Priorities: 85th Texas Legislative Session
- Public School Funding – Pursue an adequate and equitable solution for school funding while maintaining accountability and responsibility for educating the whole child. In addition, Texas PTA advocates for funding for enrollment growth.
- Powdered Alcohol – Pursue banning the sale to minors of powdered alcohol, or Palcohol, a powder that can be mixed with liquids — similar to the way Kool-Aid is mixed with water — to create an alcoholic beverage that can have alcohol levels equivalent to a shot of vodka.
- Bullying/Cyberbullying – Strengthen the cyberbullying law to protect students from online, often anonymous, bullying by clarifying the role of school districts in addressing this behavior, and removing barriers to law enforcement’s ability to deal with offenders.
- Funding for Quality Pre-K Grant Program
- Funding for Full Day Pre-K for at-risk students
- State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) – Advocate for reduced emphasis on state-mandated testing, focusing on grades 3-8, and monitor changes to STAAR for high school students, and limits on benchmark testing for all tested grades.
- State Accountability System – Pursue a new accountability system that is valid, reliable and balanced, focuses less on state assessment, and recognizes other attributes of a strong school program, including arts instruction and physical activity.
- Age of Adult Criminal Responsibility – Raise the age for mandatory prosecution as an adult from 17 to 18, allowing non-violent offenders who are 17 years of age to be charged as a minor.
- Districts of Innovation – Oppose efforts to take away latitude of Districts of Innovation to set their own school calendar.
- Vouchers – Oppose vouchers, including Education Account Savings Programs that allow parents to apply for an education savings account. A portion of the funds the state expends for that student’s public school education is deposited into the account. The remained of the funds are kept by the public school the student previously attended. Money in the education savings account may be used to fund private school tuition, tuition at eligible institutions, distance education, curriculum.
- State Board of Education – Actively weigh in on legislation impacting SBOE and monitor activity of SBOE in its quarterly meetings.
Texas A&M University is working collaboratively with Texas PTA to survey our members concerning HB 5 Endorsement Selection. As you may recall, Texas PTA was instrumental in the passage of HB 5, so we are committed to its success. This is a voluntary, anonymous survey. By completing it, your responses will provide invaluable information regarding:
- The ways in which information about your middle and high school 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.
Deadline: 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 10.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
Completing this survey is one more way you can back the future!
SurveyThe Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) is seeking input from the public on the STAAR Assessment Program and the state’s accountability program with the goal of gathering suggestions for future program development.
The survey is open through June 30.
History
From October 2015 to March 2016, SBOE members held several Community Conversations around the state. The issues raised during the community meetings are addressed in the survey.
“Our constituents often talk to board members about testing and school ratings issues,” said Donna Bahorich, chair of the SBOE. “I felt it was also important for board members to have in-depth discussions to learn what educators, parents, business people and others want from these two high profile programs. I believe our findings will be useful in shaping the next generation systems.”
Information gathered from the survey and Community Conversations will be compiled into a report and presented to the SBOE during its July 19-22 meeting. Once adopted, the report will be provided to legislative leaders and the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability.
The 15-member commission, created by the Texas Legislature, is to make recommendations for statutory changes to the state’s assessment and accountability systems. The commission report is to be submitted to the governor and legislature by Sept.1.
Read comments from the Community Conversations, you can check them out here.
Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability.
TEXAS PTA’S STATEMENT ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE RULING
“We concur with Justice Willett and Justice Guzman that there is much work to be done,” stated Lisa Holbrook, President of Texas PTA. “In the words of Justice Guzman, ‘While the constitution requires the system be merely good enough, that does not mean that our system is good, or that it will continue to be enough.’ We must continue to improve our system of education. We cannot do less,” she added.
Last week, the Texas Supreme Court issued its ruling on the constitutionality of Texas’ system of funding public schools, determining that while, “undeniably imperfect, with immense room for improvement,” it is constitutional.
While the ruling means that the Texas Legislature will have no mandate to make any changes to the state’s funding system, it is clear from Justice Willett’s opinion that, “Texas’ 5 million students deserve transformational, top-to-bottom reforms that amount to more than a Band-Aid on top of Band-Aid,” and from Justice Guzman’s concurring opinion that, “There is much work to be done to improve our public school system, particularly for the population that represents the majority of the student base — economically disadvantaged students,” that the Texas Supreme Court in no way endorsed our current system as the best it can be.
“Texas PTA vows to continue to work with legislators and other advocates to create a system that is fair and that gives all students the education they deserve. We must come together — parents, school leaders, policy-makers — to craft a solution that affords every student the opportunity to achieve his/her dreams through education,” stated Holbrook. “We must not take this ruling as permission to ignore the problems we know exist in our public school system.”
Texas PTA is interested in what interests you, our members. We’d like to learn more about your concerns and insights related to the health, safety and educational opportunities of your children. The number of important issues facing Texas families is growing, so we’ve created a two-part survey to focus on different policy areas and legislation.
Please take a moment to complete Part I of this very brief survey so that we may more effectively serve you through the development of programs and services, and more effectively represent you at the Texas Capitol. All responses must be received by Monday, February 1 at 9:00 a.m., and Texas PTA will use your feedback to consider our legislative priorities for the next two years.
Part II of the survey will be released on February 1.
