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.

Teacher Layoffs Felt In Classrooms, Katy ISD Still Cutting Positions

Teacher Layoffs Felt In Classrooms

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.

Killeen Case Sets New Precedent to Help Laid Off Teachers

Killeen: ISD Ordered To Reinstate 4 Terminated 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.

KILLEEN (July 8, 2011)—Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott ruled Tuesday that the Killeen ISD must rehire four of the 150 teachers whose contracts were not renewed earlier this year as part of a cost-cutting measure in response to deep cuts in state funding for public schools.
The four teachers, all members of the Association of Texas Professional Educators, appealed the reduction in force in May.

One of the four, Aloysius Cooper, whom the KISD had employed for 15 years and who worked as an academic adviser, said he shouldn’t have been terminated in the first place.
“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 Killeen cases are the first to be appealed to the commissioner,” he said.
“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.

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.  

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.  

If you would like to know who the legislator is in your area, click here.

 

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.  

Texas Lawmakers Approve Bill That Cuts School Funding

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.

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.

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. 

Teachers, Coaches and the Dual Contract: Another Tool for Teacher Termination

"Coaching is nothing more than eliminating mistakes before you get fired." - Lou Holtz

Teachers are often assigned many duties outside of their normal classroom duties which, in and of themselves, can be very demanding. Some teachers also give up their time to coach a sport or academic event. They usually receive a stipend on top of their yearly salary for that extra duty. But every coach knows that if one were to do the math and add up all the hours spent versus what they were getting paid coaching, it would amount to a paltry few cents per hour. On the average, athletic stipends (especially football) - this IS Texas - can get pretty high, running up into the $5-$20K range, academic coaches and others may run from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

Final Version of SB 8 Maintains Assault on Classroom Teachers

Update: This bill passed the house and senate and moves to the governor's desk for signature.   

See who voted for and against it and how it will affect everyone who has a stake in public education in Texas.

Final Version of SB 8 Maintains Assault on Classroom Teachers

 
The ten Republican senators and representatives on the House-Senate conference committee for Senate Bill 8 have finished their work on a final version of the bill, and an ugly piece of work it is. The bill would consummate a six-month-long assault on salary guarantees and contract safeguards for Texas teachers and other school employees, making entirely unnecessary, permanent changes in state law under the false flag of “flexibility” for school boards faced with cuts in state aid.

Lawmakers Who Attack Education Are Feeling The Backlash

by Fred Martin
 
In case anyone was wondering, the majority of Americans seem to care about their children's education.  Even when we hear again and again the same lines about fiscal responsibility, spending and budget crunches, we also know that there are good choices and bad choices to be made.  Those that make bad choices, choices that hurt our children's education for years to come, those that sacrifice education for lower taxes or bigger business, are now paying a price by way of public opinion.

In Alabama, one Representative switched parties because of the damage his party was doing to education in that state. 

Current Cuts Are The Direct Result of Fiscal Irresponsibility

by Fred Martin

A Letter From Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn to Governor Rick Perry regarding the Perry Tax Plan in 2006 is prophetic and frighteningly accurate.  Where we are financially in Texas in large part due to poor financial decision making on the part of the Texas Legislature and Governor Rick Perry.  Carole Strayhorn knew the direction we were headed in 2006.  This was a critical year for our overall state budget and for education funding.  

The Death Star Bill - Will It Prevent Layoffs or Become a Slippery Slope?

Read the entire article here: http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-texas-house-approves-death-star-bill-story,0,1911416.story

The 'Death Star Bill' would enable school districts to reduce teacher salaries, impose unpaid furlough days and alter contract notification requirements.
Arlington's Dana Smith said, "I think it's honestly horrible. Teachers work really, really hard at what they do everyday. And, I think they go above and beyond. Honestly, they barely get enough money for what they do, so it's really sad."
"They look at their ratings. They teach. They have meetings after school. They have parent meetings. And, all the sudden it looks like they're getting the brunt of all the fall out, all the responsibility for the recession on the state budget," Shaw said.
The Texas Association of School Administrators says the bill gives districts the ability to deal with unprecedented cuts by giving them more flexibility.
The Death Star Bill has created a divide in the education community. While many school administrators support it, teachers have tried several times to kill the bill.
"They're not happy, they're not happy at all," Shaw said. "Anytime people are not happy, it comes through in their work product as well."

Rob Eissler's Ideological Crusade - HB8

The Spawn of HB 400—New Attack on Salary Guarantees, Contract Rights is in SB 8, and Rep. Rob Eissler Is Determined to See It Through
 
The Spawn of HB 400—Attack on Salary Standards, Contract Rights Returns in SB 8:  State Rep. Rob Eissler, Republican of The Woodlands, is at it again, resurrecting his failed attack on educators’ salary standards and contract rights in a committee substitute for Senate Bill 8. Eissler’s new version of SB 8 recombines and tweaks elements he had included in his failed HB 400 during the regular session and that he has parceled out into five separate bills (HB 17 through HB 21) in the special session. Eissler postponed action on two of these piecemeal bills Tuesday, and--for reasons best known to him—he now wants to force the Texas House to vote again, as early as Thursday, on the following menu of bad ideas in his committee substitute for SB 8:

Representative Rob Eissler: How a Hometown Hero Of Education Has Supporters Shaking Their Heads

Representative Rob Eissler:  How a Hometown Hero Of Education Has Supporters Shaking Their Heads

by Fred Martin

Republican Rep. Rob Eissler of The Woodlands is one of the architects of HB8 and many of the measures that threaten the lives of educators across Texas. Who is he?  And what does he want with public education?  His background is extensive and his accolades are numerous.  In the past he has been a hometown hero for education, but now he has many of his grassroots supporters confused if not down right angry.

Tell Your State Rep What You Think

Tell Your State Rep What You Think, By Phone and By E-Mail! Key House Votes Thursday on School Finance, Class Size, Contract Rights, Layoffs

SB 1, a bill that permanently cuts state funding for local school districts by $4 billion, is scheduled for action on the Texas House floor shortly after 10 am Thursday morning, June 9. Also on the agenda is SB 2, a bill to adjust the two-year budget passed on May 29.

Texas Senate OKs teacher pay cuts, furloughs

Educators protest bill to help districts deal with slashed funding.  A Fort Bend teacher responds.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7598663.html#ixzz1OdcWHwn6

AUSTIN — Legislation allowing school districts to reduce teacher pay and furlough them — to help absorb big budget cuts — sailed through the Texas Senate on Monday with a straight party-line vote.

Lawmakers are working to cut $4 billion from the state's 1,040 public school districts. Giving school administrators flexibility to cut teacher pay and allow up to six days of unpaid leave — which existing law does not allow — will save teacher jobs, Senate Education Chair Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said of school reform measure SB 8.

Fort Bend ISD Cuts Fine Arts and Business Programs Year After Year

by Fred Martin
 
Two of the most important things that colleges and universities across this country look at to determine if high school seniors are accepted into their ranks are SAT/ACT scores and extra curricular activities such as fine arts, sports and other competitive events.  Many schools across the state are making cuts to those areas in addition to laying off teachers.  How will this affect our students' chances for entering universities if they are offered fewer and fewer opportunities for extracurricular involvement?

Rep. Villarreal speaks against CSHB 1

Rep. Villarreal speaks against CSHB 1, the 2012-2013 Texas budget, as a part of the House of Representatives floor meeting, May 28, 2011. For more updates from the legislative session, visit legetv.org.


"[We] should have seen this coming...In 2007 our budget shortfall was 8%...In 2009 that hole nearly doubled in size to 14%...In 2011 the hole again nearly doubled to 27%.  How are we solving this now?  Through a cuts only and accounting tricks approach to the budget...Texas cannot grow itself out of this problem...because our population is growing less educated...because we are failing to educate them.  It didn't have to be this way.  The governor and the legislature made a choice to do this.  They could have chosen to use some of the rainy day funds to pay for the next two years, they chose not to.  They could have chosen to close tax loopholes and make all corporations pay their fair share.  They chose not to.  They could have chosen to fix our broken business tax.  They chose not to.  Instead, this legislature chose to balance the budget on the backs of vulnerable Texans..."

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.