News
Trump-Devos Budget would cut federal ed funding by 13%
Center for American Progress March 17, 2017 Yesterday, President Donald Trump released his devastating budget for the 2018 fiscal year. It would dismantle public schools through massive cuts to teacher training, after-school programs in public schools, and transfers of public funds to private school vouchers. Every budget is a statement of values and this one could not…
House looks to spend $2.5 billion from Rainy Day Fund
Austin American-Statesman Thursday, March 16 House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, on Thursday unveiled a new version of House Bill 2, a stop-gap funding measure known as a supplemental budget, that includes almost $2.5 billion in money from the Economic Stabilization Fund, more commonly known as the rainy day fund. The original version of the…
Legislature Takes Steps to Overhaul School Finance System
Both House and Senate committees are taking steps to fix our broken school finance system. The Senate effort is chaired by Senate Education Committee Chair Larry Taylor (Friendswood). The House effort is chaired by Rep. Trent Ashby (Lufkin). These are Article III subcommittees of the Appropriations Committee that will tackle pre-K/12 through higher ed funding, as well as…
Op-Ed about Save Texas Schools in Austin American-Statesman
April 16, 2015: Save Texas Schools explains why we are rallying about underfunding and over-testing, using a fable about the land of Tejas, called “Time has come to write a happy ending for Texas schools.” There was once a large kingdom in a fair and prosperous land called Tejas. It’s rulers decreed, for the sake of…
#WhyIRally
Join STS Twitter at @savetxschoools and post your blog using #WhyIRally about why YOU are coming to the rally on April 18! Here’s a post from Philip Tryon: I’m Philip Tryon from Save Texas Schools and this is #WhyIRally. On Saturday, April 18th, Save Texas Schools will rally thousands of motivated Texans who are concerned about…
Op-Ed in Dallas Morning News: Community Schools for DISD
Parent Suzette Jefferson writes that, with the home-rule charter controversy at an end, Dallas ISD needs to turn to the Community School model as a way to help its struggling campuses and communities. http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20150206-community-schools-are-what-disd-needs.ece
House Committee Assignments Announced
2/4/-15: House Speaker Joe Strauss announced committee assignments on Thursday for the Texas House of Representatives. Lawmakers now can start considering bills. Senate Committees were announced by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick two weeks ago. Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock (R-Killeen) maintained his chairmanship of the House Public Education Committee, with Rep. Alma Allen (D-Houston). Both Aycock and Allen…
Community Schools on the Leg Radar
The Houston Chronicle (12-4-14) reviews key education issues in the 2015 session, with community schools high on the list. In response to efforts to focus on voucher and other “school choice” programs, the article states that: “Teacher groups plan to counter these efforts with a push to again make public schools the center of the local…
Judge To Reopen School Finance Suit in January 2014
On January 21, 2014, State District Judge John Dietz will reopen the case challenging Texas school finance system in a new round of legal proceedings that could last up to four weeks. Dietz has already found the state’s school funding system unconstitutional, but wants to consider actions by the 2013 legislature before issuing his final ruling….
Education Bills Down to the Wire
The major education bills, SB2 (charters) and HB 5 (testing) are still being negotiated as the clock on the current session ticks down. Both bills could be vehicles for other education bills that have died, including SB 1718, the Texas Achievement District bill that would allow state takeover of schools that fail to meet state standards…