Texas
Ranks an Abysmal 44th in Children’s Health and Well-Being: Texas ranks
44th among the states in overall child health and well-being, according to data
released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its 2012 KIDS COUNT Data
Book. The data book examines how children are doing in four key
domains—economic well-being, education, health, and family and community.
"Texas accounts for one of every 11 kids in this country," said
Frances Deviney, Texas KIDS COUNT director at the Center for Public Policy
Priorities. "The choices we make now to improve our kids' lives will drive
not only the future of Texas, but the future of our country. Texas needs to
prioritize its policy choices by investing in children first since we are
producing the next generation of leaders.” You can read the Texas fact sheet
from the KIDS COUNT Data Book here: http://www.cppp.org/files/10/2012KC_state_profile2_TX.pdf.
And yet, our lawmakers continue to drastically cut Texas public education and healthcare funds. There are other options, but divisive politics and short-sighted planning continue to hurt our children and our future.
Jul 27, 2012
School Land Board Witholds $300M Targeted for Public Schools
School
Land Board Holds Back $300 Million Legislators Assumed Available for Current
Budget:
Under a constitutional amendment approved by Texas voters last November, the
legislature authorized the School Land Board to transfer $300 million to plug
into the state budget for public education. Lawmakers last June had already
built the expected $300 million into their two-year budget for public schools
and correspondingly reduced by $300 million the amount of general revenue allocated
to public education.
However, apparently nobody made sure the School Land Board would use the new authority as lawmakers wished, and now the School Land Board has balked at making the transfer of funds. As reported in the Texas Tribune, the Republican author of the constitutional amendment, Rob Orr of Burleson, said: “Everything was put in place to allow that to happen….I believe it needed to happen, so I’m not sure why it didn’t.” But acting to “allow” something to happen doesn’t ensure that it will, and now the legislature is going to have to come up with $300 million in a supplemental budget bill when it meets again in January, unless the School Land Board relents.
So why did the School Land Board do it? According to the Texas Tribune:
In the meantime, Rep. Rob Eissler, chairman of the House Public Education Committee, said the school land board’s vote was unfortunate.
“Government doesn’t always work the way we want it to,” said Eissler, R-The Woodlands. “Legislative intent doesn't always follow through to the very end.
In spite of the "it's not my fault" attitude of our lawmakers, Rob Orr and Rob Eissler, Texas schools will continue to suffer from the $5.4 Billion budget cut from our Texas legislators this year.
However, apparently nobody made sure the School Land Board would use the new authority as lawmakers wished, and now the School Land Board has balked at making the transfer of funds. As reported in the Texas Tribune, the Republican author of the constitutional amendment, Rob Orr of Burleson, said: “Everything was put in place to allow that to happen….I believe it needed to happen, so I’m not sure why it didn’t.” But acting to “allow” something to happen doesn’t ensure that it will, and now the legislature is going to have to come up with $300 million in a supplemental budget bill when it meets again in January, unless the School Land Board relents.
So why did the School Land Board do it? According to the Texas Tribune:
The backdrop to the conflict is a perennial tug-of-war between lawmakers and the two state boards that control the $26 billion trust known as the Permanent School Fund. Though the School Land Board manages the fund’s real estate assets, it’s the 15-member State Board of Education that decides, with some guidance from the Constitution, how much of the trust to pay out into the Available School Fund. Because it can free up money in other parts of the budget — for example, what happened with the appropriations bill in special session — lawmakers tend to want as much in the Available School Fund as they can get.
In the meantime, Rep. Rob Eissler, chairman of the House Public Education Committee, said the school land board’s vote was unfortunate.
“Government doesn’t always work the way we want it to,” said Eissler, R-The Woodlands. “Legislative intent doesn't always follow through to the very end.
In spite of the "it's not my fault" attitude of our lawmakers, Rob Orr and Rob Eissler, Texas schools will continue to suffer from the $5.4 Billion budget cut from our Texas legislators this year.
Next Year’s School Budgets Won’t Suffer if Federal Aid Sequestered
Source: AFT
Next Year’s School Budgets Won’t Suffer if Federal Aid Sequestered—New Guidance: Two months ago the Texas Education Agency told school districts they should plan on getting much less than expected from federal grants for school year 2012-2013, based on fear that a 2011 federal deficit-reduction law would kick in automatically next January and immediately “sequester”—i.e., cut--education aid. Today TEA sent out a new guidance letter to school superintendents telling them, in effect, “never mind.” What changed? On July 20, TEA’s new letter notes, the U.S. Department of Education released its own authoritative guidance to states advising that any such sequestration would be implemented “in a way that would not affect funding for the 2012-2013 school year.” (The only exception would be federal funds flowing directly to districts for “Impact Aid” grants.)
Budget uncertainty caused by the federal deficit-reduction law will remain a factor in planning for the school year after next. But districts no longer have reason to hesitate to make needed expenditures for next school year out of concern over reduced federal aid.
Next Year’s School Budgets Won’t Suffer if Federal Aid Sequestered—New Guidance: Two months ago the Texas Education Agency told school districts they should plan on getting much less than expected from federal grants for school year 2012-2013, based on fear that a 2011 federal deficit-reduction law would kick in automatically next January and immediately “sequester”—i.e., cut--education aid. Today TEA sent out a new guidance letter to school superintendents telling them, in effect, “never mind.” What changed? On July 20, TEA’s new letter notes, the U.S. Department of Education released its own authoritative guidance to states advising that any such sequestration would be implemented “in a way that would not affect funding for the 2012-2013 school year.” (The only exception would be federal funds flowing directly to districts for “Impact Aid” grants.)
Budget uncertainty caused by the federal deficit-reduction law will remain a factor in planning for the school year after next. But districts no longer have reason to hesitate to make needed expenditures for next school year out of concern over reduced federal aid.
Jul 6, 2012
Julián Castro says Rick Perry's administration left “12,000 teachers without a job”
In his June 8, 2012, keynote speech at the Texas Democratic Party
convention, San Antonio’s mayor told the crowd that cuts to education
spending harm future economic growth.
"Every Texan knows that, except (Governor) Rick Perry," Julián Castro told the crowd. "His Republican administration cut $4 billion out of our public schools. That's 12,000 Texas teachers without a job."
Castro’s reference to a $4 billion cut is very familiar. As we noted in an April 2012 fact check, the 2011 Legislature changed school finance formulas so schools would get $4 billion less than if the formulas had stayed the same. Perry signed the formula changes into law.
But Castro’s claim about 12,000 teachers going jobless as a result was new to us. Is he right?...
"Every Texan knows that, except (Governor) Rick Perry," Julián Castro told the crowd. "His Republican administration cut $4 billion out of our public schools. That's 12,000 Texas teachers without a job."
Castro’s reference to a $4 billion cut is very familiar. As we noted in an April 2012 fact check, the 2011 Legislature changed school finance formulas so schools would get $4 billion less than if the formulas had stayed the same. Perry signed the formula changes into law.
But Castro’s claim about 12,000 teachers going jobless as a result was new to us. Is he right?...
Texas Schools Grapple With Big Budget Cuts: NPR
Here is a very succinct summary of the effects of massive cuts to education in Texas. These are but a few of the examples of how schools are struggling to keep the quality of education high while cutting programs and teachers and adding students to classrooms.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
Texas Schools Grapple With Big Budget Cuts: NPR
School funding in Texas is in turmoil. State lawmakers slashed more than $4 billion from education this school year — one of the largest cuts in state history — and more than 12,000 teachers and support staff have been laid off.
Academic programs and transportation have been cut to the bone. Promising reforms are on hold or on the chopping block. Next year, the cuts could go even deeper.
Schools in Pasadena, just outside Houston, have seen tight budgets before, but never like this. There was $21 million in cuts this fall alone and 340 positions eliminated, Candace Ahlfinger, an associate superintendent of schools in Pasadena, says. Of those cuts, about 180 were teaching positions and 160 were support staff, she says.
Special education teachers who worked with dyslexic kids: gone. Teachers' aides: gone. Dozens of bus drivers, crossing guards and security personnel: gone.
With the district's $350 million budget shrinking and more cuts on the horizon, Ahlfinger says: "Everything has been on the chopping block. There's not been a sacred cow. There's nothing that we have said 'No, we cannot touch that.'"
The state granted Pasadena schools a waiver so that the district could legally raise class size above the maximum 22 mandated in grades K-4. About 7,000 schools have been granted such waivers statewide, a three-fold increase from last year.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
Texas Schools Grapple With Big Budget Cuts: NPR
School funding in Texas is in turmoil. State lawmakers slashed more than $4 billion from education this school year — one of the largest cuts in state history — and more than 12,000 teachers and support staff have been laid off.
Academic programs and transportation have been cut to the bone. Promising reforms are on hold or on the chopping block. Next year, the cuts could go even deeper.
Schools in Pasadena, just outside Houston, have seen tight budgets before, but never like this. There was $21 million in cuts this fall alone and 340 positions eliminated, Candace Ahlfinger, an associate superintendent of schools in Pasadena, says. Of those cuts, about 180 were teaching positions and 160 were support staff, she says.
Special education teachers who worked with dyslexic kids: gone. Teachers' aides: gone. Dozens of bus drivers, crossing guards and security personnel: gone.
With the district's $350 million budget shrinking and more cuts on the horizon, Ahlfinger says: "Everything has been on the chopping block. There's not been a sacred cow. There's nothing that we have said 'No, we cannot touch that.'"
The state granted Pasadena schools a waiver so that the district could legally raise class size above the maximum 22 mandated in grades K-4. About 7,000 schools have been granted such waivers statewide, a three-fold increase from last year.
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