Thank You Senator Davis

Stout Resistance Slows, Then Stops an Awful School-Finance Bill; Special Session Could Be Called

By a closer margin than expected, the Texas House passed a bad school-finance bill Sunday night, but the bill was stopped dead in the Senate at midnight thanks to a filibuster by Sen. Wendy Davis, Democrat of Fort Worth. The House debate and Davis’s filibuster speech brought into sharp focus the strong reasons for opposing SB 1811, which contains the enforcement mechanism for the deep cuts in public education included in the 2012-2013 budget bill passed yesterday.
 

The New Texas Budget and Our Schools

by Fred Martin

The new Texas budget deal means nearly $500 less per student for their education per year.  There are cuts across the board in social services, but don't worry, says Perry, the new budget will "protect Texas taxpayers".  Again.  And that protection increases as a Texan makes more money, unless, of course, you have a son or daughter in the public school system.  We sure hope that the private school system thing works out for Texas soon, because we will all be suffering tremendously in the mean time.

Are The Texas Lottery Proceeds Going To Education?

Are The Texas Lottery Proceeds Going To Education?  Isn't that what we voted for in the 1990's? 
KPRC Local 2 Investigates provides some answers. 
Watch the entire report here.

We all know proceeds from the Texas Lottery are supposed to help pay for public education, but Local 2 Investigates found not all lottery money is going there.  Schools in Houston and across Texas are facing shutdowns, teacher layoffs, bigger class sizes and budget cuts. However, parents and grandparents at the E.O. Smith Education Center in Houston's Fifth Ward said they don't see anything extra in their school."Considering the state the schools are in now, they must have really been in bad shape if we've received all this lottery money," said Harold Cann, a grandparent of an elementary student.Cann may be on to something.

Vote in Your Local Election TODAY!

School districts need your help.  The only way to truly affect change is with the power of your vote. 

Click here for complete information on elections in Fort Bend County and the candidates who are running!

http://thewriteideaonline.com/uploads/City_SchlBd-May__2011.pdf

Texas Proposes Cuts To Public Services, Gives Corporate Welfare to Charter Schools

Texas Considers More Corporate Welfare for Charter Schools

The only national peer-reviewed research study of charter schools concluded in 2009 that only 17% of corporate charter schools produce better test scores than matched public schools.  From the press release:

. . .17 percent of charter schools reported academic gains that were significantly better than traditional public schools, while 37 percent of charter schools showed gains that were worse than their traditional public school counterparts, with 46 percent of charter schools demonstrating no significant difference.

Why is Texas Ranked "Close To Last" in Education Spending?

44th?! What is Tommy Lee Talking About?

Raise Your Hand.Org made the statement through the Tommy Lee Jones commercial that Texas was ranked 44th in spending per pupil.  There are many factors that go into accounting for education spending.  All things considered, this number is accurate. 

Raise Your Hand Foundation Speaks Out for Texas Education

Out of the fifty states, Texas ranks 44th in education spending per student.  Forty-fourth.  That's pretty close to last.  Now the Texas legislature is trying to cut education spending even further.  That means our kids get less of what they need to learn and compete.  That's unacceptable.  This affects your children, your grand children and our future.  It's time to take action.  Join me and thousands more concerned Texans at Raise Your Hand Texas dot org.  Don't bankrupt our future by cutting back on our kids.

Texas Taxpayers Finance Formula One Auto Races as Schools Dismiss Teachers

Texas Taxpayers Finance Formula One Auto Races as Schools Dismiss Teachers  -Bloomberg

Texas, which may balance its budget by firing thousands of teachers, plans to commit $25 million in state funds to Formula One auto racing each year for a decade.
Four years after motorsports’ most popular series left the U.S., Texas investors including Clear Channel Communications Inc. co-founder B.J. “Red” McCombs are building a 3.4-mile (5.5-kilometer) track to bring the event to Austin. Comptroller Susan Combs has agreed to pay $25 million for races through 2022, a subsidy questioned by critics and lawmakers as the state cuts costs to close an estimated $15 billion two-year deficit.
“I don’t understand why 25 people in Austin could not put up $1 million each if they thought this was a good opportunity instead of the state making a $25 million commitment,” said Senator Dan Patrick, a Houston Republican. “The developers should find the money through private sources.”

Texas State Rep. Ron Reynolds on HB1

On Wednesday, Jan. 19, Chairman Pitts (R-Waxahachie) filed House Bill 1, the proposed state budget for fiscal year 2012-2013. The released draft was a reality check on the highly anticipated, yet dismal financial condition facing Texas as a result of a $26.8 billion dollar shortfall ensuing from a structural deficit within the budgeting system. “It is clear now more than ever before that we need to identify new and stable revenue streams if we are to prevent such drastic shortfalls in the future. The introduced House budget does not take into consideration the population growth in our state.  As our population continues to grow, our resources will be spread even thinner,” Rep. Ron Reynolds (D- Fort Bend) commented.
The projected budget appropriates a combined $156.4 billion in State and Local funds, which is $31.1 billion less than the prior biennium, while the State General Revenue appropriation of $72.2 billion is $8.4 billion less than the previous two-year budget.
“This budget proposed by the State’s leadership underscores the uncertainty for the future of Texas’ working families, children, students, and senior citizens,” stated Reynolds. The current working draft proposes a 23 percent cut to public education, zero funding for some of the smaller community colleges, a reduction in healthcare and social services, cuts to higher education and research funding, and the elimination of the TEXAS Grants (the state’s primary financial aid program for new college students).

The Texas Ten - Will They Be Teacher Friendly?

House-Senate Budget Negotiators Named:  Ten Texas lawmakers will have a big say in the future of your students, your school, and your job. They are the so-called “conferees” named to negotiate a deal on the state budget for 2012-2013. The five House members appointed by House Speaker Joe Straus on Friday are:  Republicans Jim Pitts of Waxahachie, John Otto of Dayton, John Zerwas of Richmond, and Myra Crownover of Denton, plus Democrat Sylvester Turner of Houston. The five state senators appointed today by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, presiding officer of the Senate, are:  Republicans Steve Ogden of Bryan, RobertDuncan of Lubbock, Jane Nelson of Flower Mound, and Tommy Williams of TheWoodlands, plus Democrat Juan Hinojosa of McAllen.

Texas school systems hang on to big-bucks reserve funds while laying off teachers

Read the entire story here: http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2011/05/texas-school-systems-hold-on-to-rainy-day-funds-teacher-layoffs/1305032157.story

Texas’ largest school systems are laying off teachers by the hundreds and thousands while hanging on to the tens of millions of dollars in their “rainy day” and reserve funds -- and some in those communities, including some teachers, say that’s a bad idea.

From the Field: A Teacher's Perspective on the Budget Crisis

From the Field: A Teacher's Perspective on the Budget Crisis

(Note: This is a letter written from a teacher to her superintendent, in response to information he sent about potential state budget cuts to education and specifically to the Teacher Retirement System.)

Mr. Hancock:

I am not usually vocal on these matters, but felt compelled to share my observations and opinions with you on these things.

Parent Teacher Association responds to state education funding crisis.

Members of the statewide Parent Teacher Association were polled on what to do about state funding for education and here’s what they said:

Urge Your State Rep to Vote “NO” on HB 400, Unless the Phillips Alternative is Adopted

Urge Your State Rep to Vote “NO” on HB 400, Unless the Phillips Alternative is Adopted:  Back on the Texas House agenda for Friday is House Bill 400, the so-called “flexibility” plan to provide “mandate relief” at the expense of students and teachers. Please call and tell your State Rep. to Vote "No" on HB 400. We'll automatically connect you to your state representative's office and provide you with talking points to nix this plan. You can also send your rep. an online letter here.

Help Save Texas School Libraries

Help Save Texas School Libraries

Texas school libraries need your help. We know how important it is to ensure that all our students have access to quality school library programs.

As you watch the state and local news, you know that many hard budgeting decisions are being made during this challenging time. Unfortunately, many school library programs - programs that have proven and longstanding importance to student education - are being cut. School librarians, who are key in teaching students research, information literacy, and reading, are being asked to cover multiple campuses (leaving school with only part-time school library programs) or are being cut altogether.

Texas Senate Passes Job-Killing Budget Bill

On Wednesday, the Texas Senate passed their version of a job-killing, fiscally irresponsible budget bill.

A majority of the Texas Senate took advantage of a seldom-used procedural device to pass the Senate’s budget plan today. The 19-member Republican majority, opposed by a solid bloc of all 12 Senate Democrats, first dumped a part of the bill that would have tapped the Rainy Day Fund for $3 billion to reduce budget cuts. Then the majority rammed through the budget and sent it on to the Texas House, which has already passed an even worse budget for 2012-2013. The two versions now must be reconciled.

Contact Your Legislator and Urge Them To Vote "No"!

Click here to send an online letter urging your state senator to vote "NO!" on the Senate Budget Plan

You also can call your senator’s office toll-free:  1-888-836-8368. Just tell the operator your senator’s name and ask to be put through. (Need to find out who represents you? Click here.) If the office is closed you can leave a message. Your message can be very simple: Vote no on the Senate budget plan, Texas can do better! If you have time, you can make these points:

Community Partners Rally to Save Fort Bend Education

Community Partners Rally to Save Fort Bend Education

Organizers anticipating hundreds to voice opposition to education cuts