Texas Public Education - Bill Tracker
87th Regular Legislative Session
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As of 15 March 2021, at 3:17 PM (CST)
we are tracking 920 Education Bills |
Legislative Reference Library of Texas
November 9, 2020: Bill pre-filing begins (House Rule 8, Section 7 and Senate Rule 7.04(a))
January 12, 2021: 87th Legislature convenes at noon (Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 5(a); Texas Government Code, Section 301.001) March 12, 2021: 60-day bill filing deadline (Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 5(b)) May 31, 2021: Adjournment sine die (Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 24(b)) June 20, 2021: Post-session 20-day deadline for Governor to sign or veto (Texas Constitution, Article IV, Section 14) August 30, 2021: Effective date (91st day after adjournment) (Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 39) |
Bills we are following:
- HB 5 - expands broadband access for all Texas students
- HB 999 (Diego Bernal, D - San Antonio) expands the eligibility for Individual Graduation Committees
- HB 1525 (HB3 clean-up) expect to see a 2-year extension to Reading Academies: House Pub Ed intends to extend deadline to complete academy training for 2 years due to COVID issues
- HB 3279 (SB 28) - would remove SBOE (the only public body) oversight on charter approvals
Texas State Board of Education District 1 - 87th Legislative Session Priorities
Authority of the State Board of Education
Educational Equity for Students
Fiscal Impact
Foundation High School Program
Healthy and Safe Schools
High-Stakes Testing and Punitive Consequences
School Finance Formula
Student Data Privacy
Teachers Salaries
Technology and Instructional Materials Allotment (TIMA)
- Support legislation to expand the statutory authority of the State Board of Education to allow the Board to approve the Commissioner’s proposed charter expansion amendments – which have been a major cost driver to the state budget, with unlimited numbers of new campuses approved each year – to ensure that there is an elected and voter-accountable body providing checks and balances over this $3.6 billion annual state tax-dollar expenditure.
- Support legislation that expands the authority of the SBOE to develop pre-apprenticeships and determine which CTE certification programs qualify for a performance indicator in the A-F Accountability System.
Educational Equity for Students
- To ensure accountability and fairness, support legislation to prohibit approval of a charter expansion amendment for any open enrollment charter school that serves a percentage of students with special needs that is lower than the state average.
- To ensure equal opportunity for all Texas students, support legislation that would eliminate the ability of charter schools to exclude any student from enrollment because of past discipline problems just as school districts cannot exclude any student because of discipline problems.
Fiscal Impact
- Given the budget challenges faced by Texas during the pandemic, support legislation for the Texas Education Agency to provide the State Board of Education, legislators, and the public with the additional cost to the state annually and over ten years for any new charter campus proposed through the charter amendment or application process so that the fiscal impact to the state is clearly understood in advance of the final approval.
- Advocate for tying the charter school “small and midsize allotment” to the same 5,000-student cap as the district small and midsize allotment so that there is a level playing field for all schools.
Foundation High School Program
- Oppose legislation that would implement additional course requirements for high school graduation or reduce the number of elective courses currently available to students to take as part of the Foundation High School Program.
Healthy and Safe Schools
- Prioritize the health safety of students and staff. Support flexibility for local schools to make decisions regarding educational delivery models based on local public health conditions without fear of losing funding. Ensure parents and educators have meaningful input into school decisions regarding COVID-19.
- Support funding to provide personal protective equipment, technology, and staffing to support safe and socially distanced learning environments.
High-Stakes Testing and Punitive Consequences
- Support legislation which aligns all high-stakes testing requirements to those required by federal law and removes the A-F grades used to punish students, teachers, schools, and communities.
School Finance Formula
- Support legislation which increases funding for counselors and mental health services; provider-to-student ratios are much too high. Per TEA data, 7000 Texas students shared 1 (one) social worker and nearly 3000 students shared 1 (one) psychologist in 2018. The counselor-to-student ratio is roughly 500:1, double the American School Counselor Association recommendation.
Student Data Privacy
- Support legislation to give the TXSBOE rule-making authority over all instructional materials, including Commissioner-adopted materials, that collect or use student data online (reference Subchapter D Chapter 32).
Teachers Salaries
- Research confirms that quality educators are the most important factor influencing student achievement, yet educator salaries remain well below other industries with similar educational requirements, especially in rural areas. In order to attract and retain quality educators, support a meaningful increase in educator salaries across the board that compensate all educators like the professionals they are.
Technology and Instructional Materials Allotment (TIMA)
- Advocate for increased funding for the TIMA to ensure districts can provide adequate technology and instructional materials to meet higher standards for students. Oppose any carveouts from TIMA that decrease the amount of funds to school districts, including efforts by the state for rating instructional materials. Advocate that funding for “quality” reviews be allocated from a source other than TIMA.
Education Association Advocacy Agendas and Priority Positions
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Summaries of the House & Senate Public Education Committees
19 Mar 2019: The Texas House passed HB 92, a Bill which will allows ISD's an alternative to draconian laws, such as 1842 & 1882 - which require charter partnerships or closure. If passed in the Senate, this Bill will allow public schools to operate as a community schools. *Which all public schools should already be doing because the State of Texas should already be funding these programs and staff to effectively implement and monitor.
- Community schools reduce barriers to learning through intensive engagement and planning with the community and service coordination.
19 Mar 2019: Click here to view hearing with Commissioner of Education Mike Morath came before the Senate Committee on Nominations where he was grilled by several senators on the misalignment of STAAR which he vehemently defended, and what he is or is not doing to fix this persistent problem. Questions about charter funding mismanagement, were response do with, it's “shady, but legal under current statute.”
12 Mar 2019: Click to view archived video of the House Committee on Public Education's full presentation & public hearing on House Bill 3
- Click to view the PubEdComm public hearing (archived video) on these Bills
5 Mar 2019: House Bill 3 (Huberty - R, Chair of the House Committee on Public Education) The Texas Plan
Read the Committee Substitute to House Bill 3 (19 March 2019) - Merit Pay was removed.
Read the TASA'S (Texas Association of School Administrators) Summary of House Bill 3
Read the Committee Substitute to House Bill 3 (19 March 2019) - Merit Pay was removed.
Read the TASA'S (Texas Association of School Administrators) Summary of House Bill 3
Watch the archived video of the House Committee on Public Education here, which begins with the STAAR Test Public Hearing.
TEA Commissioner Michael Morath provided testimony: Presentation on Assessment and appendix
TEA Commissioner Michael Morath provided testimony: Presentation on Assessment and appendix
Click for PDF
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A couple of noticeable disconnects between TEA and Superintendents, Teachers:
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click to enlarge
Planning on visiting the Capitol? Here are some great tips from CPPP:
- The early bird gets the worm: Members are usually only in Austin while in legislative session on the Senate or House floor and available for meetings when not on the floor, in committee, or in caucus meetings. This leaves a very limited time for meetings that will only get shorter the longer the floor sessions and committee hearings last. Schedule those meetings while you still can.
- Staff can get the job done: While it’s great to talk to the elected member and get her or his take on matters, time constraints mean it’s likely you will be talking to staff members instead. Staff make important recommendations and can provide great insight on the member's thinking and the legislative process. Don’t feel slighted by meeting with staff, and instead use it to your advantage.
- Make your case but be sure to listen: Often we are so determined to make our policy case that we forget to listen. Be sure to ask how the member feels about the issue, if they have taken previous positions, and what concerns they have. This will better inform your follow-up materials and future meetings.
- Do you make an ask? Nothing is easier for a member or staffer than a visitor that provides a bunch of information and never makes a request. While this is great for the member it’s not effective advocacy. Be sure to ask if the member will support your issue, file your bill, or follow-up with an answer. Staff are trained to not speak for the member unless authorized, so follow-up with an email and offer to be a resource for when the time comes to make a vote.
- Stay relevant and timely: Staff and members are pretty focused on the issues directly before them. It’s extremely difficult to expect a member or staff member to be an expert on every issue before the Legislature. They tend to focus on the issues before the committees on which the member serves. Try to time your visits to coincide with the issues before the member, but don’t wait for the day of the hearing or the floor vote when a recommendation to the member has already likely been made.
Texas State Board of Education
2019 Legislative Priorities
New Permanent School Fund Governance Structure
- Unify the asset allocation policy and Available School Fund distribution decision making;
- Limit cash holdings to the amount needs for near term cash calls and other commitments that cannot be met with income revenues;
- Add to the School Land Board (SLB) either a public member appointed by the Texas State Board of Education Chair or an TXSBOE Member appointed by the TXSBOE Chair; and,
- Require reporting and regular meetings between the Texas State Board of Education and School Land Board.
Funding
- Texas State Board of Education & Textbook Adoption Activities - Ensure sufficient legislative appropriations to increase staffing at the Texas Education Agency, particularly the curriculum division, to provide adequate personnel to oversee and support the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) review and implementation process and the textbook adoption process;
- TEA Reading & Math Academies - Continue financial support for literacy and mathematics academies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students;
- Special Education - Ensure sufficient legislative appropriations for a family support call center and an online portal to assist families in navigating public school systems for students with special and specific needs;
- Safe & Healthy Schools - Create an advisory council on family engagement and empowerment to inform all state and local policymakers on best practices on family and school partnerships;
- Teacher Salary & Retention Improvements - Ensure sufficient legislative appropriations to sustain competitive salaries for educators; school districts implement induction programs, innovative compensation plans, professional development, and mentoring; and
- Education Service Centers - Ensure sufficient legislative appropriations to contuse supporting the Foundation School Program appropriation (8.051) which funds services provided through our ESC's;
- Funding Support for TEA’s two Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) Exceptional Items – Special Education Supports and Safe and Healthy Schools Initiative: A brief overview of the exceptional items are available in the TEA LAR, beginning on page 3. *The LAR is the TEA's request for how much legislators should budget for public education. The latest LAR has been controversial because the Commissioner Morath is requesting $3.5B fewer dollars from the state in state funding over the next two years. The TXSBOE did NOT discuss or vote on this entire request — only the two exceptional items which request additional funding for Special Education and School Safety. Exceptional items are formal requests that go above and beyond what is contained in the regular LAR. While the funding contained in these items is still less than what is needed to fully address Special Education and Healthy Schools, they are a necessary step in the direction of targeted funding.
- Texas Commission on Public School Finance - Address the outdated inefficient school funding formulas by working to implement the findings of the Texas Commission on Public School Finance, specifically, the considerations for new Dyslexia and Dual Language allotment.
Texas' Privately-Operated Charters
What is the Return on Investment in Your Community?
Read / Download the entire report
2018
Texas Public Schools are Losing 1 out of 4 Students
The Intercultural Development Research Association released detailed findings today from its latest study - which examines time series data. Key findings show:
- Texas is failing to graduate one out of every four students - which translates to losing 11 students per hour. The statewide attrition rate is 24 percent (down from 25 percent last year).
- Texas high schools lost 99,960 students in 2016-17.
- At this rate, Texas will not reach universal high school education for another two decades in 2037.
- Black students and Hispanic students are about two times more likely to leaveschool without graduating with a diploma than White students.
- In the last 32 years, Texas schools have lost a cumulative total of more than 3.7 million students from public high school enrollment prior to graduation. Read More
Education Legislation passed in the 85th Regular & Special Session
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Education Bill Tracker
2017 Texas State Board of Education Legislative Recommendations:
The Texas State Board of Education on Nov, 18, 2016 approved the following recommendations to the 85th Texas Legislature:
- Expand the State Board of Education’s authority listed under Texas Education Code §31.023 to review and approve instructional materials beyond 50% of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills coverage, factual errors and applicable physical specifications.
- Allocate funds to the State Board of Education to support the creation and implementation of a long-range plan as required by Texas Education Code §7.102(c)(1).
- Ensure sufficient legislative appropriations to increase staffing at the Texas Education Agency, particularly in the curriculum division, to provide adequate personnel to oversee and support the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills review and implementation process and the textbook adoption process.
- Support the Texas Education Agency’s Legislative Appropriation Request Exceptional Item to improve student data privacy by: 1) providing resources to the agency to ensure the agency data systems maintain and improve student data privacy, 2) passing requirements for publishers and third-party suppliers to ensure student data privacy and 3) enacting student data privacy guidelines for local districts that include a requirement for local district to adopt a plan to protect student data privacy.
- Support the Texas Education Agency’s Legislative Appropriations Request Exceptional Item for E-Rate to support funding for high-speed internet infrastructure for classroom connectivity to improve student access to online resources for all Texas students.
- Remove the limitation on the agency listed under Texas Education Code §7.028 to undertake on-site monitoring of school districts and charters and provide funding for on-site monitoring.
- Protect the public education funds/services to adequately identify and serve the needs of all special education students by identifying and not limiting the number of students served or funding.
- Conserve public free schools and prohibit public dollars from going to private schools or parents/guardians.
The Equity Center's Legislative Update: School Finance Bills
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What else does HB 21 (School Funding) do?
House Bill 21 adjusts the funding formula by allotting an additional $1.65 billion to public education over the next two years, per the bill’s fiscal note. Here are some of the other major changes the bill makes:
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Compare the House & Senate Budgets, side by side, online
by the Center for Public Policy Priorities
by the Center for Public Policy Priorities
HB 22 Public School Accountability (A-F Rankings)
Texas House Public Education Committee Chair Dan Huberty filed HB 22 relating to the public school accountability system. TASA Governmental Relations staff are reviewing the specifics of the bill, but noteworthy changes include:
TXSBOE1 Recommended Revisions to A-F:
Texas House Public Education Committee Chair Dan Huberty filed HB 22 relating to the public school accountability system. TASA Governmental Relations staff are reviewing the specifics of the bill, but noteworthy changes include:
- moving from five domains of achievement indicators to three
- assigning A-F grades to each of the three domains but not assigning an overall A-F grade to schools/districts
- reducing the weight of standardized tests from 55 to 50 percent
- changing the performance rating of “D” to reflect performance “in need of improvement”
- requiring “what if” performance ratings to be issued in 2017 and 2018
- delaying implementation of the A-F system to 2019
TXSBOE1 Recommended Revisions to A-F:
- Any school/district receiving state funding should be subject to EXACTLY the same criteria and requirements.
- There should only be ONE method of evaluation, to include the same data and calculations, and not several (i.e. PBM, TAPR, and A-F).
- Only statistically valid and uncompromised data should be used; corrupt data must be thrown out.
- There should be NO overall rating, AND the ratings should include only those domains/areas that a district has control of (i.e. ISDs accept all students regardless of Spec Ed, LEP, 504, migrant, or otherwise).
- Score reports should include ALL schools/districts for comparison purposes, listed/shown on a normal curve distribution. The current method of determining Campus Groups is completely inaccurate and invalid.
- ALL decision making which uses the data and report should be left to the LEA. The state is NOT the primary source of funding, and, therefore, should not be the primary source of decision making for the LEA.
- Reports should include the use of long term trends and averages (to compensate for small test group sizes at small rural schools).
- Tests, criteria, and students performance goals should NOT change. No valid statistical analysis can be made from continually changing tests and performance goals.
ARTICLES
Kids no longer get arrested for truancy and guess what?
They still go to class
90% decrease in the # of court filings and a .13% increase in attendance.
Critics of the law feared decriminalizing truancy would lead to a dramatic drop in school attendance across the state. They argued a lack of criminal punishment for excessive and unauthorized absences would serve as a disincentive for school participation. Empirical evidence, however, has shown otherwise. Read More
Rural "school choice" letter campaign sparks confusion, accusations inside Texas Capitol
An advocacy group says thousands of letters sent to rural lawmakers suggests widespread support for legislation that would create education savings accounts. But lawmakers — and some constituents — say the letters are dubious. Read More Read more about SB3 - Voucher Bill
An advocacy group says thousands of letters sent to rural lawmakers suggests widespread support for legislation that would create education savings accounts. But lawmakers — and some constituents — say the letters are dubious. Read More Read more about SB3 - Voucher Bill
TEXAS RANKS 3RD IN NATION FOR HOMELESSNESS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The report says homeless high school students have worse health outcomes than others, they disproportionately face the most extreme health risks, and are also more likely to take advantage of school-based clinics. The study also suggests more homeless students are depressed and arrive to school hungry than those who aren’t.” Read More
THE OBSCURE LAW THAT’S MEANT TO GET HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS VOTING
Secondary school principals are required to pass out registration forms twice a year – but that doesn’t always get done. Read More
It’s a very important law on the books ~ The Texas Association of Secondary School Principals writes letters to all Texas HS principals (2x/year) to remind them of their obligation. Principals may delegate this responsibility to another educator, however, the law is clear.
TEXAS ELECTION CODE
Distributing Voter Registration Applications and Materials to Eligible Students and Employees. A high school deputy registrar SHALL distribute voter registration applications during the final month of each semester to high school students who are or will be 18 years of age or older during that semester. Applications may also be distributed at any time during the school year to students and employees of the high school who request them. Read More
Distributing Voter Registration Applications and Materials to Eligible Students and Employees. A high school deputy registrar SHALL distribute voter registration applications during the final month of each semester to high school students who are or will be 18 years of age or older during that semester. Applications may also be distributed at any time during the school year to students and employees of the high school who request them. Read More
It's a small step, in the right direction
"AUSTIN - As a result of ongoing reporting issues with the state’s testing vendor, Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today that the state will be removing student consequences attached to State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for fifth and eighth-grade students for the 2015-2016 school year. He also cancelled the June 21-22 fifth and eighth-grade retest administration.” Read the Commissioner’s Release
"AUSTIN - As a result of ongoing reporting issues with the state’s testing vendor, Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today that the state will be removing student consequences attached to State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for fifth and eighth-grade students for the 2015-2016 school year. He also cancelled the June 21-22 fifth and eighth-grade retest administration.” Read the Commissioner’s Release
Struggling Schools Craft Plans To Improve Their Campuses
IR = Improvement Required, based on STAAR/EOC scores (despite evidence demonstrating that 1/3 of Texas students are college ready)
"If campuses on the list don’t turn around after five years, the commissioner will have to make some tough choices. He can choose to install new leaders at the schools, or shut them down.” Read More
IR = Improvement Required, based on STAAR/EOC scores (despite evidence demonstrating that 1/3 of Texas students are college ready)
"If campuses on the list don’t turn around after five years, the commissioner will have to make some tough choices. He can choose to install new leaders at the schools, or shut them down.” Read More
Eanes District, Vendor at Odds Over Supposed Loss of State Exams
"The state’s testing vendor has informed an Austin-area school district that it has lost tests taken by 3rd through 8th graders. The number of misplaced exams could be in the thousands, according to an Eanes school district spokesman." Read More
"The state’s testing vendor has informed an Austin-area school district that it has lost tests taken by 3rd through 8th graders. The number of misplaced exams could be in the thousands, according to an Eanes school district spokesman." Read More
Do up to 80 percent of Texas high school graduates (still) flail afterward?
Which leads us to the next logical questions:
- Evidence has proven that our STAAR/EOC does NOT prepare our students for college/university, why do we continue to hurt our students, educators, schools with these metrics?
- How is the exorbitant cost justified? Read More
- 25% of El Paso children live in Poverty ($24K, family of 4 - established in the 1960s) ~Center for Public Policy Priorities
- 66% of Texas students are Economically Disadvantaged ~TEA
- Food Insecurity affects Black & Brown children in Texas at rates 2X as high as White children ~CPPP
- School Finance is a Racial Inequity issue ~CPPP
- Property Wealth - the poorest 20% of TX school districts are funded at $167,020 while the wealthiest of TX school districts are funded at $2,014,811 ~CPPP
- Teacher instability affects black & brown students at much higher rates ~CPPP
Potty Policing is the distraction. Privatization is the goal.
Texas Lt. Gov. asks schools to risk funding while laying groundwork to redirect their funds to vouchers
"Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Tuesday announced he is asking Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in with an official opinion on whether the Fort Worth ISD’s policy on protections for transgender students is legal under Texas law.
My fellow former radio talk show host acknowledged that he is “not a lawyer,” so he’s asking an indicted lawyer’s office whether Superintendent Kent Scribner has violated the Texas Education Code with a restroom policy to accommodate transgender students.” Read More
“Good Enough” is nether good, nor enough.
The state continues to focus on standardized testing as a measure of the students’ achievement and teachers’ performance. The state rightfully demands high performance from teachers and students but the Texas legislature has continuously given students, teachers, and Texas families the bare minimum.
Texas families deserve and expect more from our legislature. The Texas legislature needs to make education a priority and fully funding education is just the beginning.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled that our funding system meets “minimum constitutional requirements”. It’s time we expect the same high standards from our legislature that we expect from our students and teachers. Can you imagine what this state would be if our teachers allowed our students to do just the bare minimum instead of pushing them to meet their potential?
Texas has continued to short-change students and families. This unproductive cycle needs to stop. Our legislature has an obligation to step up and make education a priority in this state. It’s an economic imperative and Texas families deserve better.”
~ Georgina Cecilia Pérez
Texas State Board of Education District 1
https://www.tribtalk.org/2016/05/27/school-finance-ruling-is-a-call-to-action-for-the-legislature/