Superintendent Search: Palacios ISD has announced a New Superintendent

Palacios ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire Missy Glenn, Deputy Superintendent of Kennedale ISD, as the district’s new superintendent for Palacios ISD Superintendent of Schools. Details and updates will continue to appear on our search page.

Superintendent Search: Cleveland ISD Hires TASB ESS to Conduct Search

Cleveland ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire TASB Executive Search Services (ESS) to conduct a search for a new superintendent. Details and updates will appear on our search page as things progress.

Superintendent Search: Houston ISD Hires Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to Conduct Search

Houston ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to conduct a search for a new superintendent. Details and updates will appear on our search page as things progress.

Will Texas’ attempt to shake up school finance lead to higher stakes for standardized tests?

Top Texas lawmakers this year are proposing allocating billions of more dollars for public schools, but a portion of those dollars will likely have strings attached. And some education advocates worry the strings will lead to an even greater emphasis being placed on standardized tests in the state.  In various appearances at press conferences and speeches in Austin last week, the state's top Republican leaders signaled their support for giving more money to school districts that show higher performance or agree to offer specific programs such as merit pay for teachers. One of their main messages: Schools do need more money, but they have to show they know how to use it wisely. view article  

Cleveland ISD superintendent Darrell Myers to retire

Cleveland Independent School District superintendent Darrell Myers announced that he will retire at the end of the school year.  Myers last day with Cleveland ISD will be on June 30. Myers is retiring after 33 years of service in public schools. He was named Cleveland ISD superintendent on March 19, 2014. view article  

North East ISD Superintendent Dr. Brian Gottardy announces retirement

SAN ANTONIO — During a board meeting Monday night, North East ISD Superintendent Dr. Brian G. Gottardy announced his plans to retire, effective June 30, 2019.  Gottardy has been the district's superintendent since 2011.  view article  

Give your input on the Houston ISD Superintendent search

Public meeting notice. The Houston Independent School District Board of Education is conducting a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent, and trustees are seeking input from the community about the qualities and traits they would like to see in their next district leader. HISD Board of Education trustees have scheduled several meetings to gather feedback from the community that will be used to develop a superintendent candidate profile. The dates and times for the meetings are listed below. view article  

New From TEA

• State Board of Education UpdateState Board of Education hosts free conference Jan. 30 1/15
• 2017-2018 Federal Report Cards are now available 1/10
• TEA releases 2017-2018 Texas Academic Performance Report
• 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 Testing Calendars 12/13
• TEA releases final 2018 academic accountability ratings 12/13
• Applications Open for Joining the System of Great Schools Network 12/7
• Update to HHSC ‘Third Party Liability for SHARS Interim Claims’ 12/7
• Required Residential Facility Tracker Data Collection – Students with Disabilities 11/16
• Official Notification of the 2017–2018 Release of Final FIRST Ratings 11/16
• Statewide Indirect Cost Rate Proposal and Additional Costs Workbook Training 11/16

Preventive Law: Who Needs Bus Driver Certification?

Texas Education Code § 34.007 allows (but does not require) a district to operate “an economical public school transportation system.” That same section requires that all bus drivers must be certified in accordance with Texas Department of Public Safety rules. Employees who drive regular bus routes must be certified by the DPS or be currently enrolled in an approved school bus safety education course. Tex. Transp. Code § 521.022(e). Because some employees who are not regular bus route drivers, especially extra-curricular coaches, must sometimes transport students, it is important to know if they must also hold school bus driver certification. The answer to the question is found by a combination of the Texas Transportation Code and the Texas Administrative Code.

Houston ISD to discuss disaster assistance for unreimbursed balance of $15 million

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education will consider requesting a reduction in recapture payments after it says it was left with an unreimbursed balance of over $15 million after Hurricane Harvey. According to the Texas Education Code, "unreimbursed disaster remediation costs that a school district incurs responding to a disaster allows the district to request a reduction in recapture payments." view article  

Dan Patrick announces Senate committee assignments, making a few noticeable shifts

The shifts at the top of Senate committees, announced by the lieutenant governor Friday, were few but noticeable — with moving parts in the Republican Party making way for some senators to helm committees for the first time, and little headway for Democrats despite electoral victories in November. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick named 14 Republicans and two Democrats chairs of the Senate’s 16 committees, meaning no gains for the chamber’s minority party despite an increase in the number of committees. Houston Democrat John Whitmire, the Senate’s longest-serving member, continues to chair the Criminal Justice Committee, and Eddie Lucio, Jr., a moderate Democrat of Brownsville, continues to helm the Intergovernmental Relations Committee. view article  

Public School Finance Commission Discussion - January 24

Join School Finance Commission Member Keven Ellis and Josh Sanderson from the Equity Center in an overview of the final report of the School Finance Commission.  This will be followed by a discussion of how the Commission's findings will work their way through the legislative process and how you can be a resource to your local legislators.  Time will be left at the end for Q&A.  This event is open to Superintendents Assistant Superintendents, CFO's, and board members.  - Lunch will be served, Please RSVP to Longview ISD Supt. Secretaty Traci Beard at 903 381 2200 with the number attending from your district.

The Texas Senate and House Have Released their State Budget Proposals—Now What?

The Texas Senate and House of Representatives have each released their 2020-2021 draft budgets, SB 1 and HB 1 respectively. What are the potential impacts on education, health care, and other essential programs and services?  We are pleased to see $7.4 billion more in General Revenue dedicated to public education in the House proposal, but it is important to understand that this may NOT necessarily result in a "massive" windfall of new money for schools. Much of the new state aid for schools that the House proposes may be earmarked for pushing down local taxes. That could change the balance between state and local shares of school funding but without real increases in total funding per Texas student. view article  

Equity Center’s Legislative Update: Senate Committee Assignments Issued

Senate committees for the 86th Legislature were named Friday afternoon. The two committees that education stakeholders deal with most frequently did not see changes in committee leadership; however, there are some new members on each committee.

Nearly 2 dozen school safety bills filed in Texas

Since June, 150 new school marshals have been certified by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. The exercise in August, at a Pflugerville school, was one of seven classes the commission held. Tuesday, during his inaugural address, Governor Greg Abbott didn't specifically call for more armed school employees. He did make it clear though that security is a top legislative priority. view article  

Analysis: Property taxes in Texas are high. Don’t expect the Legislature to change that.

Restrain, reform, rein in, restrict and limit are not synonyms for the word Texas property taxpayers crave: cut. This is an alert: Your property taxes will not be falling, in spite of all the talk about easing property taxes that is emanating from the Texas Capitol. State lawmakers can’t make property tax rates come down. They’ve tried. It didn’t make rates come down. And even trying is expensive: It would cost the state just under $2.5 billion to replace a dime’s worth of local school property taxes; that is, to lower the property tax rate by ten cents. On a $250,000 home, that would amount to overall savings of about $20 per month in property taxes. view article  

State Rep. Gina Calanni’s first bill takes aim at payments to outgoing superintendents

Freshman Texas State Rep. Gina Calanni of Katy has filed her first bill, House Bill 880, aimed at lowering costs of losing school superintendents. The bill, filed Jan. 17, would ensure school districts in Texas will not pay outgoing superintendents more than one year’s salary in their severance package. view article  

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, only district in Texas to receive three consecutive JET grants to expand career and technical education programs

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD) was presented with a Jobs and Education for Texas (JET) Grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) at the City of Pharr’s State of the City Address held at the Pharr Events Center on Thursday, Jan. 17. To date, PSJA ISD has been awarded a total of $834,583 in TWC Jet grants during the last three consecutive years, making it the only school district in Texas to do so. Since JET grants first became available to independent school districts entered into partnerships with higher education institutions in 2016, PSJA ISD has been the only public school district awarded grants each year to expand dual credit career and technical educational opportunities with its long-time partner South Texas College. view article  

Legislature school funding plans a boon for small districts

Paying for public education is one of the 86th Texas Legislature’s big assignments. “The greatest thing about this is public school finance, it looks like it will be handled correctly, gonna get focus, gonna get emphasized,” said Rep. Todd Hunter (R – District 32). The state house proposed adding $7 billion to education funding, but only if lawmakers also overhaul the school finance system.  That means reduce reliance on property taxes, and eliminate the “Robin Hood” system, where wealthy districts subsidize poorer ones. view article  

Why some people aren’t sold on giving Texas teachers a $5,000 raise

Some education groups and school districts aren’t yet ready to embrace a $3.7 billion plan to give all Texas teachers a $5,000 pay raise, citing concerns the plan might not be funded in the long term and will tie the hands of school officials. Filed this week, the legislation carries a hefty price tag and a low bill number – Senate Bill 3 – which means it will be a high priority for the chamber. Texas House leaders, although quick to say they support giving pay raises to the state’s 350,000 teachers, have yet to introduce a similar bill and disagree with how the state Senate wants to implement the plan. SB 3 would put the money directly into the hands of teachers instead of districts. view article  

San Antonio superintendent responds to Texas lawmaker’s proposal to kill high-stakes STAAR Test

No more STAAR exams. That’s what one Texas lawmaker is proposing in his bill to eliminate high-stakes testing. For years, STAAR Testing has been the primary indicator of student success, playing a pivotal role in deciding whether kids are promoted to the next grade or able to graduate from high school. view article  

STAAR tests no more? State rep files bill to eliminate exams

A Texas state representative has filed a bill to eliminate the STAAR test. Rep. Brooks Landgraf of Odessa authored House Bill 736 in an attempt to effectively repeal the use of the STAAR test. view article  

How much do Texas teachers get paid? Depends on where the classroom is

Lawmakers agree on one thing: They want Texas' teachers to get paid more.  Exactly how remains to be seen.  One high-priority bill out of the Senate would give an across-the-board pay raise of $5,000 to each teacher in the state.  Meanwhile, the state's school finance commission recommended that Texas set aside money for districts that implement a pay-for-performance salary system similar to Dallas' so that teachers have a realistic path to reach a six-figure salary without leaving the classroom.  "We're putting teachers first this session," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said during the beginning days of session. view article  

Beaumont ISD to vote on partnership with charter operators

Katie Perkins picks up her grandkids every day from Fehl-Price Elementary. After school, they have their daily routines. "We get our homework, and then today is Wednesday, so we have to go to church," said Perkins. She's learned that the upcoming school year could be a little different for them. If approved, Fehl-Price teachers would be working with charter operators. view article  

To settle voting rights suit, Richardson ISD will get rid of at-large elections

Following a voting rights challenge to the way it elects its school board members, Richardson ISD has agreed to adopt a new election system that could give voters of color more say in who represents them. After months of negotiations, the North Texas district agreed to switch from an at-large system, with all of the district’s voters able to vote in each race, to a hybrid approach with two at-large districts and five single-member districts. Voters of color will make up a majority of the electorate in at least two of those districts. view article  

Full Show: HISD’s Superintendent Search, And A Near-Fatal Spacewalk (Jan. 17, 2019)

On Thursday’s Houston Matters: We preview tonight’s HISD board meeting with News 88.7’s Laura Isensee. Plus, the board is seeking input from the community for the district’s superintendent search. We turn to a panel of community members to learn what they want in their next superintendent. view article  

Equity Center’s Legislative Update January 17, 2019

view article  

BISD appoints interim super: Education consultant to replace Zendejas

Sylvia Ann Reyna Hatton was hired late Tuesday by a unanimous vote of the BISD Board of Trustees. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998, owns her own education consultancy and is the former executive director of the Region One Education Service Center in Edinburg. view article  

This Texas town breeds something students need: confidence

Ten years ago the school district in this small rural town faced a choice that would cut deep in the heart of every Texan: keep its 11-man football program, or downsize to a 6-man program? Sitting where west Texas oil fields meet north Texas farmland, the high school student population here had dropped below 300, so funding had dropped as well. Six-man football, or consolidation with other school districts nearby, seemed a question of when not if. view article  

Texas official named Tennessee’s new education commissioner

Incoming Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has looked to Texas to find his state education commissioner. The Republican governor-elect’s transition team announced Thursday that Texas Education Agency chief deputy commissioner of academics Penny Schwinn will lead the Tennessee Department of Education. view article  

A READER ASKS… SENTENCE STEMS

Good question.  A good critical writing stem meets two criteria: 1. The sentence stem requires the writer to make a connection between the sentence subject and something else. For example: prior knowledge, a past experience, a prediction, another setting, etc.  2. The sentence stem requires the writer to think and operate at a level of rigor that is higher than comprehension. If the sentence stem does the above two things, you are on the right track!  view article  

Award Ceremony to Honor the TEPSA Region 12 Assistant Principal of the Year

Valley Mills Elementary School Assistant Principal Joanie Moody will be honored as the TEPSA Region 12 Assistant Principal of the Year. Recognition of this award will be showcased at her home campus on Friday, January 18, at 8:00 am. Ms. Moody was chosen by her peers as the TEPSA Region 12 Assistant Principal of the Year due to her dedication to helping students. Ms. Moody had to meet all the criteria for this award, including active membership in TEPSA and at least two years of administrative experience. view article  

Report: Fewer kids in Texas getting vaccinated

An increasing number of Texans are choosing not to get themselves or their kids vaccinated, including several clusters of people in Greater Houston and the consequences could be deadly. That’s according to The Immunization Partnership’s latest bi-annual report. “It’s alarming when I see so many parents choose not to protect their children because it puts their own family at risk,” said Allison Winnike, President and CEO of The Immunization Partnership. view article