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.
Jun 28, 2012
Comptroller Susan Combs says state lawmakers did not cut public education funding-False
Comptroller Susan Combs says state lawmakers did not cut public education funding: FALSE
Read the entire article here.
State Comptroller Susan Combs, whose duties include oversight of state finances, delivered a contradictory assessment of how Texas lawmakers treated public schools while writing the state budget in 2011.
According to a news story in the Bryan-College Station Eagle, Combs was asked by a local audience member on April 4, 2012, how much the state cut from public education. The story says Combs replied that the state didn't reduce funding, instead adding $2 billion.
"It was not less, but it was not as much," Combs said, according to the story, which we learned of from an April 6, 2012, Twitter post by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin. His accompanying message described Combs’ not less-but not as much statement as the "effort to hide education budget cuts, in 1 sentence."
Our ruling
Lawmakers cut public school aid, mainly by changing an established funding formula and reducing aid to targeted programs. To say otherwise is inaccurate, misleading and by a wide margin ridiculous.
State Comptroller Susan Combs, whose duties include oversight of state finances, delivered a contradictory assessment of how Texas lawmakers treated public schools while writing the state budget in 2011.
According to a news story in the Bryan-College Station Eagle, Combs was asked by a local audience member on April 4, 2012, how much the state cut from public education. The story says Combs replied that the state didn't reduce funding, instead adding $2 billion.
"It was not less, but it was not as much," Combs said, according to the story, which we learned of from an April 6, 2012, Twitter post by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin. His accompanying message described Combs’ not less-but not as much statement as the "effort to hide education budget cuts, in 1 sentence."
Our ruling
Lawmakers cut public school aid, mainly by changing an established funding formula and reducing aid to targeted programs. To say otherwise is inaccurate, misleading and by a wide margin ridiculous.
Jun 22, 2012
Apr 29, 2012
Politics and Education Don't Mix - The Atlantic
Read the entire article here:
Politics and Education Don't Mix - The Atlantic
Governors and presidents are no better suited to run schools than they are to run construction sites, and it's time our education system reflected that fact.
A central flaw of corporate paradigms, as is often noted in popular culture, is the mind-numbing and dehumanizing effect of bureaucracy. Sometimes we are horrified and sometimes we laugh, but arguments for or against the free market may be misguided if we fail to address bureaucracy's corrosive role in the business model.
Current claims about private, public, or charter schools in the education reform movement, which has its roots in the mid-nineteenth century, may also be masking a much more important call to confront and even dismantle the bureaucracy that currently cripples universal public education in the U.S. "Successful teaching and good school cultures don't have a formula," argued legal reformer Philip K. Howard earlier in this series, "but they have a necessary condition: teachers and principals must feel free to act on their best instincts....This is why we must bulldoze school bureaucracy."
Politics and Education Don't Mix - The Atlantic
Governors and presidents are no better suited to run schools than they are to run construction sites, and it's time our education system reflected that fact.
A central flaw of corporate paradigms, as is often noted in popular culture, is the mind-numbing and dehumanizing effect of bureaucracy. Sometimes we are horrified and sometimes we laugh, but arguments for or against the free market may be misguided if we fail to address bureaucracy's corrosive role in the business model.
Current claims about private, public, or charter schools in the education reform movement, which has its roots in the mid-nineteenth century, may also be masking a much more important call to confront and even dismantle the bureaucracy that currently cripples universal public education in the U.S. "Successful teaching and good school cultures don't have a formula," argued legal reformer Philip K. Howard earlier in this series, "but they have a necessary condition: teachers and principals must feel free to act on their best instincts....This is why we must bulldoze school bureaucracy."
Apr 22, 2012
Texas AFT Survey Shows Destructive Budget Cuts Hitting Students and Teachers Hard
Texas AFT Survey Shows Destructive Budget Cuts Hitting Students and Teachers Hard
http://tx.aft.org/index.cfm?action=article&articleID=fa75fb39-020b-4139-b2d3-ce8f4d3cf68c
Download the full report:
http://docs.texasaft.org/publications/TexasAFT_BudgetCutsSurvey12012011.pdf
A recent Texas AFT web survey of more than 3,500 teachers, school employees and parents reveals the extent to which our schools are experiencing widespread layoffs, cuts to key programs and services, larger class sizes, and stressful conditions for teaching and learning—all related to the $5.4 billion in state budget cuts enacted this year.
In addition to quantifying some of the impacts,
teachers and other school employees consistently commented on
significantly lower morale from lack of resources to teach
schoolchildren, and from longer work hours, more duties, increased
paperwork, bullying by administrators, reduced planning time and lack of
learning materials and supplies.
“The numbers reported for layoffs and larger class
sizes confirm the direct impact on classroom instruction,” said Linda
Bridges, Texas AFT president. “Our teachers are doing their best to
mitigate the damage of these cuts, but it’s disturbing to hear comments
on how much less time they have—both in giving students the personal
attention they need to succeed and in preparing for their classes,
grading papers and trying to meet the expectations for achievement on
the more rigorous STAAR exam this spring. It’s as if the state gave
schools a higher bar to hurdle this year, then dug a deep ditch in front
of it.”
Some 92 percent of respondents noted layoffs in
their district, with a large percentage reporting loss of teachers (85
percent) and teacher assistants (79 percent).
“Advocates for special education also will be
disheartened to hear that 44 percent of respondents reported layoffs of
special education teachers, while further comments highlighted large
class sizes for special education students and reduced time to meet
their education plans,” Bridges said.
Apr 18, 2012
Survey: Teachers feel bullied by campus administrators
Survey: Teachers feel bullied by campus administrators
The Houston Federation of Teachers released a survey Wednesday that shows many Houston Independent School District teachers feel they are the targets of bullying at the hands of their own campus administrators.
More than 2,500 teachers responded to the survey, which asked, "Is your boss a bully?"
The overwhelming majority answered yes and blamed school principals and assistant principals.
"The most common administrative abuse is screaming at employees to correct them or reprimand them," said HFT President Gayle Fallon. "That's not how you treat people."
Survey responses were sent from nearly every district campus and included comments such as:
HISD released a statement in response to the survey.
The Houston Federation of Teachers released a survey Wednesday that shows many Houston Independent School District teachers feel they are the targets of bullying at the hands of their own campus administrators.
More than 2,500 teachers responded to the survey, which asked, "Is your boss a bully?"
The overwhelming majority answered yes and blamed school principals and assistant principals.
"The most common administrative abuse is screaming at employees to correct them or reprimand them," said HFT President Gayle Fallon. "That's not how you treat people."
Survey responses were sent from nearly every district campus and included comments such as:
- An administrator allegedly makes fun of pregnant teachers; publicly tells them they should plan their pregnancies for the summer when they're off.
- Disrespected a co-worker by placing a hand on their face and not letting them talk.
- When there are dangerous situations, such as weapons on campus, we are prohibited from telling anyone.
HISD released a statement in response to the survey.
Feb 7, 2012
No Substitute for Integrity
Many certified substitutes are frustrated at their treatment by Fort Bend ISD's human resources department.
In one particular case, the principal of an elementary school in Fort Bend made a verbal agreement with a substitute to work from the beginning of the semester until the end of the year. This teacher was doing everything that a certified teacher would do - grade papers, go to conferences, after school duties, parent teacher meetings. The district, however, responded by hiring the teacher (who was certified in the area in which they were teaching) for consecutive periods of under 10 days or under thirty days at a time, and claimed they did not have to pay the teacher more than the minimum $85 per day. The district quoted "policies" and "guidelines", gave the principal and teacher the runaround and did everything they could to keep from paying the $150 per day that a certified, long-term substitute should receive. In the mean time, that particular elementary school class has gone through seven substitutes in one year and the students continued suffering academically.
The district frequently hires long term substitutes for 29 days, one day short of the 30 days required to receive the long term pay.
Other substitutes have reported similar issues of questionable hiring practices for certified substitutes.
Anyone who is interested in working in Fort Bend as a long term substitute should read the handbook and then be aware that it may be altered at any time.
Fort Bend ISD in Sugar Land, Texas has a substitute policy states:
In one particular case, the principal of an elementary school in Fort Bend made a verbal agreement with a substitute to work from the beginning of the semester until the end of the year. This teacher was doing everything that a certified teacher would do - grade papers, go to conferences, after school duties, parent teacher meetings. The district, however, responded by hiring the teacher (who was certified in the area in which they were teaching) for consecutive periods of under 10 days or under thirty days at a time, and claimed they did not have to pay the teacher more than the minimum $85 per day. The district quoted "policies" and "guidelines", gave the principal and teacher the runaround and did everything they could to keep from paying the $150 per day that a certified, long-term substitute should receive. In the mean time, that particular elementary school class has gone through seven substitutes in one year and the students continued suffering academically.
The district frequently hires long term substitutes for 29 days, one day short of the 30 days required to receive the long term pay.
Other substitutes have reported similar issues of questionable hiring practices for certified substitutes.
Anyone who is interested in working in Fort Bend as a long term substitute should read the handbook and then be aware that it may be altered at any time.
Fort Bend ISD in Sugar Land, Texas has a substitute policy states:
Certified Long Term
Assignments 30 days or more for the same teacher require that the substitute be certified in the same subject area as the teacher on leave. The pay is $150/day for assignments 30 days or more. If the assignment is less than 30 days, the certified substitute receives $85/day for the first 10 days and $110 for days 11-29.
A Certified Long Term substitute teacher who substitutes for a teacher on leave for at least 30 consecutive days will work on a temporary basis for the duration of the leave as follows:
1. The substitute must be Texas certified in the same subject area as the teacher out on leave and hold a current valid teaching certificate - Probationary, Standard, Provisional and/or Lifetime.
2. Certified Long Term substitute teachers shall not be eligible for employee benefits, such as
hospitalization and life insurance.
3. The salary starts on day one (1) of the 30 consecutive-day assignment. The principal is responsible for submitting a Long-Term Substitute Request Form to Human Resources. However, sometimes a campus may not let us know until after the substitute started the long-term assignment. If a principal asks you to take a long-term assignment and you agree, the HR Coordinator for Absence Management will send you an email indicating the paperwork has been submitted and completed. ...
Dec 16, 2011
Charter Schools Not Always the Answer in Texas
Struggling TX Districts Turning to Charter Schools
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/23870-1December 16, 2011
AUSTIN, Texas - As more cash-strapped Texas school districts consider turning over classrooms and campuses to private operators, new research is undercutting popular notions that charter schools are performing miracles in their classrooms.
The Austin School Board this week had to delay a vote on partnering with the IDEA chain of schools after fierce community opposition dominated a hearing.
Louis Malfaro, secretary treasurer of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, says some district officials, in a rush for solutions, are ignoring facts.
"Are we going to look at data and research, or are we just going to shoot from the hip? We know most charter schools are either underperforming or doing no better than regular public schools."
A recent study commissioned by the Texas Business and Education Coalition tracked students in so-called "high-performing" charter schools. It found that well-publicized chains - such as IDEA, KIPP, YES, and Harmony - serve selective student bodies, despite their "open-enrollment" charters. Malfaro says it's highly motivated families who tend to apply, and the schools often weed out youths who underperform - skewing their student populations toward the easiest to educate.
"They enroll a lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students, of special-education students, bilingual students, students with disabilities, and students who were doing poorly to begin with."
While IDEA boasts that 100 percent of its high-school graduates go on to college, the study shows that more than a third of its ninth-graders are returned to public school by the time they're seniors. Malfaro says he's not against all charter schools, and that some have proved innovative with specific types of students.
Proponents say the charter trend is giving parents more education choices, but Malfaro says it comes at the expense of accountability. He also notes the implications for employees such as teachers.
"We hear these institutions telling us, 'We're about innovative ways of attracting teachers.' If that's the case, why are you unwilling to work with your own teachers in any sort of a collective way, or give them basic on-the-job protections?"
Malfaro cites studies showing schools chartered in recent years have a higher teacher turnover rate than do public schools.
Austin trustees are to resume the charter debate Monday.http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/23870-1
Oct 13, 2011
More Than 150 Districts Sue the State Over Inequitable, Arbitrary Funding
More Than 150 Districts Sue the State Over Inequitable, Arbitrary Funding
The first of several anticipated legal challenges to the state’s school-finance system was filed today in Austin by a coalition of more than 150 school districts, along with individual taxpayers and parents. The biggest of seven districts named as original plaintiffs against the state is San Antonio ISD.
The first of several anticipated legal challenges to the state’s school-finance system was filed today in Austin by a coalition of more than 150 school districts, along with individual taxpayers and parents. The biggest of seven districts named as original plaintiffs against the state is San Antonio ISD.
Aug 10, 2011
Teacher Layoffs Felt In Classrooms, Katy ISD Still Cutting Positions
Read the entire article here: http://www.click2houston.com/education/28806255/detail.html
The final budget cuts and number of teacher layoffs may vary from school district to school district, but almost no school in the Houston area is escaping them this year. You may not see the signs of those the layoffs and cuts on the first day of school, but teachers and principals said they will show more and more as the year moves on.
"There are just more kids to teach and fewer teachers to teach them," said Andy Dewey, executive vice president of the Houston Federation of Teachers. "That's going to show up one way or another."
The Houston Independent School District is the largest school district in the state. HISD lost 500 teachers after final layoffs. In HISD, principals made the final decisions on how budget cuts would affect their schools.
"There are just more kids to teach and fewer teachers to teach them," said Andy Dewey, executive vice president of the Houston Federation of Teachers. "That's going to show up one way or another."
The Houston Independent School District is the largest school district in the state. HISD lost 500 teachers after final layoffs. In HISD, principals made the final decisions on how budget cuts would affect their schools.
Jul 9, 2011
Killeen Case Sets New Precedent to Help Laid Off Teachers
The state has ordered the Killeen ISD to rehire four teachers who were terminated as part of a cost-cutting move earlier this year.
The four teachers, all members of the Association of Texas Professional Educators, appealed the reduction in force in May.
“I didn’t know what I was going to do. I had been interviewing for assistant principal jobs, and it’s been stressful,” Cooper said.
“Now, I feel like I at least have the option of returning to my position and to do what I need to do to help students be successful. That’s the bottom line.”
The district was ordered to reinstate the teachers and to pay the four any back pay and benefits from the time their contracts weren’t renewed, but the ruling gives the district the option of paying the teachers one year’s salary from the date they would have been rehired.
Attorney Rick Arnett, who represented the four teachers, said the district’s board violated its local RIF policy by allowing principals to select “less favored or disfavored employees for termination and then failing to try to place them in open positions” for which they were qualified.
“As far as we know, the
“Under the current political climate, we believe there may be more situations next spring in which districts decide they need to reduce staff,” Arnett said.
Jul 7, 2011
Texas Republican Lawmakers Advocate Raising Taxes to Cover Cuts in Education
Some Texas Republican lawmakers are advocating raising taxes in order to make up for the recent $4 billion cuts to public education. Only a few days after the passage of major budget cuts to Texas, most of which devastate the health care industry and pubic education, reality is setting in. Even the G.O.P. realizes that in order to make things work, we will have to – ahem – “raise taxes”. That’s right, when Governor Rick Perry prides himself on a state that has job growth without raising taxes, Texas has put itself in a hole so big, even Republican lawmakers find themselves advocating for one of the biggest issues they have always stood against.
Jul 2, 2011
Who Voted for SB8 Which Cut Funding to Schools and Decimated Teacher Rights?
Who is responsible for SB8 and the attack on teacher pay and contract safeguards in Texas?
"...For the first time in Texas' known history, student enrollment growth will not be funded. The approximately 170,000 new students entering the school system during the new two years will have to be absorbed with fewer resources and fewer teachers....Already ranked 44th nationally in what it spends on education per pupil, Texas' further funding decrease will have a consequence in the classroom, there is no doubt. Perhaps it will have another consequence as well. Just perhaps, in the next election, everyday Texans will let us know that their voices, those of the greater good, are more important than those extremists who currently hold sway in the halls of the Texas Capitol." - Texas Senator Wendy Davis
These congressmen and women are counting on the fact that we will forget what happened on June 29, 2011 when we vote in 2013. When teachers see their colleagues being let go in the middle of the year with little or no recourse to challenge their administrations, remember which congressmen made this happen. When they see districts lowering pay and stipends to make up for the $4 billion loss to education in Texas, remember that it was our votes that put these people into office. Senate Bill 8 will be devastating to education in the coming years. This will affect how teachers teach and who they teach. It will lower the power of our workforce in Texas and thus our business strength and competitiveness. Remember who made the decisions to do this in the name of "fiscal responsibility". Rob Eissler and Florence Shapiro are the parties responsible for authoring this devastating legislation and vehemently supporting it. Ironically, Eissler has in the past been supported by teacher unions. This betrayal will likely not go unnoticed. Even seventeen Republicans voted against this bill and for their conscience.
In the Texas Senate, the final vote to pass SB 8 was 19 to 11. In the House, the final vote to pass SB 8 was 80 to 63.
First, we cannot ignore the politician who called these special sessions until he got exactly what he wanted and who will ultimately sign and support this legislation, Governor Rick Perry. Don't forget Perry also appointed the AUTHOR of the bill, Rob Eissler to be the Chair of the House Public Education Committee.
LEGISLATORS WHO VOTED FOR SB8 AND AGAINST TEACHER RIGHTS IN TEXAS:
HOUSE
Rob Eissler of The Woodlands (House author of SB 8);
Jose Aliseda of Beeville;
Charles Anderson of Waco;
Rodney Anderson of Plano;
Jimmy Don Aycock of Killeen;
Marva Beck of Centerville;
Leo Berman of Tyler;
Dennis Bonnen of Angleton;
Dan Branch of Dallas;
Cindy Burkett of Mesquite;
Angie Chen Button of Richardson;
Erwin Cain of Como;
Bill Callegari of Houston;
Warren Chisum of Pampa;
Wayne Christian of Nacogdoches;
Byron Cook of Corsicana;
Tom Craddick of Midland;
Brandon Creighton of Conroe;
Myra Crownover of Lake Dallas;
John Davis of Houston;
Sarah Davis of Houston;
Gary Elkins of Houston;
Allen Fletcher of Tomball;
Dan Flynn of Canton;
John Frullo of Lubbock;
John Garza of San Antonio;
Charlie Geren of River Oaks;
Larry Gonzales of Round Rock;
Kelly Hancock of Fort Worth; (wrote article justifying the cuts)
Rick Hardcastle of Vernon;
Patricia Harless of Spring; (declared would vote "no" but voted "yes" instead)
Linda Harper-Brown of Irving;
Will Hartnett of Dallas;
Harvey Hilderbran of Kerrville;
Charlie Howard of Sugar Land; (declared would vote "no" but voted "yes" instead)
Dan Huberty of Humble;
Bryan Hughes of Marshall;
Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi;
Jason Isaac of Dripping Springs;
Jim Jackson of Carrollton;
Jim Keffer of Granbury;
Phil King of Weatherford;
Tim Kleinschmidt of Lexington;
Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham;
John Kuempel of Seguin;
Lyle Larson of San Antonio;
Jodie Laubenberg of Rockwall;
George Lavender of Texarkana;
Ken Legler of Pasadena;
Lanham Lyne of Wichita Falls;
Jerry Madden of Plano;
Dee Margo of El Paso;
Doug Miller of New Braunfels;
Sid Miller of Stephenville;
Geanie Morrison of Victoria;
Jim Murphy of Houston;
Barbara Nash of Arlington;
Rob Orr of Burleson;
John Otto of Dayton;
Tan Parker of Flower Mound;
Ken Paxton of McKinney;
Charles Perry of Lubbock;
Walter “Four” Price of Amarillo;
Charles Schwertner of Georgetown;
Connie Scott of Corpus Christi;
Kenneth Sheets of Dallas;
Ralph Sheffield of Temple;
Mark Shelton of Fort Worth;
David Simpson of Longview;
Todd Smith of Bedford;
Wayne Smith of Baytown;
John Smithee of Amarillo;
Burt Solomons of Carrollton;
Larry Taylor of League City;
Vicki Truitt of Southlake;
Randy Weber of Pearland;
Beverly Woolley of Houston;
Paul Workman of Spicewood (Austin);
Bill Zedler of Arlington,
John Zerwas of Simonton.
Rodney Anderson of Plano;
Jimmy Don Aycock of Killeen;
Marva Beck of Centerville;
Leo Berman of Tyler;
Dennis Bonnen of Angleton;
Dan Branch of Dallas;
Cindy Burkett of Mesquite;
Angie Chen Button of Richardson;
Erwin Cain of Como;
Bill Callegari of Houston;
Warren Chisum of Pampa;
Wayne Christian of Nacogdoches;
Byron Cook of Corsicana;
Tom Craddick of Midland;
Brandon Creighton of Conroe;
Myra Crownover of Lake Dallas;
John Davis of Houston;
Sarah Davis of Houston;
Gary Elkins of Houston;
Allen Fletcher of Tomball;
Dan Flynn of Canton;
John Frullo of Lubbock;
John Garza of San Antonio;
Charlie Geren of River Oaks;
Larry Gonzales of Round Rock;
Kelly Hancock of Fort Worth; (wrote article justifying the cuts)
Rick Hardcastle of Vernon;
Patricia Harless of Spring; (declared would vote "no" but voted "yes" instead)
Linda Harper-Brown of Irving;
Will Hartnett of Dallas;
Harvey Hilderbran of Kerrville;
Charlie Howard of Sugar Land; (declared would vote "no" but voted "yes" instead)
Dan Huberty of Humble;
Bryan Hughes of Marshall;
Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi;
Jason Isaac of Dripping Springs;
Jim Jackson of Carrollton;
Jim Keffer of Granbury;
Phil King of Weatherford;
Tim Kleinschmidt of Lexington;
Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham;
John Kuempel of Seguin;
Lyle Larson of San Antonio;
Jodie Laubenberg of Rockwall;
George Lavender of Texarkana;
Ken Legler of Pasadena;
Lanham Lyne of Wichita Falls;
Jerry Madden of Plano;
Dee Margo of El Paso;
Doug Miller of New Braunfels;
Sid Miller of Stephenville;
Geanie Morrison of Victoria;
Jim Murphy of Houston;
Barbara Nash of Arlington;
Rob Orr of Burleson;
John Otto of Dayton;
Tan Parker of Flower Mound;
Ken Paxton of McKinney;
Charles Perry of Lubbock;
Walter “Four” Price of Amarillo;
Charles Schwertner of Georgetown;
Connie Scott of Corpus Christi;
Kenneth Sheets of Dallas;
Ralph Sheffield of Temple;
Mark Shelton of Fort Worth;
David Simpson of Longview;
Todd Smith of Bedford;
Wayne Smith of Baytown;
John Smithee of Amarillo;
Burt Solomons of Carrollton;
Larry Taylor of League City;
Vicki Truitt of Southlake;
Randy Weber of Pearland;
Beverly Woolley of Houston;
Paul Workman of Spicewood (Austin);
Bill Zedler of Arlington,
John Zerwas of Simonton.
SENATE
Florence Shapiro of Plano (author of SB 8);
Brian Birdwell of Granbury;
John Carona of Dallas;
Robert Deuell of Greenville;
Robert Duncan of Lubbock;
Kevin Eltife of Tyler;
Craig Estes of Wichita Falls;
Troy Fraser of Horseshoe Bay;
Chris Harris of Arlington;
Glenn Hegar of Katy;
Joan Huffman of Southside Place (Harris County);
Mike Jackson of La Porte;
Jane Nelson of Flower Mound;
Robert Nichols of Jacksonville;
Steve Ogden of Bryan; (actually advocated that schools raise taxes to make up the difference)
Dan Patrick of Houston;
Kel Seliger of Amarillo;
Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio;
Tommy Williams of The Woodlands.
Brian Birdwell of Granbury;
John Carona of Dallas;
Robert Deuell of Greenville;
Robert Duncan of Lubbock;
Kevin Eltife of Tyler;
Craig Estes of Wichita Falls;
Troy Fraser of Horseshoe Bay;
Chris Harris of Arlington;
Glenn Hegar of Katy;
Joan Huffman of Southside Place (Harris County);
Mike Jackson of La Porte;
Jane Nelson of Flower Mound;
Robert Nichols of Jacksonville;
Steve Ogden of Bryan; (actually advocated that schools raise taxes to make up the difference)
Dan Patrick of Houston;
Kel Seliger of Amarillo;
Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio;
Tommy Williams of The Woodlands.
Jul 1, 2011
How Much Do Teachers Make Around The World?
How much do teachers make around the world? See the infographic below. Around the world most people agree that educating our children is important for our countries and our future. However, as budget cuts loom over the heads of everyone who takes money from the government, debates emerge over how much teachers should be paid and how much work they do.
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