Qualified. Now they are not. This results from federal legislation (George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, or NCLB) and a not-so-small army of bureaucrats at USED complicating the definition of what makes a truly good and effective teacher. 

This is a big concern for the Texas Education Agency, which has known for some time that a potential problem existed with how the USED rule applies to this state. And USED has brought that to fruition by changing its interpretation of what constitutes “Highly Qualified” from last year to this one.  

This issue is also, of course, an even bigger concern for the 30,000 Texas teachers who have lost their “Highly Qualified” status. They will need to take care of this for next year, which means each will have to take the appropriate test for her/his field before the 2010-11 school year begins.  

However, the teachers who were but no longer are “Highly Qualified” are still certified by the State Board for Educator Certification. They have met the state’s certification requirements, and nothing under NCLB affects that.  

USED’s change of rule interpretation should not affect Texas school district’s contractual relationships with teachers. But it does mean districts will have to notify parents that some teachers previously deemed as “Highly Qualified” no longer are. Districts should take care to explain to parents that this results from the change in how USED interprets the applicable rule, not because the teachers who have lost this status somehow have downgraded their qualifications. 

New rules regarding parental notification will need to be considered, and the agency is seeking further clarification (and flexibility) from USED about this ruling.  

Both the USED and TEA continue to ignore the bigger issue: 50,000 Texas classrooms are staffed by teachers who are not certified in those fields, although they most likely are certified in other areas. Because the state of Texas will not properly fund public education, chronic teacher shortages remain in highly competitive fields such as math and the sciences, so schools are forced to staff classrooms with teachers who lack certification in those subjects.  

The average salary of a public school teacher in Texas ranks 33rd in the nation. That’s bad enough. Even worse, the second-largest state in the nation (both population and geography) ranks 48th in the nation for per-pupil expenditure for instruction. This clearly does not meet the needs of Texas students or the state’s future. 

As always, TSTA is closely monitoring the situation and will keep you informed as soon as new events happen.

Oct. 21, 2009
Teacher Jobs Saved or Created Through Recovery Act
The White House, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education,  this week issued a preliminary report regarding the impact of the American Recovery and Investment Act (ARRA) on education. According to the report, over 250,000 education jobs have been saved or created through ARRA.

NEA advocated on behalf of its 3.2 million members for timely passage of the landmark legislation to help struggling families, public schools, colleges and states around the country cope with the worst economic and financial crisis since the Great Depression. A final report is due October 30.

NEA welcomed the good news from the White House. ARRA provided $48.6 billion for states to save and create jobs, as well as $10 billion for low-income students and $12.2 billion for students with disabilities.  

“While we are pleased the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is working for educators, the big winners were America’s students. ARRA is working for over 250,000 educators and thousands of low-income students, as well as students with disabilities. It’s working for NEA members in schools and communities across America," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “Without these jobs, and with the same number of students, it’s likely that class size may have gone up even higher, which is particularly detrimental to students in the early grades. While we welcome the good news, we’re not out of the woods yet, as states are projecting significant drops in revenues. We encourage Congress and the Obama administration to consider extending recovery aid to students to avoid the ‘cliff effect’ if the states’ economy doesn’t improve significantly to maintain adequate levels of funding for students, programs and educators.” more

Oct. 20, 2009

Commissioner Explains Law on Minimum Grading Polices
Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Senate Bill 2033 and minimum grading policies. The commissioner has made clear that he believes that SB 2033 applies not only to day-to-day assignments, but also grades to be recorded on the report card and at the end of a grading period. It should be abundantly clear to school districts that SB 2033 was intended to prohibit school districts from creating policies that require teachers to assign students a minimum grade that the student did not earn and, further, that such policies are illegal.

If your school district continues to act in a manner contrary to state law and requires classroom teachers to assign a minimum grade, please contact the TSTA Help Center immediately. Being required to falsify a grade is illegal, and TSTA will challenge any district requiring its teachers to do so.

Here is Commissioner Scott's letter to public school administrators:

Subject: Senate Bill (SB) 2033 School District Grading Policy

SB 2033, passed by the 81st Texas Legislature, requires each school district to adopt a grading policy, including provisions for the assignment of grades on class assignments and examinations, before each school year. A district grading policy:

(1) must require a classroom teacher to assign a grade that reflects the student’s relative mastery of an assignment;

(2) may not require a classroom teacher to assign a minimum grade for an assignment without regard to the student’s quality of work; and

(3) may allow a student a reasonable opportunity to make up or redo a class assignment or examination for which the student received a failing grade.

TEA understands this legislation to also require honest grades for each grading period including six weeks, nine weeks, or semester grades for two reasons. First, if actual grades on assignments are not used in determining a six weeks grade, the purpose of the legislation has been defeated. Second, since 1995, Texas Education Code, §28.021, has required decisions on promotion or course credit to be based on “academic achievement or demonstrated proficiency.” If the six weeks grades do not reflect the actual assignment grades, they would not reflect academic achievement or demonstrated proficiency.

This legislation permits a district, through local policy, to allow a student a reasonable opportunity to make up or redo a class assignment or examination for which the student received a failing grade. By allowing students to make up work, a district would ensure six weeks grades reflect relative mastery of assignments, even if making up a prior deficit, rather than awarding an automatic grade to a student who has received a failing grade.

If you have questions regarding SB 2033, please contact Monica Martinez, Policy Director in the Curriculum Division, at (512) 463-9581 or via e-mail at monica.martinez@tea.state.tx.us.

Sincerely,
Robert Scott
Commissioner of Education

Oct. 19, 2009

USED Changes Some Rules for Texas Certification
The U.S. Education Department (USED) recently reviewed Texas certification standards. In this review, USED found many teachers were not Highly Qualified under current No Child Left Behind rules. Under the new interpretation, any elementary teacher who was new to the profession when hired for the 2009-10 school year and whose demonstration of subject competency was based on passing a subject matter exam would NOT be considered Highly Qualified to teach in grades PK-6 until he/she has also passed a Generalist exam that tests subject knowledge in reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies.

Therefore, if anyone holds one of these teacher certificates, he/she is not Highly Qualified to teach in an elementary school (PK-6): 4-8 math, 4-8 science, 4-8 social studies, 4-8 math/science, 4-8 ELA/reading, 4-8 ELA/reading/social studies, EC-12 music, EC-12 theater, EC-12 special education or EC-12 art.

The following tests are the only ones that meet this new interpretation: TExES EC-4 or EC-6 generalist, TExES EC-4 or EC-6 bilingual generalist, and TExES EC-4 or EC-6 ESL generalist.

The Texas Education Agency is still sorting through the specifications of the new interpretation, and changes to affected elementary school teachers’ Highly Qualified status are not being required by TEA at this time. New rules regarding parental notification will need to be considered, and the agency is seeking further clarification (and flexibility) from USED about this ruling. As of right now, there is no direct course of action for teachers to take. However, it is very important that Texas teachers are aware of this important new certification development.

As always, TSTA is closely monitoring the situation and will keep you informed as soon as new events happen.
 

Oct. 16, 2009
Sign Up for Texas Observer Email Alerts
If you are interested in receiving email alerts about upcoming stories from The Texas Observer (the 55-year-old biweekly magazine that specializes in investigative journalism of a variety of important issues as well as coverage of Texas politics, government, arts and culture) sign up here: http://www.texasobserver.org/email_subscribe.php.  If you would be interested in alerts just on education-related issues, email carl@texasobserver.org with "Education Alerts" as the subject line.

Oct. 15, 2009
New Writing Contest from Reading Rockets
The Exquisite Prompt contest is a series of monthly writing challenges designed as a classroom activity for kids in grades K-12. Teachers can engage their students by selecting just one of the monthly challenges or try a new challenge every month. http://www.readingrockets.org/books/
fun/exquisiteprompt/rules#

Oct. 9, 2009
State Board for Educator Certification Meets
The State Board for Educator Certification met on October 9, 2009 at the TEA building. 

The board replaced outdated material regarding the American Sign Language and approved passing standards Spanish, French, and German (EC-12), the Bilingual Generalist (EC-6), and the ESL Generalist (EC-6). All motions passed unanimously. 

The board considered a memorandum of understanding with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Education Agency, and the State Board for Educator Certification that allows the three agencies to share information regarding student loan defaults. SBEC staff informed the board had already approved Section 249.15(f) a similar standard, which is already in effect. The motion passed unanimously. 

SBEC then took up action regarding the new standards for teacher preparation certifying agents. The changes were very substantive. However, nearly everything in the new rules had been determined through SB 174 and the Higher Education Act. Because of this, there was little controversy and few questions regarding a very substantive set of changes. 

The new rules focus on evaluating entities that certify teachers. However, these rules will affect public schools directly. Here is a key example. The Attorney General has forbidden the use of PDAS scores when evaluating a teacher preparation program. Because of this, principals will be required to evaluate a new teacher twice: once to evaluate the teacher and once to evaluate the teacher’s preparation program. The board admonished staff not to place, “too much undue stress on the districts,” when implementing these new changes. The motion carried unanimously. 

New standards, with minor changes, were put in place for Principal Certificates, Superintendent Certificates, and Counselor Certificates.  All carried unanimously. 

The next SBEC meeting will take place in January, 2010, from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. It will be a retreat. Chair Cain asked for any topics of interest. Members want to consider the following: 

--Specifying a day or number of days before board meetings that SBEC will receive public comment on upcoming rules

--A cleaner way to streamline the disciplinary cases; and

--Clarification on board approaches to disciplinary decisions and how they are made.

TRS to Transfer$3 Million for Administrative Purposes
On October 8 and 9, 2009, the Board of Trustees of the Teacher Retirement System met to discuss and take action on certain business of the Board. Of note, the Board has been authorized by the Legislative Budget Board to adopt a resolution that makes a fiduciary finding directing staff to transfer up to $3 million from the TRS Trust Account Fund to be used for administrative purposes. The Board asked the LBB to approve a request to transfer up to almost $6 million from the TRS Trust Account Fund for administrative purposes. 

Also, TRS staff made a proposal to amend the rules relating to service credit. The proposal would simplify Retirement Plan Rules §§25.4 (Substitutes) and 25.131 (Required Service).  TRS staff proposed that the rules be amended to allow for a year of service credit based on 90 paid days in an eligible position during a school year. The Board, however, decided to pull down the proposed amendments and the rules will stay the same for now.

On February 28, 2009, the Net Assets Held in Trust for Pension Benefits were $70 billion, a decrease of $34.9 billion from the fiscal year beginning net assets of $104.9 billion. As of August 31, 2009, however, the Net Assets showed a gain of $17.7 billion to $87.7 billion. 

Oct. 8, 2009
2010-2011 LPRTP Grant Application
This week the 2010-11 Local President Release Time Program Application Packet was mailed to local associations with a membership of 200 or more. If there are any locals that did not get the information but have a budget large enough that they are considering establishing a full or part-time release president, please contact the TSTA Organizing Center for Affiliate and Leadership Development at 877-ASK-TSTA. Dec. 14 is the deadline for interested locals to apply to their state association (state president and executive director).  

Resources on Funding for RTI
NEA serves on the Advisory Board of the National Center on Response to Intervention (RTI) which is a federally funded project of the U.S. Department of Education. The following resources about funding RTI frameworks were highlighted in the Center's October newsletter. 

Implementing RTI Using Title I, Title III, and CEIS Funds: Key Issues for  Decision-makers--Answers questions about funds provided under three Federal programs: Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; and funds for Coordinated Early Intervening Services, available under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. http://www.rti4
success.org/edGov/funding_presentation.htm

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Using ARRA Funds Provided Through Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to Drive School Reform and Improvement--Provides suggestions as to how ARRA funds may be used to support IDEA Part B, including a Response to Intervention framework. http://www.rti4success.org
/images/stories/arra/idea-b-reform.pdf. 

Oct. 7, 2009
Thank Members Signing Letter Against Health Care Tax
This week, over 150 Members of the House of Representatives co-signed a letter to Speaker Pelosi opposing an excise tax on health plans.  The letter, circulated by Representative Courtney (D-CT), calls on the Speaker to reject taxes such as that currently under consideration in the Senate Finance Committee, which would impose a 40 percent excise tax on insurers for plans that exceed certain thresholds.   

NEA has expressed strong concerns about the proposed excise tax. For school employees, their health plans, and their employers, whether large or small, the excise tax would be devastating. The bottom line is that education employees will be pushed to pay the tax in the form of wage cuts, higher premiums, increased out-of-pocket costs, and lower benefits. NEA believes the Courtney letter is critical to ensure that the House will hold the line against such taxes, and they encourage you to contact co-signors to thank them for signing the letter and taking a stand against potentially devastating excise taxes. Co-signers in Texas were: Doggett, Green (Al), Green (Gene), Jackson-Lee, Johnson, Ortiz, Reyes.

Oct. 6, 2009
Make Calls for Health Care
Health Care for American NOW and its partners have pledged to make 75,000 calls to Congress today and tomorrow as language is being hammered out for the health care reform bill.

The goal is to generate 1000 calls to Texas Members of Congress, in particular to request their signatures on Rep. Courtney's (D-CT) letter in opposition to the excise tax. Below is the script:

Oct. 5, 2009
Video Contest: I Am What I Learn
Through Nov. 2, students can enter a video of up to two minutes in the U.S. Department of Education's contest entitled "I Am What I Learn."  Learn more about the contest by watching a video of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at http://www.ed.gov/IAmWhatILearn.
 

NEA Applauds President ’s Child Health Day Proclamation
President Barack Obama has proclaimed today, October 5, 2009, as Child Health Day, calling upon families, child health professionals, faith-based and community organizations, and governments to help ensure that America’s children stay safe and healthy. 

According to a 2008 study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 90 percent of children with insurance had seen a doctor within the previous year, compared to just 69 percent of those who lacked insurance. The gap was even wider when it came to preventive checkups—76 percent of insured children compared to 44 percent of the uninsured.  

Without proper medical care, uninsured children remain sick longer than their classmates and miss more days of school. Or they sit at their desks with earaches, toothaches or other ailments that make it almost impossible for them to focus and learn. Or, because they didn’t have a regular checkup, conditions such as vision problems go undetected, and preventable illnesses aren’t prevented. 

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said, “NEA recognizes and applauds President Obama’s commitment to the well-being of our nation’s children and will continue to fight alongside him for health care for all. NEA and the president want to ensure that sick children do not suffer due to lack of medical care. If we truly want to give every child an opportunity to receive a quality education, we must reform our health insurance system so every family is protected.”

Oct. 2, 2009
Today is LIVESTRONG Day
A message from Lance Armstrong: Thirteen years ago today, my doctor told me I had advanced testicular cancer. What most people don’t know is that at the time, I didn’t have health insurance. In the following weeks, I received letter after letter from the insurance company refusing to pay for my treatment. I was fighting for my life—but also for the coverage that I desperately needed.

The legislation currently being debated in Congress is not just words on a page—for many cancer survivors, it’s a matter of life and death. Now, as this debate enters crunch time, I need your help to ensure that what happened to me doesn't happen to any other American: http://www.livestrongaction.org/campaigns/healthcare

No matter what side of the healthcare debate you're on, I believe we can all agree on two things:

• No American should be denied health insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

• No American should lose their insurance due to changes in health or employment.

Will you sign the LIVESTRONG Action petition to make sure any legislation includes these two critically important reforms? We’ll deliver these to Capitol Hill this month as the debate reaches its climax and make sure our voices are heard in the debate: http://www.livestrongaction.org/campaigns/healthcare

When I received my diagnosis, I was between cycling contracts. My new insurer used the diagnosis as a reason to deny coverage after the new contract was signed. Fortunately, one of my sponsors intervened. At their insistence, I was added to their insurance company and was able to continue my life-saving treatment. If my sponsor, a powerful company, had not gone to bat for me, I may not have made it.

I was lucky. We can't rely on luck to ensure coverage and treatment for the millions of Americans affected by cancer. Some cannot get coverage because they've already been diagnosed. Others get calls from their insurance companies saying they have been dropped. It happens all the time—and it's unacceptable.

Every year on LIVESTRONG Day, we come together to take action for a world without cancer. In the U.S., a critical step is to make sure cancer survivors can get and keep their health insurance.

It has been 13 years since my diagnosis, but in some ways, not much has changed. No person should have to worry about health insurance while battling cancer. That so many do is an outrage, and we must speak out.

Please sign the petition and forward it to your friends and family: http://www.livestrongaction.org/campaigns/healthcare

Apply for a Custodial Leaders Award
The National CLEAN (Custodial Leaders for Environmental Advocacy Nationwide) Award, a program of the NEA Health Information Network, recognizes a school custodian who demonstrates outstanding leadership in the field of school cleanliness, and reflects the contributions that education support professionals can make to public health. Applications for the 2010 award are now available at www.neahin.org/cleanaward. The deadline is Dec. 7.
 

Oct. 1, 2009
NEA Testifies About Turning Around High-Need Schools
A recent report by NEA documents proven strategies to help recruit, prepare, support and retain teachers in high-needs schools. The NEA has pledged to invest $1 million per year over six years to pursue strategies to increase teacher effectiveness these schools, and in a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, NEA  President Dennis Van Roekel urged Congress to ensure all children—including poor and minority children—have access to outstanding teachers. 

“Our nation has the capacity to make sure every child in every high-needs school has great teachers,” Van Roekel testified before the House Education and Labor Committee. “President Obama has called for the nation to ‘treat teachers like the professionals they are while also holding them more accountable.’  Doing so means not only looking carefully at the research evidence, but also listening to our most accomplished teachers and acting on their advice.” 

We must also acknowledge, though, that each day countless dedicated, talented teachers and support professionals report to work in challenging and low-resourced schools, knowing they will face students with a sobering array of social and economic disadvantages, working conditions that impede the highest possible levels of teaching and learning, and a revolving door of administrators and school staff.   

The NEA report, Children of Poverty, presents solid, proven strategies and policy recommendations that can make a difference. It also offers solutions to recruiting, preparing, supporting, and compensating teachers for high-needs schools and highlights NEA’s commitment to ensure great teachers are in every classroom.  

“As the president has suggested, teachers are ready to ‘lift up their schools,’” Van Roekel said. “They are ready to maintain the promise of great public schools for our nation.  It is time to hear their voices and embrace their ideas for recruiting, preparing, rewarding, and supporting great teachers — the teachers that all students deserve.” 

• President Dennis Van Roekel's statement: http://www.nea.org/home/36200.htm

• The  “Children of Poverty” report: http://www.nea.org/
  assets/docs/children_of_poverty_09.pdf

• To learn about NEA’s vision for Great Public Schools by 2020: http://www.nea.org/home/18214.htm

September 30, 2009
H1N1 Flu: Huntsville ISD Shuts Down
On Monday, 885 students and nearly 60 instructors were out with flu-like symptoms, prompting the district to shut down Tuesday. Cleaning crews are disinfecting the schools; they plan at this point to reopen Thursday. more

September 29, 2009
Discounts on RTI Webinars from CEC
NEA’s partner, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), is offering a three-session series of web seminars on Response to Intervention (RTI). They will cover research-based interventions to effectively individualize instruction, monitor student progress, apply RTI at the school level and implement RTI with culturally and linguistically diverse students.    

• Introduction to RTI: Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009, 4:00 – 5:45 p.m. EST, Presenter: Cara Shores

• Implementation of RTI at the School Level: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009, 4:00 – 5:45 p.m. EST, Presenter: Cara Shores  

• Considerations When Using RTI in Diverse Schools: Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, 4:00 – 5:45 p.m. EST, Presenter: Janette Klingner

The cost for each session for members is $89 (non-members pay $114) or you can get all three webinars in the RTI series for a 15% discount.

The only requirements to attend are a speakerphone, a computer, and a high-speed internet connection — and you can earn .2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for attending from CEC. Tell your colleagues, too, because they can join you at no additional charge!

Please direct questions to Joan Melner, 703/264-9405; joanm@cec.sped.org. Registration ends soon. http://www.cec.sped.org/Source/Meetings/webinars.cfm?
section=Professional_Development#WEBSRS0905

Apply for Texas Fitness Now Grants
Applications for the 2009-10 Texas Fitness Now grant are now available. This program supports in-school physical education and fitness programs for students in grades 6-8. Deadline is Oct. 22. more

Extend School? NEA President Responds to President
President Obama has proposed that American children extend their time in class by lengthening the school day or school year, in order to remain competitive with their international counterparts as adults.   

Colombian Teachers Face Greatest Political Violence
A study to be released today by Education International highlights the atrocious scale of human rights violations against Colombian teacher trade unionists.

September 28, 2009
Education Secretary Visits NEA Board
United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spent the better part of two hours speaking to and fielding questions from the NEA Board of Directors on Friday, September 25. A very short ‘highlights’ presentation of his remarks has been posted at http://www.youtube.com/user/NEAABS#play
/uploads/0/tRbAacU4yq8.

September 23, 2009
NEA, NSBA Guide: Educating Undocumented Students
As the number of undocumented students in public K–12 schools continues to rise, school districts are facing new challenges in their efforts to make sure every child receives a quality education. NEA and the National School Boards Association have jointly released a publication designed to help schools and educators address the issue and meet the needs of these students. more

September 22, 2009
GEAR UP in Houston
Participants at a conference in Houston this week are considering best practices for improving postsecondary preparation and outcomes for historically underserved students.

The Texas Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) State Conference includes almost 70 presentations by GEAR UP personnel, educators and parents, as well as talks by state and national experts on college readiness and access. GEAR UP is a six-year federal program supporting partnerships to increase support for students and educators. more

September 21, 2009
Bogus Organization Trying to Scam NEA Members
There is a bogus organization conducting a phishing scam of educators - many of them NEA members.

They call themselves the National Teachers Education Association, and they are using NEA's address as their contact information. The message identifies itself as coming from "Executive Secretary Susan Landen."

The message tells recipients that they have been nominated for induction into the National Teachers Hall of Fame and directs them through a series of internet prompts to find out more; it also asks the recipient for more information.

There is a National Teachers Hall of Fame. It's in Kansas, and NEA has been a long-time supporter. But this is NOT a Hall of Fame initiative.

NEA's ITS Department has reported the information to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, http://www.antiphishing.org, which is the global pan-industrial and law enforcement association focused on eliminating the fraud and identity theft that result from phishing, pharming and email spoofing of all types.

ITS suggests that members who receive this or a similar email:

* Forward phishing emails to spam@uce.gov.

* Report phishing email to reportphishing@antiphishing.org.

* File a complaint at ftc.gov.

NEA ITS also suggests that everyone visit the site
http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/phishing.aspx to get more information on Phishing Scams and to find out how you can protect yourself.

SBOE: The Debrief, the Confusion, the End
The State Board of Education met Friday, September 18, 2009 at the TEA building. 

Reviewing the Experts: The meeting began with a sort of recap of the previous day’s many events. 

Knight expressed concern regarding the need for “experts” in the TEKS process.  Many teachers on the writing committees felt bothered, as they considered themselves experts.   

Others felt that the process has been wonderful.  Some even suggested having the experts go first.  McLeroy noted the criteria for choosing experts are the decisions of elected officials and that PhD’s meant nothing, as far as the social-studies-expert-dentist was concerned. 

Cargill spoke to the sad idea that committee members were being threatened and intimidated.  Knight replied that it may be well and good if SBOE members could consider “muzzling our mouths,” which would lessen that problem. 

Clear as Mud: David Bradley asked that key question. There were millions on the line, and he wanted to hear from the publishers…”and even the teachers, I mean, if we want to look at the other side.” 

The financial demand for textbooks will be $495 million in FY 10.  It will be $800 million for FY for 11-12 and the following year.  Bradley told everyone that they won’t get the legislature to pay half of that.  The four ways of cutting textbook costs are not working, and there needs to be a 6.6% cut in costs for upcoming texts and materials.  

Publishers have come with their best and final offers.  Maybe not.  Some have cut prices, while others have not.  Cutting profits so deeply gives textbook companies little interest in the Texas market.  Although the publishers will be asked to resubmit bids, some won’t bother to submit. 

Deputy Associate Commissioner of Education Anita Givens presented the dilemma and made strong suggestions to use a new idea—an electronic statewide license—to alleviate this problem.  This proclamation deals solely with teacher materials, nothing that students use.  Thus, it could function much like the statewide library system.  She asked for time to explore these options and bring these ideas back to them in November.  

Among discussion items were a five-point amendment, sponsored by Leo.  She then amended to strike the fifth point.  It was then amended to add a word to another of the five points.  The board unanimously voted to have TEA staff “consider suggestions.”  TEA staff will be doing this and bring back the considered suggestions in November.  

Bradley addressed Givens with, “Come on, Anita.  You can run that algorithm in your head.  Can’t you?” Dunbar called this, “delaying for the sake of delaying.”  Lowe replied, “We just passed a motion that asked for some additional consideration.” 

Dunbar suggested cutting just 4.6%.  Givens explained that such a move would not get the board to the 6.6% it needed to cut.  Knight wanted to protect kindergarten systems and cut 7.33% from all others.  That amendment failed on a 4-8 vote. 

Chair Lowe declared the situation, “clear as mud.” 

Final Reports 

No major announcements came from the Committee on Instruction or the Committee on School Initiatives. 

The Permanent School Fund committee was more active.  There will be a presentation in November to the full board, providing similar data.  The legislature did not set a percentage of the Permanent School Fund that can be used for indirect funds.  Thus, the decision falls to the PSF committee by default.  Nobody on the PSF fund is interested in fixing a specific formula, but they set the total amount of indirect school costs at 35%.  They are not “married” to that number, according to Bradley.  The committee will meet again on October 16, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. 

Chair Lowe announced that there will be two items added to the agenda in November. The first will be a review of the Ethics Document that relates to the Permanent School Fund. The second will be a discussion on streamlining procedures. --Paul Henley, TSTA Teaching & Learning

September 17, 2009
The State Board of Education Met Again on Sept. 17
The board opened with comments from Commissioner Scott, who discussed the “Race to the Top” grants from the Department of Education.  Texas has work to do to become fully eligible.  One such action is removing the cap on charter schools, which is a decision of the Committee on School Initiatives.  Mavis Knight asked the commissioner whether he had inquired about the Common Core standards.  He had assured the board he would.  While not directly answering the question, he did make note that other states were re-thinking their participation in these standards. 

The board then agreed unanimously to the update in health education TEKS.  The board also expressed its continued frustration that it had lost control of health classes, overall.  

Before accepting public testimony on the Social Studies TEKS, Chair Lowe made note that today is Constitution Day, making the work particularly appropriate.  Testimony from the public lasted less than an hour. 

Each testimony was met with suggestions to include ethnicities other than Caucasian.  “We don’t have many heroes,” said Agosto. 

After a very late lunch, the board heard from the writing team representatives who had created the initial TEKS working draft for 2009. 

The testimony began with the kindergarten TEKS team, which was represented by a fifth-grade science teacher.  Cargill and Leo were very troubled with “fairness and respect” being replaced with “justice and equality.”  This proved indicative of the entire afternoon. 

The liberal wing of the board focused on how multi-ethnic figures had become more prevalent in the upcoming TEKS. Meanwhile, the conservative wing of the board focused on a lack of patriotism, slamming the “global citizen” stuff that kept showing up in the writing TEKS team. 

The 6^th grade writing team representative spoke to the writing team’s worry that many “suggested” changes from the board, especially those from Lowe, would move things from a framework into a full-fledged curriculum.  Lowe felt that there would have to be a way to include all of Asia, as well as other continents, in the TEKS.  The representative responded, “If you’ll give us more specificity, we’ll take it!” 

Grade 8 came under direct fire from McLeroy, who was considering disbanding the writing committee.  He asked for justification as to why the committee would consider eliminating 3(c), which regarded the development of representative government.  The team reinstated the language. 

At 5:46, the battle began over the “Enlightenment Principles” and whether the major founding documents were derived from the Bible.  The speaker asked for direction as to what to bring back to the committee as how to teach these concepts.  Lowe replied that “your group will be able to figure out how this will be addressed.”  The board generally agreed. 

There was a push to create TEKS noting that a Republican majority, not a Democrat majority, were the ones to pass civil rights laws, as well.  

At about 7 p.m., Lowe asked members to submit further suggestions by the 10/1 deadline, to avoid necessity of another work session. 

The board adjourned well after 7 p.m.  Things will pick up at 8 a.m. tomorrow, when the Committee on School Initiatives meets before the 9 a.m. General Meeting.--Paul Henley, TSTA Teaching and Learning Specialist

SBOE Begins to Cut Requirements to Align Diploma Plans The State Board of Education met on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at the Texas Education Agency. The initial meeting involved the Permanent School Fund committee. The key focus of the committee meeting was gaining familiarity with the new financial advisors. There was a push to develop better process for conducting business, as well. 

Approximately 40 people presented on the new graduation requirements, supporting Animal Science, Food Science, and other Career and Technical Education courses as a capstone mathematics and science courses. There was discussion on both sides as to whether courses like Debate 1 that would serve as a communication application course. 

When testimony was finished, the board discussed three key areas of concern left by House Bill 3. Technology applications and health have been removed from diploma requirements of the recommended plan. Many on the board preferred to eliminate the requirement for all diploma programs, leaving these decisions to local school boards. The chair instructed TEA staff to bring discussion rules that would eliminate these requirements.        

Communication Applications courses are a slightly different issue, as they fall under the English Language Arts TEKS. Staff informed the board that they could not confirm if classes were being taught the same way throughout the state. The Professional Communications course, approved recently in the Career and Technical Education TEKS, seems to meet the current TEKS. Debate, oral interpretation, and others do not explicitly meet TEKS. Committees are currently designing TEKS, and they will be meeting before the board’s November meeting. TEA staff offered the option of directing those vertical teams to align additional courses to satisfy that requirement. 

A discussion ensued regarding whether athletics could count for four credits instead of the current two credits. The board reached consensus that staff should bring actual voting options for the next SBOE meeting. The board was confused on this issue, as it is very complicated at this point. The board followed a consistent direction, instructing TEA staff to bring language that cuts P.E. to bring all three diploma plans into line for consideration in November. 

The board wants to limit the number of substitutions for physical education and have staff develop more flexible courses with variable credits. The board considered various CTE courses for consideration as capstone courses. The chair instructed TEA staff to bring rule TEKS in November for several of these courses.-Paul Henley, TSTA Teaching and Learning Specialist

September 15, 2009
NEA Says Labor Unity Necessary to Rebuild Middle Class
NEA President Dennis Van Roekel today urged labor leaders to rebuild the middle class by strengthening the labor movement and noted that the labor movement historically has served as a pathway to economic security and prosperity in America.  Van Roekel joined prominent labor and political leaders, including President Barack Obama, at the 2009 AFL-CIO annual convention in Pittsburgh, Pa. 

"These are challenging times," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "A diminishing middle class, millions of our fellow Americans can't find a job, and millions more lie awake at night worrying about their jobs and losing their health insurance. But this is also a time for opportunity, and it is essential for organized labor to speak and act with a unified voice. Collectively, we must advocate for the policies that will bring job security and prosperity to our members, their families and the students we serve." 

Van Roekel, president of the nation's largest and most diverse professional organization and labor union, noted that education, along with the labor movement, is one of the keys to creating the American middle class. 

"In the 20th century, we created the middle class that included a majority of Americans—a first in the history of the world," said Van Roekel. "Today, that way of life is threatened. We need strong unions not only to fight for better contracts for our members but to serve as counterweight to the powerful interests that have skewed and distorted our economy over the past three decades." 

Van Roekel joined the National Labor Coordinating Committee to advocate on behalf of working families.  The committee represents 16 million union members from 13 labor unions, including NEA.   "This group  provides a vehicle for our members to work together on critically important issues—like reforming health insurance, transforming public education, providing retirement security, creating green jobs and, of course, the Employee Free Choice Act,” Van Roekel said. 

Van Roekel also acknowledged the commitment of the Obama administration and Congress to make working families a priority, noting , "We stand shoulder to shoulder with President Obama and Congress as they work to provide health care for every American, restore economic security and transform public education," said Van Roekel. "During trying times, it is imperative that we have a seat at the table and speak with one voice as we move forward to advance an agenda that works for all Americans." 

For additional information, please visit www.nea.org.

Pocketbook Planning for State, National Conventions

Planning to be a delegate to TSTA’s 2010 State House of Delegates or the 2010 NEA Representative Assembly? If so, you may want to start planning now for the travel expenses for these events. Detailed lodging and delegate information will appear in the winter and spring issues of the Advocate,

but here is a preview of what to expect.

State House of Delegates, April 16-17, 2010, San Marcos: The Embassy Suites Hotel is the official convention hotel for

TSTA’s House of Delegates. The nightly room rate for this all-suite property is a flat $154 plus tax, currently 15%. The hotel

provides complimentary breakfast and evening manager’s reception. Daily self parking is free. The hotel provides shuttle

service to the San Marcos Outlet stores and restaurants. The hotel is located 38 miles from the Austin airport and 41 miles from the San Antonio airport. more

NEA Representative Assembly, July 3-6, 2010, New Orleans, LA: The first Texas Caucus meeting is scheduled for July 1 at

the Texas delegation hotel, the Doubletree New Orleans. The nightly room rate is $149 single occupancy or $169 double occupancy, plus taxes and fees, currently 13%. If more than two people share a room, a $20 fee per each additional person will apply. Limited valet parking is available at the hotel on a first-come basis for $35/day. Daily self-parking is available across the street in the Canal Place Mall for $15/day, which includes overnight parking but no in-out privileges. The hotel is conveniently located to a variety of shopping and dining venues. The hotel is approximately 16

miles from the New Orleans airport. more

September 14, 2009
SBOE Internet Broadcasts Begin
Beginning Wednesday, all State Board of Education meetings will be broadcast live over the Internet. Additional details are available here: www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=6391.  

NEA Director: Tomorrow is Filing Deadline
Filing for the Place 1 NEA Director for Texas is now open. The term of office for Place 1 will be September 1, 2010, to August 31, 2013.  Nominations are due at TSTA’s Organizing Center for Executive and Governance (CEG) by September 15, 2009. Contact the CEG for filing forms and further information. Call 877-ASK-TSTA, ext. 1514 or email sandras@tsta.org.

September 11, 2009
Health Care Update
NEA reports that President Obama's address to the Joint Session of Congress on his health reform plan "seems to have ignited a renewed commitment of Congressional leaders to work towards enacting health care reform by Thanksgiving 2009 despite continued divisions on key issues such as whether to create a public health plan option."  

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) noted that Obama’s speech “… breathed new life into what we’re doing.”  So far, all three House Committees (Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means) and only one of the two Senate committees (Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Senate Finance Committee)  that share primary jurisdiction over health care reform have passed different versions of bills out of their committees.  We are still waiting for the Senate Finance Committee to release their bill which is now expected to occur during the week of September 14.   

A draft of the Senate Finance Committee measure being circulated this week raises serious concerns. Components include setting up health care cooperatives to cover the uninsured instead of a public health plan option and the application of an excise tax on insurance companies, insurance administrators, and self insured plans on plans valued at more than $8,000 for single coverage and $21,000 for family coverage. Again—these provisions are being discussed in a draft form. Whether they make their way into the bill, remains to be seen.  In the meantime, NEA continues to voice concerns to the White House and Senate leadership about these provisions.  We have been in contact with Senate leadership and staff in support of our principles for reform.  Attached is a recent letter from NEA and HCAN partners to Senator Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) with follow up visits taking place this week and next to key Senators.    

NEA's positions:

·       Support of health reform that ensures every person in America has quality, affordable health care coverage. 

Opposition to proposals being discussed in the United States Senate that would limit or cap the employee tax exclusion for health benefits in any way (tax employer-provided health benefits).  

·       Support for health reform that guarantees a choice of plans and providers through a private health insurance plan (including one that employees may currently have through their employer) and a public health insurance plan option.  A public plan option should not be delayed but established on day one and should be an integral part of any health care reform initiative. 

September 10, 2009
NEA Reaffirms Support for Real Health Care Reform
The NEA supports President Obama’s call for health stability and security for all Americans, President Dennis Van Roekel said:

“President Obama reaffirmed the critical need to reform health care in our country and provide a system that lowers costs, ensures quality and provides choice for every American. The president wants reform that will provide more security and stability to those who have health care coverage. It will expand coverage to those who don’t have it. And it will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses and our government

“NEA members in every congressional district watched this summer as too many members of Congress played politics with their best chance for access to quality, affordable health care coverage. The time for games and gimmicks has passed. The NEA agrees with the president that a not-for-profit public option is essential to holding insurance companies accountable to provide quality, affordable health care coverage for all, and that we will continue to work hard for a health insurance reform bill that includes a robust public option.

“Nine million of America's children are uninsured, and many of them have gone back to school—their parents unable to afford basic health care. Congress has at least 9 million reasons to put politics aside and make the uninsured their number one priority. Our children deserve better. America deserves better.”

Watch for an Email: Pets Best Insurance
NEA Member Benefits will now be offering the nation’s premier pet insurance product, Pets Best Insurance. This new product will be offered in conjunction with our partner, California Casualty.  You will receive a new product announcement email later this week. This will be primarily a web-based product. Some of the features of the Pets Best plans are:

•    Members can visit any licensed veterinarian.
•    Pets Best reimburses members for 80% of the veterinarian’s bill for covered services, after a deductible.
•    Plans include reimbursement for covered care from specialists and emergency services.
•    Wellness options are available.
•    Pets Best Plans, underwritten by Aetna Insurance Company of Connecticut, are the only pet insurance plans endorsed by The American Veterinary Medical Association Group Health & Life Insurance Trust.
•    NEA members will receive a discount on the rates.

September 8, 2009
Preventing Child Hunger
Share Our Strength, a national organization that works to prevent child hunger in America, is talking with teachers across the country about child hunger in their classrooms. The Hunger in America's Classrooms: Share Our Strength's Teacher Project is intended to raise awareness about child hunger in America and build a movement of Americans dedicated to ending it. more
 

September 4, 2009
Applying for DATE Cycle 2 Grants? Read This First
Texas Education Agency just emailed districts to say they will be taking applications for Cycle 2 Grants for DATE. Districts that received DATE grants in 2008-09 do not have to reapply for 2009-10. Districts applying this year would be eligible to receive funding in the 2010-11 school year.

It is important that locals understand that they are entering into a pay for performance system if their district wants DATE funds. Funding is intended to support the establishment of district award programs that accomplish the following:

1. Award effective teachers and principals for positively impacting student achievement;
2. Create capacity and sustainability for improved instruction within the district;
3. Demonstrate alignment with overall district goals;

Grant awards depend on the number and size of the districts that choose to participate in the grant program.

Please note: The DATE grant program awards specific educators for outstanding work above and beyond the norm that results in documented, improved student achievement. The DATE grant encourages districts to establish meaningful pay for performance systems that provide substantive awards to outstanding educators. If your district chooses not to distinguish between average and exemplary teachers, or if your district is unwilling to highlight and reward the achievements of your best educators, then the DATE grant may be inappropriate for your district.

Link to the full letter: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/taa/edinit090409.html

September 3, 2009
NEA Launches ‘Turn Around Initiative’ To Improve Schools
As school bells ring across the country signaling the start of another school year, many districts struggle to fill thousands of classroom vacancies. High-poverty, high-need schools have failed to effectively recruit and support a stable and quality staff.

The National Education Association contends that solutions are at hand if policymakers, parents and teachers themselves promote thoughtful and comprehensive strategies to address working conditions, school leadership, and teacher quality. That belief has prompted the NEA in partnership with the Center for Teaching Quality to release Children of Poverty Deserve Great Teachers: One Union’s Commitment to Changing the Status Quo, a report that highlights what is needed to identify and develop teachers and to recruit and retain them for high-needs classrooms.

Part of NEA’s “Turn Around for Great Public Schools Initiative,” The Children of Poverty report summarizes NEA’s commitment to principled changes in the status quo — signaling its determination to break ground for new teaching policy and strategic partnerships. The initiative includes an investment of $1 million per year over six years to develop comprehensive strategies and policies to increase teacher effectiveness in high-needs schools.

“Every day, across this country countless dedicated, talented teachers and support professionals report to work knowing they will face students with a sobering array of social and economic disadvantages,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “If we expect to transform our public schools we must take action now. Great teachers, with the right policy supports, are the ideal agents of meaningful and sustainable change in our most challenged schools.”

Children of Poverty presents solid, proven strategies and policy recommendations that can make a difference for students. It advocates for credible and consistent evaluation processes that could transcend current debates about the role of tenure in the teacher development system. It also offers solutions to recruiting, preparing, supporting, and compensating teachers for high-needs schools.

“This report is unique in that it is based on both sound research evidence and the wisdom of America’s best teachers,” said Barnett Berry, author of the report. “Recruiting talented people to teaching alone will not turnaround low performing schools. We need to prepare and support them well and reward great teachers for spreading their expertise.”

 
NEA has worked with more than 2,000 of the nation’s best teachers who told us what will attract and keep our most effective teachers in our most challenging schools:
•Good principals who both know how to lead and support teacher leadership;
•A commitment to creative teaching and inquiry learning, not scripted instruction;
•The opportunity to team with a critical mass of highly skilled teachers who share responsibility for every student’s success;
•Improved working conditions.

The report highlights NEA’s commitments to ensure great teachers are in every classroom. NEA’s commitments include:
•Launching a recruitment outreach campaign;
•Leading mentoring and training programs;
•Supporting National Board Certification;
•Providing resources and strategies to local unions working with districts to provide increased flexibility in staffing high need schools.

Van Roekel went on to say, “If we are committed to the future of our students, we must start with assuring access to the highest-quality teaching in all schools today. This initiative is NEA’s first step. State and local education leaders must join us as we work toward the goal of improving schools for all students.”

September 1, 2009
Voter Registration for Three Upcoming Elections
Texas will hold three elections between now and May 31 (maybe four if any of the primary races have a runoff). The deadlines for registering to vote in those elections are: 

➢ October 5 for the November 3 election
➢ February 1 for the March 2 election
➢ April 8 for the May 8 election 

You can get a voter registration form online or check your registration status at http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/reqvr.shtml.

Get Your Free Disinfecting Wipes
NEA’s Health Information Network has teamed up with The Clorox Company to ensure educators are prepared to combat the spread of the H1N1 virus in America’s public schools. Starting Sept. 2 through Sept. 5, 2009, educators nationwide can visit www.CloroxClassrooms.com and get a coupon for Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes, free while supplies last. For more information on how to maintain a healthy classroom visit  www.nea.org/home/32002.htm.

Sign On! NEA's Online Petition for Health Care Reform

August 31, 2009
Nominations Due: Ronnie Ray ESP Advocate of the Year
Who is the outstanding education support professional in your local? Show your support professionals that their hard work and contributions to public education have not gone unnoticed! Nominate someone for the TSTA Ronnie Ray ESP of the Year Award. Hurry … the nomination deadline is 5:00 p.m., Sept. 30, 2009. Nomination information for this and other TSTA awards is available at http://www.tsta.org/news/current/awards.shtml.
 

August 28, 2009
TEA Reverses Course on State Minimum Salary Schedule
Texas Education Agency has now ruled that the $800 salary increase is not added to the minimum schedule, even though districts at the minimum must give teachers the increase. This means the district is now responsible for the 6.4% Teacher Retirement System contribution on the $800, which is about $51 per employee on the SMS. http://portals.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5860

Obama to Address American Students: Materials Online
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, President Obama will deliver a national address to students on the importance of education, challenging them to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning. This is the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation’s school children about persisting and succeeding in school. The address will be broadcast live on the White House website, www.whitehouse.gov.

• Classroom activities for students in grades preK-6 http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/prek-6.doc   

• Classroom activities for students in grades 7-12 http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/7-12.doc

• Coming soon: student video contest on education http://www.ed.gov   

August 27, 2009
School Districts Should Follow New State Law on Grades
TSTA has heard reports that several school districts in Texas are misinterpreting a new law the Texas Legislature passed earlier this year that prohibits districts from requiring teachers to issue minimum grades to failing students. Senate Bill 2033 prohibits districts from making a policy that requires teachers to assign minimum grades for students on assignments and exams.

Some school districts have publicly stated that the ban on requiring any particular minimum grade applies only to daily assignments and exams, not report card grades. This position is contrary to the Texas Education Agency’s interpretation of the law and the intent of the bill’s author.

“As the author of this new law, let me clarify my intent. We always envisioned this bill applying to grades on tests, assignments and report cards. More to the point, it is never appropriate for teachers to be forced to pass students who have not been performing passing work. Doing so is tantamount to fraud,” state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, explained in The Dallas Morning News.

“Districts need to give accurate grades to students, and that includes report card grades,” said TEA spokeswoman Debbie Graves Ratcliffe. “It’s pretty simple: give the grade students earned and stick with that.”

TSTA believes that the professional in the classroom should have the authority to assign students’ grades, and that state law now protects that right. If your district is incorrectly interpreting this new law, contact the TSTA Help Center.
 

President Obama to Speak Directly to America's Students
On Tuesday, September 8, President Barack Obama will deliver a national address directly to the nation’s students on the importance of education. He will challenge students to work hard, set goals and take responsibility for their learning. The address will be broadcast live over the White House website – www.whitehouse.gov – at 1PM eastern standard time. An e-mail invitation is being sent from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to every school principal in the country asking them to have their school participate in the broadcast.

President Obama Bids Farewell to Sen. Ted Kennedy

Michelle and I were heartbroken to learn this morning of the death of our dear friend, Senator Ted Kennedy.

For nearly five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts.

His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives -- in seniors who know new dignity; in families that know new opportunity; in children who know education's promise; and in all who can pursue their dream in an America that is more equal and more just, including me.

In the United States Senate, I can think of no one who engendered greater respect or affection from members of both sides of the aisle. His seriousness of purpose was perpetually matched by humility, warmth and good cheer. He battled passionately on the Senate floor for the causes that he held dear, and yet still maintained warm friendships across party lines. And that's one reason he became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy.

I personally valued his wise counsel in the Senate, where, regardless of the swirl of events, he always had time for a new colleague. I cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the Presidency. And even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, I've benefited as President from his encouragement and wisdom.

His fight gave us the opportunity we were denied when his brothers John and Robert were taken from us: the blessing of time to say thank you and goodbye. The outpouring of love, gratitude and fond memories to which we've all borne witness is a testament to the way this singular figure in American history touched so many lives.

For America, he was a defender of a dream. For his family, he was a guardian. Our hearts and prayers go out to them today -- to his wonderful wife, Vicki, his children Ted Jr., Patrick and Kara, his grandchildren and his extended family.

Today, our country mourns. We say goodbye to a friend and a true leader who challenged us all to live out our noblest values. And we give thanks for his memory, which inspires us still.

Sincerely,
President Barack Obama
 

August 25, 2009

Two Teacher of the Year Finalists are TSTA Members!
Congratulations to TSTA members Virginia Solis-Cera and David Bolster, Texas Teacher of the Year finalists! 

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=5799  

Preparing for the Flu
The U.S. Education Secretary issues recommendations for ensuring continuity of learning. http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/
pandemic/guidance/continuity-recs.pdf

Support Available for RTI Leaders
The Leadership Network supports district/building leaders at any stage of Response to Intervention (RTI) implementation. Space is limited. Apply now at http://www.rtinetwork.org/Connect/LeadershipNetwork.

August 21, 2009

TRS Seeks More Money for Its Operating Budget
The board of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas met yesterday in Austin to discuss a number of issues the system is currently facing. The primary issue on the agenda was to pass an operating budget for the 2010 fiscal year. TRS staff advised the board that more money is necessary to operate and provide a high level of service to its members; therefore, the staff is currently working with the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and its members to increase the state appropriated funds to allow for more money to hire 17 additional full-time employees and for other operating expenses. The staff advised the board that a final approval and amount has not been reached by the House and Senate members of the LBB, but they are optimistic that the funds would be provided. TRS is requesting an additional $5.6 million but expects the additional appropriation will be more like $3 million to $4 million. The board adopted a provisional budget to get through the first part of the fiscal year until the LBB makes a final decision.

The staff and consultants also provided an in-depth report on the current value of the TRS fund. The fund’s total worth as of June 30 was $81.9 billion. The report to the board reflected that the fund has rebounded somewhat and is actuarially sound for 30 years, but not the 45 years for which TRS strives.

Ronnie Jung, TRS executive director, also gave the board a report on the new Enterprise Risk Assessment Stoplight Report which TRS has instituted to assess levels of risk associated with TRS categories. The “Stoplight Report” lists the categories of services provided by TRS with an assigning color to show the level of threat to that category. The Homeland Security threat level color methodology is now TRS’s way of communicating risk assessment. The scale goes from green as the lowest threat, to blue, yellow, orange and then red at the highest threat. Jung reported that at this time the most significant issue is the “Retiree Health Care Funding” category which has been assigned an elevated color threat of orange. The reason given for this color assignment is that the current funding mechanism is not sufficient to cover the higher medical costs and the addition of more retirees to the system over time. TRS projects that TRS-Care will run out of money in four to five years. Jung explained that either premiums will have to double or benefits will have to decrease, or a combination of both. TRS will urge the 82nd Legislature to address this issue during the 2011 regular session.

The TRS board also addressed its ethical policies and internal affairs at the meeting, along with proposing rules associated with the legislation which passed last spring. Proposed rules related to House Bill 3480 dealing with 403(b)s and House Bill 1191 dealing with the initial enrollment period for retirees in TRS-Care were approved and will be published in the Texas Register for public comment in the next few weeks. Staff also advised the board that TRS will begin a program to collect data regarding 403(b)s in an effort to determine who is buying these products and what issues need to be addressed regarding the regulation of these products by TRS.

Finally, the staff notified the board that Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has still not ruled on whether the one time payment to retirees as directed by the 81st Texas Legislature is legal. The attorney general has until November to make that ruling, and TRS does not expect a final decision until then.

August 18, 2009
Participate in WebDialogues on Vaccination Policy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are asking for public input as they consider whether to simply make H1N1 flu vaccines available to those seeking immunization, to promote vaccination to those most at risk or to implement a widespread immunization program. Two WebDialogues are available, each taking place over two days and following the same agenda. Participants can enter messages at any time day or night. You have two opportunities to participate: Aug. 26-27, or Aug. 31-Sept. 1. www.WebDialogues.net/H1N1
 

August 14, 2009

SBOE Holds Work Session with No Action Items
The State Board of Education met for a work session August 14 at the William B. Travis Building in Austin. The meeting considered the new graduation issues that House Bill 3 raises and the upcoming textbook funding issues.

Three courses brought board members the majority of constituent concerns. These were health, technology applications and speech. Health is no longer a graduation requirement. However, some components of health courses, such as alcohol and drug awareness and parenting/paternal education, remain mandatory. To alleviate these issues, the board may move some of these requirements to the middle school. The approach is being considered for technology applications, as well.

Speech courses continue to be required under the English Language Arts curriculum. However, requiring speech lowers the number of student electives that HB 3 mandates. To alleviate this issue, the board is considering making speech a “required elective.”

Moving these courses to the middle school would have implications for the current middle school curriculum, which is not as structured as the high school graduation plans. The board asked Texas Education Agency staff for more information regarding middle school Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards.

After these deliberations, the focus turned to textbooks. The state is facing a $35 million shortfall in textbook funding next year, and things look similar for subsequent years. The board changed some textbook purchasing rules during their July meeting. Thus, textbook companies are in the process of reworking their pricing proposals. TEA staff noted that ordering patterns vary by year. If the board can reasonably expect a lower number of textbooks will be ordered, the board may have more options.
 

August 12, 2009

NEA Update on Health Care Reform Campaign
The National Education Association continues its work in support of health care reform that would ensure that every person in America have access to quality, affordable health care, does not limit, cap or change the employee tax exclusion for health benefits in any way and that guarantees a choice of plans and providers through a private health insurance plan (including one that employees have through their employers) and a public health insurance plan option.

The White House has posted a "Health Insurance Reform Reality Check” that counters inaccuracies and myths opponents of reform are circulating.

NEA distributed a memo from the staffs of U.S. Reps. George Miller, D-Calif., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., that also counters these inaccuracies and myths.
 

The U.S. House of Representatives website provides information on how to contact members. The U.S. Senate website provides information on how to contact senators.  TSTA encourages our members to do this on heath care reform before school starts.

August 10, 2009

Join TSTA/NEA in Supporting Real Health Care Reform
As members of Congress talk about health care reform with their constituents around the country, many are being met by organized “Just Say No” protests.

“As Democrats have pointed out, the angry hecklers disrupting town-hall meetings convened by members of Congress are not always ordinary citizens engaging in spontaneous grass-roots protests or even GOP operatives, but proxies for corporate lobbyists,” New York Times columnist Frank Rich wrote Sunday. “One group facilitating the screamers is FreedomWorks, which is run by the former Congressman Dick Armey, now a lobbyist at the DLA Piper law firm. Medicines Company, a global pharmaceutical business, has paid DLA Piper more than $6 million in lobbying fees in the five years Armey has worked there.”

Armey, a former majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, comes from Texas.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, calls President Obama’s health care reform efforts “evil.” She apparently does not see as evil the fact that nearly 50 million Americans do not have health insurance, in many cases because it is too expensive for employers to offer or for workers to purchase for themselves.

As the National Coalition on Health Care reports (http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml), the United States spends a higher percentage of its gross domestic product on health care than other industrialized nations, resulting in a lower percentage of people covered by health insurance.

The National Education Association is working with a broad coalition of other organizations and groups supporting “health care reform to ensure that every person in America has quality, affordable health care coverage”  (http://www.nea.org/home/16326.htm).

TSTA encourages members to make time to contact U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn and their U.S. representatives before school starts, calling on them to reject the inaccuracies the “Just Say No” crowd puts forth and instead support “health care reform to ensure that every person in America has quality, affordable health care coverage.”

The Texas Voice for Health Care Reform has posted a schedule of Texas events, including congressional town hall meetings, at http://www.texasvoiceforhealthreform.org/events/. The “Just Say No” crowd will turn out in force for those meetings, so TSTA members should do their part to make sure members of Congress hear the truth about health care reform. The NEA’s talking points on why health care reform is vital to our public schools are online at http://www.nea.org/home/19380.htm.
 

August 7, 2009
Report on State Board for Educator Certification
The State Board for Educator Certification met  today to discuss certificates regarding student services, which passed on first reading.  If adopted at the October board meeting, requirements will remain largely intact, with a couple notable exceptions, though Educational Diagnosticians would need to hold teacher certification to work in a school setting.   

Revised certification rules for principals and superintendents passed first reading, as well.  Some on the board expressed concern that the principal certificate required only two years of teaching experience, with most believing the requirement should be raised to three years.  However the board passed the new licensure rules to comply with time-sensitive statutes.  Board members indicated interest in revisiting the principal certificate in the near future. 

Passing standards to the TExES examinations were set for the EC-6 certificate, the PPR for EC-6 certificate, the English as a Second Language supplemental certificate and Bilingual Education certificate examinations.   

Stephen F. Austin University received approval for a new Master Science Teacher degree program. 

The board visited three discussion-only topics.  The first regarded the new accountability system for educator preparation programs, which is from Senate Bill 174.  TEA staff reported that one stakeholder meeting had taken place and three more would be held in the future.  This was followed by a short discussion on certification of educators from other countries. 

Further discussions involved the Generalist certificate for grades 4-8.  Members of the State Board of Education’s Committee on School Initiatives directed SBEC to hold a discussion on the certificate and explain the reasoning behind retaining the certificate.  The board expressed the necessity of the degree, as it enables districts to hire a necessary number of appropriately certified science teachers. 

August 6, 2009
Teacher Appreciation Days This Month
Office Max is August 9 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Teachers receive discounts and free gifts for coming.

Staples has a variable date. Stores choose. You can find your city's Teacher Appreciation event by going to http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/tad_2009
/index.html -- Paul Henley, Teaching & Learning Specialist

TEA Resources on ARRA Funding for Texas Schools
ARRA Title XIV State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, 2009-10, by district: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/opge/formfund/SFSF/
0910SFSF.pdf.

TEA PowerPoint on the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund program: http://s3-texasisd.s3.amazonaws.com/Public/
SFSFtechassistance.powerpoint.pdf.

TEA’s American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) Funding Details for Texas: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.
aspx?id=5240.

Please note that TexasISD.com is reporting that TEA said that one-time lump-sum salary payments are not allowed. We believe that this is the correct interpretation of the law and have been saying this as well.

August 4, 2009
NEA Wins Senate Committee Vote Against Incentive Pay
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee last week defeated an NEA-opposed amendment to increase funding for the NEA-opposed Teacher Incentive Fund (merit pay). Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, however, joined 12 other committee members in voting for the TIF amendment.

The Teacher Incentive Fund would permit merit pay and “tenure reform” initiatives without input or consent of teachers or their bargaining representatives. NEA has been on record in strong opposition to TIF since it was first funded several years ago. We encourage members to follow up with senators on the committee to thank those who opposed the amendment and hold accountable those who voted for it, as outlined in further detail below.

At last week’s Senate Appropriations Committee markup of the fiscal year 2010 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations bill (HR 3293), Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., offered an amendment by her and Sens. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., to increase funding for the NEA-opposed Teacher Incentive Fund from $300 million (as passed by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee) to $400 million, with the $100 million increase coming out of the NEA-supported Teacher Quality State Grants (Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act). NEA’s letter to the committee specifically noted that we oppose any amendment to increase funding for TIF. (For reference, the performance-pay program currently receives $97 million in FY 2009 and also received $200 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.)

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who chairs the subcommittee, agreed to accept the amendment, noting that it was the top funding priority for the administration, while also publicly committing to working to restore the cut to Title II when the bill reaches a conference committee later this year.

Landrieu attempted to push the amendment through on a voice vote, but Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., objected and led the opposition to the amendment, noting the program already was receiving a significant increase, has never been authorized or evaluated, and that the redirection of funds from Title II (a formula grant program) would come at the expense of every district and state, costing Washington state $1.6 million in funding for professional development. Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., also spoke in opposition to the amendment, while Alexander, a former U.S. secretary of education, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., spoke in favor of it.

The committee rejected the amendment by a vote of 13 in favor and 16 against, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., not voting. The vote count is below and we encourage members to follow up with a thank you to your senators who opposed the amendment, and let those who supported it know of our opposition to it and request an explanation for their support of it. Please note that several members were not present at the markup and their votes were cast by proxy by Chairman Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Ranking Member Thad Cochran, R-Miss. Most of the votes cast in favor were by proxy, whereas the overwhelming number of votes against the amendment came from members actually present for the debate. It is possible that some of the proxy votes in favor may not have fully represented the views of those senators. We know of at least one senator who submitted a blank proxy (providing no direction on how to vote), meaning it was left to the discretion of the chair to determine how the senator’s vote was cast.

13 votes in favor of the Landrieu TIF amendment (against the NEA position): Tom Harkin, D-Iowa; Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; Mary Landrieu, D-La.; Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. (proxy); Barbara Mikulski, D-Md. (proxy); Herb Kohl, D-Wis. (proxy); Arlen Specter, D-Pa., (proxy); Richard Durbin, D-Ill., (proxy); Judd Gregg, R-N.H. (proxy); Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas (proxy); and George Voinovich, R-Ohio (proxy).

16 votes against the Landrieu TIF amendment (in favor of the NEA position): Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.; Tim Johnson, D-S.D.; Jack Reed, D-R.I.; Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.; Ben Nelson, D-Neb.; Mark Pryor, D-Ark.; Jon Tester, D-Mont.; Thad Cochran, R-Miss.; Kit Bond, R-Mo.; Richard Shelby, R-Ala.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii; Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. (proxy); Robert Bennett, R-Utah (proxy); and Sam Brownback, R-Kan. (proxy).

August 3, 2009

Full-Day Teacher Workshop on Mexico Offered in Houston

The World Affairs Council of Houston is offering a full-day workshop on Mexico on Saturday, August 29.

The workshop is designed for middle school and high school social studies teachers. Teacher of Spanish language would also find the workshop useful. Participants will learn about the political, economic and social challenges facing Mexico today. They will also receive a binder of lesson plans and educational resources. The WACH has applied for six hours of G/T credit by TAGT.

Additional information about the workshop can be found at World Affairs Council of Houston. Contact Sara Timms via email at edu@wachouston.org or by phone at 713-316-4475 or 713-522-7811 for more information.

July 28, 2009
Texas Ranks in Bottom Third on Child Well-Being
Texas ranks in the bottom third of states (34th of 50) on child well-being in a study released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The national 2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book reveals that compared to 2000, in 2007:

• more Texas children lived in economically insecure families
• key indicators of infant health worsened

The worst news: the data was gathered prior to the current economic recession—meaning these indicators of child well-being will likely continue to worsen as the data catches up with our recent harsh economic realities. more

July 27, 2009
Using the 2009-10 Federal Low Income Directory
The 2009 - 2010 schools that are eligible for the Federal Low Income Directory have been placed on the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://www.tcli.ed.gov/CBSWebApp
/tcli/TCLIPubSchoolSearch.jsp

To use the directory please follow these steps:

In order for your school to be eligible it must be located in a district eligible for title one funds, and the school must have at least 30% economically disadvantaged students.

Tips for successfully using the above USDE websites
        * To find a school:
        * Select Texas;
        * Select the school year;
        * For "school name" type only the main part of the school name;
                o Pick just one word and spell it in CAPS;
                o Place a % sign before and after the one-word name;
                o Do not include any words like elementary, middle, or high school;
                o Leave the "location" blank.

* To get a list of all eligible schools in a single county:
        * Select Texas and the school year;
        * Leave the "school name" blank;
        * In the "location" box, type the name of the county in caps;
        * Place a % sign before and after the county name.  


For Information on the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Programs please visit:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/edex/loanforgive.html

For Stafford/Direct Loans, visit http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/
cancelstaff.jsp?tab=repaying 

For Perkins Loans, visit http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english
cancelperk.jsp?tab=repaying
 

July 24, 2009
TSTA Responds to Secretary Duncan’s
Ruling on Educator Pay Raise
“Texas educators applaud U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s decision to approve the state’s use of federal stimulus dollars from President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund an across-the-board pay raise,” said Rita Haecker, the president of the 65,000-member Texas State Teachers Association.

“Both the president and the secretary know just how important keeping well-qualified, experienced teachers in the classroom is for students, and this pay raise will help do that. We appreciate the high priority they are giving to our public schools,” the head of the state’s oldest education organization added.

Under House Bill 3646, which the 81st Texas Legislature passed earlier this year, each classroom teacher, full-time speech pathologist, full-time librarian, full-time counselor and full-time school nurse will receive a pay raise of at least $800.

To read TEA's press release go to http://www.tsta.org/news/current/TEAstabilizationfunds.pdf.

To read the U.S. House of Representatives press release go to http://www.tsta.org/news/current/TXpayraise.pdf. 

July 17, 2009
SBOE Addresses Textbook Costs and School Fund
The State Board of Education met in regular session on Friday in the William B. Travis Building in Austin. The meeting began with Education Commissioner Robert Scott’s comments and general comments regarding the Social Studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards. These comments were very similar to those voiced during the previous two days.

The Committee on Instruction gave its report to the board. Instructional issues were handled in a relatively mild manner, at first. The board approved five innovative courses and kept the current credit by examination system intact.

Then the board revisited the $38 million deficit for textbook funding in the Proclamation 2010 cycle. The board added a new method to yesterday’s three approaches to reduce the deficit, instructing TEA staff to immediately prepare reports with new, lower support numbers. Now, the board will use four approaches, instead of the three it agreed upon yesterday. The approaches board will follow the approaches in this order:

1. Adjusting enrollment data from the Public Information Management System (PEIMS) to 2007-2008 student populations;
2. Lowering quota of textbooks schools receive to 103% of population (from 105%);
3. Allowing publishers to modify their bids; and
4. Making TEA staff find a way to fill the gap by lowering the maximum cost by 7.7%.

Apparently, Rick Agosto of San Antonio, the vice chair of the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund, has a conflict of interest regarding the management of the PSF. The conflict was reported by the New England Pension Corporation (NEPC), but Agosto did not file any similar notice. Agosto was not present for the meeting. The board, led by Pat Hardy of Weatherford, supported by Geraldine Miller of Dallas, made attacks on David Bradley of uncertain residence, the chair of the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund. Bradley apparently knew of the conflict of interest. New SBOE Chair Gail Lowe of Lampasas had to repeatedly instruct members to avoid speaking about fellow members.

The board then took a record vote to change the management of the PSF from R.V. Kuhns & Associates Inc. (RVK) to the New England Pension Corporation (NEPC). RVK is the current custodian of the PSF. RVK had been ranked as the strongest management company in all criteria by the agency. NEPC ranked consistently third. PSF committee members noted that they felt they were receiving poor service from RVK. Hardy, however, disagreed with that opinion, saying her personal experience had been thorough. She felt representatives of RVK had been patient with her, as well. Another questionable and suspicious move was how NEPC changed its bid from $1 million to $680,000 just before Tuesday's meeting.

Even so, the board voted 8-4 to change the management corporation for the PSF. Bob Craig of Lubbock, Mavis Knight of Dallas, Hardy and Miller voted against the change. Mary Helen Berlanga of Corpus Christi abstained, and Lawrence Allen of Houston was not present. As noted previously, Agosto was conspicuously absent.

The Committee on School Initiatives (CSI) had one charter authorization to offer. Eight charter candidates vied for the charter. The charter had been open for four months, and the option would expire September 1, requiring an entire new approval cycle. The CSI had chosen to delay (and thus deny) the award. Another flagrant debate ensued, and Lowe used her gavel for the first time to regain control. She admonished the board to remain quiet and respectful during the speaking of any board member who had the floor. The next admonition, again with gavel, was to admonish the board to avoid attacking the motives of other board members. The parliamentarian and the legal counsel were continuously consulted by both individual members and the chair. The overall volume of speech is increased by the minute. Eventually, the board voted to ignore the CSI’s decision to delay, awarding the charter to the Koinonia Learning Academy in the Houston area. The Spring Branch Independent School District sent a letter to the CSI requesting the board not award Koinonia Learning Academy the charter. Spring Branch is facing a declining enrollment and is uncomfortable with the possibility of losing even more students.

Instructional issues reappeared at the very last minute. The board's final action was a surprising, last-minute move. Terri Leo of Spring moved to strike the advanced mathematical decision making course that had been approved yesterday. The conservative wing took turns blasting the Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as the Texas Association of Supervisors of Mathematics, noting that they did not respond appropriately to yesterday’s call for the entire course content. Instead, the Dana Center provided an overview and the first unit. Some board members did not feel the course fit properly in Career and Technical Education, though it may serve as a future mathematics capstone course. Cynthia Dunbar of Richmond felt that the Legislature had stripped most of the board’s authority and that members need to be vigilant to protect their remaining authority. Bradley noted that he “couldn’t check the binding of the course.”

The voice vote on the motion was near-unanimous, with only one vote to keep the course. As amended, Chapter 130 was reapproved.

FAQ on Graduation Requirements
Texas Education Agency has issued more information on graduation requirements. more
 

July 16, 2009

July 15, 2009
SBOE Responds to Recently Passed Legislation
The State Board of Education met Wednesday at the William B. Travis Building in Austin. Lampasas newspaper publisher Gail Lowe, the new board chair, called the meeting to order just after 1 p.m.

The board held a final public hearing regarding the new Career and Technical Education Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards, which the board will adopt Friday. Most discussion centered on a course developed cooperatively between the Texas Association of Supervisors of Mathematics (TASM) and the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The board will find itself in its first approval of an online, open-source course for high school credit.

Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott spoke to the board’s agenda. He asked the board how members felt regarding the Common Core standards that are being developed collaboratively in 46 other states. Needless to say, the board that creates the standards for Texas praised the commissioner for refusing to participate. Among the arguments against the Common Core was the notion that Texas would have to immediately replace all textbooks, unless that wasn’t the case.

Mavis Knight of Dallas did ask Scott to attend any nearby meetings of the Common Core development teams. Scott said he would look into this at the upcoming meeting of the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The board received ethics training and a legislative update. Members spent much of the entire meeting berating and poking the 81st Texas Legislature for the new mandates lawmakers placed on them. Geraldine Miller of Dallas remarked that teachers gave the board no support during the online and open-source legislation. The majority of members complained that technology was nothing new to the SBOE and that an ignorant Legislature should be more aware of that. Gov. Rick Perry accompanied signing the bill with an executive order stating that none of the technological materials could be used unless the board approved them. Nobody is sure if the governor is able to do this legally.

The board discussed the selection of expert reviewers. More discussion on the process may follow, but the current process stands for now.

Texas Education Agency staff then briefed the board about legislation regarding the new high school graduation plans, giving board members reams of paper. Perhaps the most important of these documents was a “side-by-side-by-side” document with red and green highlights to indicate where the board has discretion and where it does not. The public was not given a color copy of the document, and there is no such document on the TEA website at this time. TSTA will monitor the site to let its members know as soon as the document is available.

Since House Bill 3, the new accountability bill, passed with more than a two-thirds margin in both houses of the Legislature, the law takes effect immediately. That means that the incoming freshman class (2009-10) will be bound by the new graduation requirements. These requirements have not been set at this time, and it is possible that some will not be adopted until November. The board was very confused about the entire process. TEA staff will work through the evening to design documents to help the board better understand their current options.

The meeting ended at 5:03 p.m. The board resumes its work Thursday morning.
 

President to Honor Outstanding Teachers
President Obama will award TSTA member Barbara Kelley of Grapevine a Presidential Award for Excellence at a White House ceremony this fall. The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded annually to the best pre-college-level science and math teachers from across the country. It includes $10,000 to be used at their discretion an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for a White House awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events, including visits with members of Congress and science agency leaders. more

New Regulations for 403(b) Plans Take Effect
Q. I have heard about some new regulations that may affect my 403(b) retirement savings program.  What exactly do they mean and when will they take effect?  

A. In late 2004, the IRS issued proposed new regulations that, for the most part, consolidated the regulations that had been added piecemeal over the past 40 years.  Within these regulations, the IRS added some new requirements.  One of which will require each employer to prepare a written document that defines the approved products. Additionally, transfers from one product to another will be allowed only among products within each districts’ approved product list. 

The regulations were issued in July 2007 and take affect July 1, 2009. 

Q. Which providers or 403(b) programs will be affected by these proposed regulations?   

A. All 403(b) providers are going to be affected by the proposed regulations, which require school districts to provide ongoing compliance to the IRS for their plans to make sure they comply with IRS regulations.   

Because of these increased responsibilities, districts may try to reduce the number of 403(b)/Tax Savings Account (TSA) providers available to their employees.  Some smaller school districts may simply decide not to offer any approved products to their employees given the amount of additional work involved with the new IRS 403(b) regulations. 

Under the first scenario, NEA members may have to select other providers for ongoing 403(b)/TSA contributions if payroll slots are eliminated.  Under the second scenario, the impact on NEA members could mean they have no approved 403(b) supplemental retirement savings program available to them. 

Q. If all 403(b) providers are affected, why can’t I just move my money into an IRA? 

In order to move or roll funds from a 403(b) or 403(b)(7) program to an IRA, one of the IRS permitted distributable or qualifying events would need to take place first.  They are separation from service, death, disability or attaining age 59 ½.  While you can stop contributions to your existing 403(b) and then open up a separate IRA, you would not be able to roll money from one account to the other until after a qualifying event takes place. 

Transferred funds from a 403(b) to an IRA would also lose certain account provisions of the 403(b) program which are not available within an IRA; such as loan availability, hardship withdrawal, and permitted distribution at age 55 without IRS penalty [if separated from service]. 

Q. What should I do to be sure my current provider and plan are preserved after the regulations go into effect? 

A. Contact your local association on ways to preserve current 403(b) choices.  It is critically important that local associations work with UniServ staff to monitor the implementation of the new regulations and work with their school district administration to help ensure 403(b)/TSA programs remain available for NEA members.

In bargaining school districts where TSA payroll slots may be lost through an arbitrary decision by the district or its administration, consider bargaining payroll slots for existing providers.

In districts that do not bargain, work with your UniServ staff and local associations to emphasize the importance of the TSA issue and urge members to inform their administration and school board of their opinion on preserving existing payroll slots.  

Q. What else is NEA Member Benefits doing? 

A. The NEA Member Benefits’ Regional Representatives are serving as a resource to answer questions, conduct presentations and provide examples of how other state and local affiliates are responding to the challenges of the new IRS 403(b) regulations to help ensure that TSA programs continue as a retirement savings option for NEA members.

The work necessary to comply with the regulations will impose a significant administrative and economic burden on smaller school districts.  In response to this potential need, NEA Member Benefits and their product provider have developed a comprehensive program that provides school districts all the tools necessary to address the plan oversight and compliance requirements of the new 403(b) regulations. 

If you have additional questions, please contact Liz Picone, 800-609-6580, or by email, Lpicone@neamb.com.

July 14, 2009
Texas One of Four to Narrow Math Achievement Gap
A national study released today found that Texas was one of four states that narrowed the achievement gap in eighth-grade mathematics performance between 1990 and 2007.

more

July 13, 2009
School Supplies Now Included for 2009
For the first time in 10 years, Texas annual August sales tax holiday will include school supplies. For the past several years, the tax-free purchases have been limited to school backpacks, clothing and shoes. In 2009, school supplies priced less than $100 will be exempt from state and local sales tax during the tax holiday Aug. 21-23. Pens, crayons, calculators, notebooks, rulers, scissors and lunch boxes are a few of the items on the list.

The law exempts most clothing and footwear priced under $100 from sales and use taxes and layaway plans are included in the tax break.

Backpacks that are priced under $100 to be used by elementary and secondary students are also exempt. However, the exemption does not include items that are reasonably defined as luggage, briefcases, computer bags, athletic/duffle/gym bags, purses or framed backpacks. http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxpubs/tx98_490/
tx98_490.html 

July 10, 2009
Lowe to Chair State Board of Education
Gov. Rick Perry has named Gail Lowe of Lampasas chair of the Texas State Board of Education for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2011. The board and education commissioner oversee the state’s public school system.

“Gail has shown exemplary leadership and commitment to the education of young Texans through her work on the State Board of Education for the past seven years, as a classroom volunteer assisting elementary school students with math and reading, and as a member of the Lampasas School District,” Gov. Perry said. “I am confident that through her leadership, we will continue to ensure that Texans receive the educational foundation necessary to be successful in college, the workplace and beyond.”

She was elected to the State Board of Education in November 2002 and re-elected in 2004 and 2008. She currently serves on the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund. Previously, Lowe was vice chair of the board's Committee on Planning and later chaired the Committee on School Initiatives. 

Prior to her election to the State Board of Education, Lowe served on the Lampasas Independent School District Board of Trustees, as well as district and campus site-based decision-making committees. She has been a longtime classroom volunteer, working primarily with elementary schoolchildren who have fallen behind in their reading and math skills.  

Lowe is a co-publisher of the semi-weekly newspaper, the Lampasas Dispatch Record. She is a member of various regional and national newspaper organizations and serves as vice president/treasurer for Hill Country Publishing Co. Inc. Lowe is also an honorary member of Delta Kappa Gamma.  

She has been active in civic affairs as a charter member of the Lampasas Republican Women and a business member of the Lampasas County Chamber of Commerce. Lowe is also a member of Friends of Lampasas Public Library and is involved with New Covenant Church, where she serves on the financial review board. In 2005, she was named Conservative of the Year by the non-partisan Lampasas County Conservative Club.  

Lowe attended the University of Alabama from 1975-1977. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University in 1978.  

She and her husband have three children who have been educated in Lampasas public schools.  

As a member of the State Board of Education, Lowe represents the counties of Archer, Bosque, Brown, Clay, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Denton, Eastland, Erath, Grayson, Hamilton, Hill, Hood, Jack, Lampasas, McLennan, Mills, Montague, Palo Pinto, Somervell, Stephens, Wichita, Wise, and Young, as well as parts of Bell County. 

Here's what others have to say about her:

• Texas Freedom Network

• Teach Them Science

• Dallas Morning News

July 7, 2009
TSTA Wins Awards for Communication
At the annual meeting of NEA's State Education Editors, TSTA was honored with four first place awards and one award of distinction. Winning first place awards were TSTA's website, www.tsta.org; the Teaching & Learning electronic newsletter; a special publication entitled "First Day Survival Tips"; and a Summer 2008 Advocate news story, "Working Conditions, Pay Fuel Teacher Dissatisfaction." The Advocate magazine received an award of distinction.

July 3, 2009
Revised HB 3 and Graduation Requirements for 2009-10
"With the passage of House Bill (HB) 3, new graduation requirements will take effect on September 1, 2009. These new requirements supersede the graduation requirements in 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 74," Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott wrote administrators on July 3. more

June 25, 2009

Perry Calls Legislature Back for Special Session on July 1
Gov. Rick Perry today signed a proclamation calling the 81st Texas Legislature back to Austin for a special session to address matters it did not resolve during the recently concluded 140-day regular session. The special session will convene at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 1. The three items the governor wants lawmakers to handle are:
 

“To consider legislation that provides for extending the existence of several state agencies that were subject to sunset review by the 81st Legislature and will be abolished without legislative action under the state's Sunset Act, that changes the review schedule for certain state agencies to balance the workload of the Sunset Advisory Commission.

“To consider legislation relating to the issuance by the Texas Transportation Commission, pursuant to Article III, Section 49-p, of the Texas Constitution, of general obligation bonds for highway improvement projects, and to the creation, administration, financing and use of a Texas Transportation Revolving Fund to provide financial assistance for transportation projects.

“To consider legislation relating to the date on which the authority of the Texas Department of Transportation and a regional mobility authority to enter into a comprehensive development agreement expires.”

Political observers expect the session to last only a few days dealing with these issues that should not be particularly controversial or partisan. Although no public education issues are in the governor’s call, he could add them to his call at any time before the special session adjourns. TSTA will monitor the special session; however, we do not expect Perry to ask lawmakers to deal with any public education issues this time.

June 18, 2009

TSTA Testifies on SBEC Disciplinary Rule Changes
The State Board for Educator Certification met at the William B. Travis Building in Austin on June 18.

Texas Education Agency staff gave a report regarding significant legislation affecting the board. The 81st Legislature this year gave SBEC more authority to inspect and evaluate teacher preparation programs.

After the legislative briefing, Vice Chair Christie Pogue introduced the work of an ad hoc committee that met to improve SBEC disciplinary structure. SBEC’s legal department had asked for guidance regarding when it should dismiss a case. The policy statements would be used to inform judges from the State Office of Administrative Hearings of the expectations that SBEC has beyond the Texas Education Code regarding what SBEC deems acceptable teacher behavior.

While Pogue called the document a “draft,” she also stated that this document was nothing new and that TEA sent it to stakeholders as a “courtesy document.” Pogue also stated, “If there had been any changes whatsoever, we would have absolutely have invited any input from the stakeholders to be part of this meeting.”

TEA counsel insinuated that it was the Office of the Attorney General of Texas that believes this policy document does not constitute a rule in and of itself. Because of this, there is no real need to consider the rulemaking process. As a result of this document, teacher testimony in front of the SBEC board will be limited to 10 minutes. It was previously 15 minutes.

TSTA is concerned that the recommendations will become de facto laws. While state judges are not required to follow the “recommendations,” they are bound by law to consider them.” TSTA General Counsel Joey Moore spoke against the adoption of the draft disciplinary policy on several key points. Her detailed written testimony is here.

The board approved alternative educator preparation programs. After the board voted to approve the programs, the chair was told that testimony was supposed to have been taken on this item. It then was taken; however, the board did not revote on the item.

The board approved new members of the Division of Educator Standards Advisory Committee. The committee is designed to standardize preparation programs rules.

The board considered minor changes to the principal certificate and superintendent certificate. Newly passed legislation may affect principal certification and review, so the board tabled the motion until all information is available. The board then unanimously passed the superintendent certificate changes.

The board also passed several new educator preparation programs and expanded current ones.

June 17, 2009
TAKS, End-of-Course Exams Will Be More Difficult
The State P-16 Council met June 17 at the William B. Travis Building in Austin, with Commissioner Robert Scott of the Texas Education Agency, Commissioner Terry Murphy from the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Larry Temple from the Texas Workforce Commission and Phyllis Snodgrass attending. Snodgrass is the president of the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce, and she is the newest member of the board. Commissioner Raymund Paredes of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board did not attend and sent a substitute representative.

Criss Cloudt, the associate commissioner of education for assessment, accountability and data quality, spoke about the new end-of-course examinations. She offered charts to illustrate the rulemaking process for each subject. She informed the council that all state standardized tests, both the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and end-of-course exams, will rewritten to include college-readiness standards and renamed. “These tests will be much harder,” she said.

House Bill 3, which the 81st Texas Legislature just passed, mandates that students deemed “college ready” will not need to take remedial courses in college. This led Scott to ask Cloudt whether this rule required research on students’ scores in English and mathematics courses in college. Cloudt affirmed this and said efforts to make these determinations are starting.

Recent pilots and initiatives seem successful, according to all who testified. One pilot program had college professors spend time in high school classrooms, while high school teachers observed college courses. Another program brought education professors from around the state to college campuses to determine P-16 strategies. Murphy spoke of an autism pilot program for ages three through eight that is very successful. The pilot is being expanded to reach more autistic children in Texas.

Temple spoke of school development toward the working world and customizing training for businesses. The $90 million in federal stimulus money from President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has left him with what he called, “a building full of experts.” He called on all P-16 councils to rephrase terminology into terminology the business community understands. Although the council’s goal is to create college graduates, Temple believes that business people are more important. Snodgrass concurred, saying someone once told her, “I don’t care what’s on that piece of paper; I’m the one who decides who gets hired."

June 16, 2009
Health Care Reform - Now
Urge your U.S. senator to support health care reform that:

• ensures that every person in America has quality, affordable coverage

• provides a choice of plans and providers through a private health insurance plan (including one that employees may currently have through their employer) and a government sponsored public health insurance plan options.

• rejects proposals that would limit or cap the employee tax exclusion for health benefits in any way (tax employer-provided health benefits).

See NEA's website or visit the President's Health Care Action Center.

June 12, 2009
TRS Stays with Investment Company
The Teacher Retirement System Board of Trustees met on June 12 to hear proposals from companies wishing to handle overall investment strategies as actuaries, as well as fiduciary counsel. Each of the positions had been narrowed to four finalists, with the actuarial group presenting first. The actuary choice, consistent for over a decade, was in question because the long-term advisor to TRS was retiring. Thus, TRS would be changing advisors no matter the corporation that it chose. After a short deliberation, the board decided to keep Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company for actuarial valuation and pension consulting services. It took a longer time, and an official discussion, to choose Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren, S.C. to act as fiduciary counsel. 

An informal query to staff revealed that the current valuation of the TRS fund was in the lower $80 billion range. The board also discussed TRS holdings in Chrysler and General Motors. Regarding Chrysler: There was no direct exposure during bankruptcy, but indirect through a limited partnership of $100 million. Regarding General Motors: There was no direct debt exposure, but TRS had about $1 million in common stock and indirect exposure through several limited partnerships. 

TRS has officially certified to the Comptroller the estimated amount of state contribution to be received by the retired school employees group health benefit plan. The board will continue its current committee appointments until the fall, when three new board members will join. 

TRS is considering ways to better communicate with both members and the general public. They are implementing a means that allows retirees to register their email addresses. The system staff are also considering ways to broadcast meetings online. 

TRS Considers Benefits, Budget, Elections
The Teacher Retirement System (TRS) Board met June 11 to discuss, in several committee meetings, everything from current benefits to the TRS budget to the upcoming elections of several board positions. 

Regarding TRS Ethical Conduct: The morning began with results from multiple internal audits, as well as one external audit.  The State Auditor’s Office presented a report to the Ethics Committee which noted two potential weaknesses: real-time board access to TRS financial decisions and a lack of ethics training for TRS staff.  Both issues will be addressed. 

TRS had a standing policy of maintaining a step system (minimum of two percent per year, at least $50/month) to a “performance pay” system.  The Performance Incentive Compensation is 80% quantitative and 20% qualitative (through peer review). 

This new system will demand more funding, and it requires additional funding from the legislature.  Plus an additional $10 million for their performance pay plan. 

For the first time in a decade, the legislature has been allocated money from general revenue.  This amounts to $7.5 million for the biennium.  If the board takes any monetary action (not approved by the Legislative Budget Board), then the SB 1 monies would drop dollar-for-dollar.  The money would go only to upper positions not in a retirement system.  The board saw this as the legislature trying to make them, “play in their sandbox.”

Senate Bill 1 increased overall TRS funding 18-19 percent for the current biennium. TRS staff felt shorted and let the board know of their frustration. TRS has decided to exceed its employment cap for the current year by 11 employees. The system will expand to another office on South Congress and require the corresponding fees and services. The legislative increase allows for a total of 20 new employees, but TRS plans to hire an additional 20, for a total of 40. The board determined to request an additional $6 million from the Legislative Budget Board. 

Senate Bill 1 holds that interns do not count against the employee cap, so TRS will develop a “robust” intern program. The legislature mandates that state dollars cannot be used for external communications; thus, TRS will hire one using internal monies. The committee saw this as a means of “optimizing budget resources.” 

Board members were apprised of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and its function in state monetary policy.  The board is considering three options to further their operations.  

1. Accepting the current legislative funding, which will fund current staffing (20 more positions). It will preclude the performance incentive plan, more additional staff and any unforeseen issues.

2. Asking the legislature for an additional three million dollars. This will allow for the 40 new employees, fund the performance incentive plan and add modest contingencies.

3. Asking the legislature for $6 million.  This will increase staffing by the expected 40 employees, provide $1.25 million for professional services and operating expenses and fund the Performance Incentive Compensation plan. 

Regarding the Budget: The Budget Committee was briefed on TRS’s current status. The budget remains in line, though the system encountered unexpected costs from a broken water main between buildings, required notice of ARRA funds and related legal services. 

The committee, and perhaps the board, will be considering strategies to address budget constraints in FY 2010 without seeking a fiduciary finding. 

For the first time in a decade, the legislature has been allocated money from general revenue. This amounts to $7.5 million for the biennium.  If the board takes any fiduciary action (not approved by the Legislative Budget Board), the SB 1 monies would drop dollar-for-dollar.  It would apply to exempt positions, only.  The board saw this as the legislature trying to make them, “play in their sandbox.” 

Plus an additional $10 million for their performance pay plan.

The legislature authorized a one-time $800 payment to certain employees. The payment requires the Attorney General to issue an opinion to the effect that it will be legal. Currently, the money sits in a special fund with the Comptroller, awaiting the AG opinion. 

TRS conducted one-on-one counseling appointments in 10 Texas cities during the past year. Overall, customer satisfaction remains high. 

TRS is in a much better standing than most of its counterparts throughout the country. In the past year’s reports, the portfolio has dropped to the bottom quartile in performance, but staff informed the board that the fund’s performance has already changed for the better. 

Ennis Knupp presented on various models to improve the overall TRS investment portfolio. The advisors repeatedly mentioned the 10 percent constitutional cap on the state’s contribution to employee retirement systems. Several of the models involved an increase of teacher contributions to 10 percent, amounting to a 20 percent contribution.  Models focused on the effort to reach full, 31-year funding. 

TRS Full Board Meeting: The next meeting was moved from August 13-14 to August 20-21. 

Staff reported on the performance on the TRS fund. Although this year has been especially rough, the fund has failed to meet the eight percent threshold, which is needed to keep the plan solvent, for the past 10 years. 

Britt Harris presented a thoughtful and meaningful presentation titled, “Inflection Point?”  He has given similar information to the U.S. Congress, as he is on the Presidential council. Harris believes that the economy may be at a precise point to match the TRS investment philosophy.

June 9, 2009
NEA's Eskelsen Honored by Hispanic Business Magazine
Hispanic Business Magazine has recognized Lily Eskelsen, vice president of NEA, as 2009 Woman of the Year finalist. The business magazine honored Eskelsen for her hard work as well as her unwavering dedication to the teaching profession and commitment to improving the lives of all children. Each year, the magazine salutes a select group of Hispanic women who have made a national impact by demonstrating the highest levels of achievement in their professions.

Eskelsen began her career in education as a lunch worker in a school cafeteria.  She became a kindergarten aide and was encouraged by the teacher to think about going to college and becoming a teacher herself. She worked her way through college on scholarships, student loans and as a starving folk singer, graduating magna cum laude in elementary education and later earning her master’s degree in instructional technology. For additional information, please visit www.nea.org.
 

June 3, 2009
Update on Withholding Issue for Retired Members
The IRS has issued a notice addressing an unintended consequence of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act regarding retiree pension withholding. You may recall that in implementing provisions regarding the Making Work Pay credit, the IRS created a situation where retirees subject to new withholding tables could have an under-withholding on pension income and find themselves unexpectedly owing taxes at the end of the year. The IRS has now announced an optional procedure for pension plans that would offset the withholding reduction created by their earlier instructions. www.irs.go`v/pub/irs-pdf/n1036p.pdf

May 28, 2009
Health Care Could Be Next on Congressional Agenda
NEA has been a long-time supporter of health care reform, and we are actively engaged in the current federal reform efforts. Health care reform is important for the national economy, state budgets, the children and students of all ages whom we serve, and all educators.

As with all legislative activity, this timeline is subject to change, but the current timeline appears to be as follows:

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