Join us for the first PTSA Membership Meeting of the 2017-18 School Year!
When: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 @ 6:00p
Where: Marcus High School (Main) Rm. D-110
Dear PTA Advocates,
Once again and with your help, Texas PTA was instrumental in stopping the passage of legislation to create a voucher program in Texas. Our message continues to be, “Focus on strengthening our public schools! All students benefit from that goal.”
We made small, but important progress to begin to reform our outdated, inequitable and inadequate school finance system during the Special Legislative Session that lasted for 30 days this summer. HB 21 by Rep. Dan Huberty, created a grant program to provide extra support for students with dyslexia and autism, removed a penalty in funding for very small school districts, created a step-down to help some districts to adjust to the loss of specialized funding they had been receiving since 2006, and created a commission to develop recommendations for school finance reform that can be considered in the next Legislative Session that will begin in January of 2019.
While we did not see the progress in reforming our school funding system that we were hoping for, we made great progress in educating legislators about the fact that as property values rise and homeowners pay more in taxes, the state, for at least 10 years, has been using those increased revenues to offset their share of the cost of public education so that they now contribute less than 32% of the cost of education in Texas. This cannot continue. The state must increase its share of funding for public schools and must fund schools equitably. We will continue to work toward this goal.
Thanks again for making a difference,
Texas PTA Board of Directors and Staff
Texas PTA Advocacy Committee
…to Student Success
Whether they are just starting elementary school or are getting ready to graduate high school, every parent wants their child to have the knowledge they need to be successful in the future. However, sometimes it can be difficult to keep track of everything your child needs to know. That’s why National PTA created the Parents’ Guides to Student Success.
Developed by teachers, parents and education experts, the guides provide clear and consistent expectations for what students should be learning in English, language arts/literacy and mathematics during grades K-8 and high school. You can use these guides to keep track of your child’s progress and ensure that they are prepared for the following school year and their future college and career ambitions.
National PTA’s Parents’ Guides to Student Success are an easy way to keep your kid on track. Not only do the guides serve as easy-to-use handbooks for your child’s education, but they also offer activities you can use to keep them engaged academically.
There are even two versions of each guide for your convenience! If you are looking for a quick overview of necessary curriculum, take a look at the two page guides. If you are want something a bit more in depth, check out the four page guides.
For Spanish-speaking families, National PTA has created Spanish versions of both the two page guides and the four page guides.
Research shows that family engagement promotes student success. Students with involved parents are more likely to:
- Earn higher grades and pass their classes,
- Attend school regularly and have better social skills,
- Go on to post-secondary education
The National PTA Parents’ Guides to Student Success are a great way to get involved in your child’s education.
Learn More
Kayla Hewitt is a contributing writer for Our Children Magazine.
Urge Legislators to Vote YES on HB 21 and HB 23!
Texas students need your voice tomorrow when legislators debate HB 21 and HB 23. Email or call your Representative and ask them to vote YES on both of these critical priorities.
As a reminder, HB 21 is Representative Dan Huberty’s plan to fix our broken school finance system. HB 23 is Rep. Huberty’s bill that aims to fund innovative, collaborative programs for students with autism on public school and charter school campuses.
We need your voices to #backthefuture of Texas children now.
They are our No. 1 priority!
If you have an entering 9-12 student, please consider taking a few minutes to complete the following survey relating to endorsement selection.
- The ways in which information about your students’ endorsement selection process is transmitted to you
- How effective you feel the information you are receiving is to your ability to support your child’s decision making
Teachers, parents & family members provide critical expertise and perspective on the classroom and their children. https://t.co/T6nghdKZsG pic.twitter.com/JVRRN7sTws
— NationalPTA (@NationalPTA) July 19, 2017
