Talking points: Discussing the budget

Several superintendents during TASA's Midwinter Conference mentioned that having talking points at the ready would be helpful for speaking to legislators, members of the media and the community about how budget cuts will affect public schools and why it's important for lawmakers to Make Education a Priority.

TASA and TASB staff generated some talking points when we were preparing for editorial board meetings at newspapers across the state in the fall. At those meetings, members of TASA and TASB talked about the state of school funding and how budget cuts would affect their districts.

Here are some of the broad points they covered. Feel free to use these in your own districts.

• Because of changes the Legislature made to the school finance system in 2006, our district has been operating with essentially the same amount of per-pupil revenue for the past five years. Meanwhile, annual costs - including a state-mandated teacher pay raise - have continued to go up. Standards have continued to increase as well, which means districts are not only being asked to do more with less, but do it better.

• The next two years bring even more challenges and districts need adequate funding to meet those challenges. (Here talk about your district's growing or declining enrollment and explain how the scenario affects your district's bottom line, such as hiring more personnel, building facilities for growing districts, the challenges of less funding for declining enrollment and decisions that have to be made of closing schools for districts with declining enrollment. Also talk about growing population of economically disadvantaged, LEP and special education students and how these groups require more personalized instruction.)

• During the 2012-13 school year, we will begin administering end-of-course exams, which will be more rigorous than the exit-level TAKS. Despite the budget deficit, lawmakers have so far been adamant that there should be no delay in implementing the new system, even though they acknowledge the financial strain it will place on districts. (Be specific about what types of programs will need to be implemented to prepare students for EOC's and other costs associated with the new testing program.)

• Because we have been in financial crisis since the Legislature froze funding levels in 2006, our district has already cut costs wherever possible. (Give specific examples of cost-cutting measures.)

• During this past school year, we spent $__ per student, of which $__ went directly to instruction. Only __ percent of the district's budget was spent on district administration and __ percent was spent on campus administration. If  our state funding is cut at the level that lawmakers are now talking about, we anticipate having to cut the following programs and services: (be as specific as you can.)

• Failing to invest in today's schoolchildren is dangerous and ultimately unfair. Texas children need and deserve a quality education. If funding is cut for our schools, our students and the state's economy will pay the price.

President's speech focused on education - was Texas listening?

President Obama delivered his State of the Union address last night and spent roughly 10 minutes of his 60-minute speech talking exclusively about education.

Two of the standing ovations his speech drew were when he talked about the importance of teachers, how the field should be respected and how we should be encouraging our best and brightest to go into it.

It reminded me of the grassroots movement TASA and TASB have gotten behind called Make Education a Priority.  Education seems to always be at the top of every politician’s list when it’s election time or speech time, but how many really make it a priority?

TASA and TASB are holding a news conference on Monday where trustees and superintendents will implore lawmakers to make education a priority while building the state’s budget. They’ll also address the draconian effects proposed cuts will have on Texas schools.

But beyond the “is it really a priority” question, another irony struck me during the President’s address. He talked about how crucial it is to America’s success that we maintain our leadership in research and technology and to do that, he said, we “also have to win the race to educate our kids.”

Obama painted a vivid picture of the very real competition between the U.S. and countries like China and India. A competition in which we’re faltering, the President said, with nearly a quarter of students dropping out of high school, math and science education that lags behind many other nations, and a ranking of 9^th in the proportion of young people with a college degree.

After highlighting the bad news, Obama issued a challenge: Is America “willing to do what’s necessary to give every child a chance to succeed?” He talked about the role of parents, the community, and schools, and that we need to teach our kids hard work and discipline. He talked about No Child Behind, how it will be replaced this year with a law that’s more flexible and focused on what’s best for kids.

“We know what’s possible from our children when reform isn’t just a top-down mandate, but the work of local teachers and principals, school boards and communities,” Obama said.

And finally he talked about teachers. How, after parents, the teacher is the biggest impact on a child’s success. In South Korea, Obama said.  Teachers are known as “nation builders.” He called for the same level of respect for teachers in the U.S. and the need to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, as baby boomers retire from the classroom.

And here’s where the irony comes in. If you’re a teacher in Texas, or a student at a Texas university studying to be a teacher, that particular comment must’ve been hard to reconcile.

The president is talking about recruiting 100,000 teachers, yet in Texas, draconian budget cuts the likes of which schools have never seen may result in the loss of 100,000 school jobs.

In Texas, we aren’t talking about investing, we’re talking about gutting. In addition to cutting nearly $10 billion from the Foundation School Program over the next two years, the House budget proposal also eliminates grant programs that provide funding for some of the crucial areas the President talked about: $271 million for the technology allotment; $223 million for pre-kindergarten programs; $86 million for the High School Completion and Success Initiative; and $16 million for reading, math and science initiatives.

It’s a difficult balance for lawmakers to be sure. They must be fiscally responsible in tough budget times, and make sure taxpayers’ money is spent wisely. But they also must stimulate the economy and build a vibrant job market.

One thing is for sure, in the global competition America finds itself in today, skimping on education is an incredibly risky move.

National report looks at impact of economy on education

Texas ranked 13^th in the nation on Education Week’s 2011 Quality Counts report released this week, earning high marks for standards, school accountability, early-childhood education, college readiness and economy and workforce.

The annual report has a theme each year, and this time it was the impact of the economy on education.

Researchers at Editorial Projects in Education, the nonprofit organization that publishes Education Week, surveyed states on the economy’s impact on their education system and examined the effect of stimulus spending on education. According to the ARRA aid report, stimulus dollars have helped create or save about 650,000 jobs, with more than half of those jobs linked to money distributed by the U.S. Department of Education. 

Perhaps ironically, Texas is touted as a bright spot in a section of the report called “Economic Snapshots.” It points out that Texas has managed to avoid cuts to prekindergarten, elementary and secondary education during the economic downturn and has an unemployment rate below the national average. 

That kudos came the same week that lawmakers learned they’re facing a $27 billion budget deficit, one to rival California’s, as they build the state’s budget for the next two years.

Today, House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, announced he’ll introduce a budget bill Tuesday that assumes no new money for state programs, no new taxes and no use of the Rainy Day Fund.

New York Times op-ed columnist Paul Krugman said in a recent column that Texas state government has relied for years on “smoke and mirrors to create the illusion of sound finances in the face of a serious structural budget deficit.”

“When the recession struck, hitting revenue in Texas just as it did everywhere else,” Krugman went on to say, “That illusion was bound to collapse.”

We know school districts are doing a phenomenal job of preparing students for the next step, whether that step is to kindergarten or college. Texas teachers work under some of the toughest accountability measures in the country and are educating their students to the nation’s highest standards, according to the report.

The question is, will schools be able to maintain that performance in the face of budget cuts that lawmakers are promising? And, what will Quality Counts have to say about Texas and how the economy impacted education here next year?

First Order of Business

The 82nd Session of the Texas Legislature convenes Tuesday, kicking off what many say will be the most difficult session in recent history. In this blog entry, Ramiro Canales, TASA's assistant executive director of governmental relations, provides his take on what tomorrow holds.


Ramiro Canales:

1-11-11.

The numbers represent more than a date.  It is the first day of the 82^nd Legislature, Regular Session.  Beginning tomorrow, lawmakers have 140 days in which to address historic budgetary challenges.  With a budget deficit looming close to $30 billion and revenue generators off the negotiating table, draconian cuts to programs are expected to be the solution du jour.  

Today may set the tone for the 82^nd Texas Legislature.  First, Comptroller Susan Combs released her revenue estimate and indicated that available revenue will be around $72.2 billion for the next biennium beginning September 1.  The revenue estimate is the first step in the budgeting process and a base budget is expected to be released later this week or next.  Using that revenue estimate, some analysts believe that the deficit will be around $26.8 billion since $99 billion is needed to fund services at current levels.  The $99 billion figure is based on state agency requests.  Additionally, over $4 billion may be needed to cover services for the current biennium.  And second, the House Republican Caucus will meet today to discuss the speaker’s race, which has been very contentious.  At issue is whether the new super-majority should elect the speaker of the house without input from the Democratic minority.  Capitol insiders differ on the significance of the meeting since the real vote that counts will be cast tomorrow afternoon after lawmakers are sworn in.  

In previous sessions, the first day has been ceremonial for both the Texas House and Texas Senate.  However, in light of planned protests at the Texas Capitol by citizens groups, tomorrow’s vote on the speaker’s race may be protracted and delay the usual starting time for the jovial festivities that are common on opening day.  If a speaker of the house is elected on the first day as required by the Texas Constitution, the Texas House will discuss adopting rules for the 82^nd Legislature this week or early next. 

The key issue facing the Texas Senate in the next coming days is whether to eliminate or modify the two-thirds tradition, which has allowed eleven senators to block legislation from being considered on the senate floor.  Commonly known as the “two-thirds rule,” it has been very effective in killing contentious legislation.  Some senators want to eliminate the rule completely.  Others want to modify it.  The debate over this issue should be lively in the days to come. 

Every session has its own character.  In the next few days, we’ll know what lies ahead between now and Sine Die.

Stay tuned.

"Make Education a Priority"

As of Friday, 253 public school districts have adopted the “Make Education a Priority” resolution.  That’s a great start. But, we would encourage every school board across Texas to pass the resolution by their January board meeting and send it to your legislators.

Some people have asked what it means to make education a priority?  The answer is as simple as the statement: during the campaign season, candidates emphatically stated “education is a priority.” Now that campaign season is over, it’s time for our legislators to “Make Education a Priority” as they draft the state’s budget for the next two years.

The Texas Constitution requires the legislature to fund a system of public education. And, the legislature has designed the system of education we have today. With “Make Education a Priority,” we’re merely asking the legislature to fund the system of public education they created and are expecting us to implement.

If your district hasn’t done so already, pass the “Make Education a Priority” resolution at the December or January Board meeting so that when the legislative session begins in mid-January, no legislator can escape our consistent message:  “Make Education a Priority” as you debate and develop the state’s budget for the 2012-13 biennium.

Texas school districts that have adopted the resolution as of Dec. 3, 2010:


Abbott ISD  -  Academy ISD  -  Aledo ISD  -  Apple Springs ISD  -  Aransas County ISD  -  Argyle ISD  -  Avalon ISD  -  Azle ISD  -  Banquete ISD  -  Beeville ISD  -  Bellevue ISD  -  Bells ISD  -  Big Sandy ISD  -  Birdville ISD   -  Blanket ISD  -   Boerne ISD  -  Boling ISD  -  Bonham ISD  -  Brady ISD  -  Bridge City ISD  -  Bridgeport ISD  -  Brock ISD  -  Brookeland ISD  -  Brownsboro ISD  -  Brownwood ISD  -  Bryan ISD  -  Buena Vista ISD  -  Bullard ISD  -  Burkburnett ISD  -  Burkeville ISD  -  Burleson ISD  -  Burnet Consolidated ISD  -  Caddo Mills ISD  -  Calallen ISD  -  Callisburg ISD  -  Carlisle ISD  -  Carrizo Springs CISD  -  Carroll ISD  -  Carthage ISD  -  Celeste ISD  -  Center ISD  -  Center Point ISD  -  Channelview ISD  -  Charlotte ISD  -  Cherokee ISD  -  Chico ISD  -  Chireno ISD  -  Chisum ISD  -  Claude ISD  -  Clear Creek ISD  -  Clyde CISD  -  Coleman ISD  -  College Station ISD  -  Colmesneil ISD  -  Columbia-Brazoria ISD  -  Commerce ISD  -  Comstock ISD  -  Coolidge ISD  -  Cooper ISD  -  Crandall ISD  -  Crane ISD  -  Cranfills Gap ISD  -  Crockett County CCSD  -  Crosbyton CISD  -  Crowley ISD  -  Cuero ISD  -  Cumby ISD  -  Danbury ISD  -  Decatur ISD  -  Denison ISD  -  Denton ISD  -  Diboll ISD  -  Dripping Springs ISD  -  Dublin ISD  -  Duncanville ISD  -  Ector County ISD  -  Eden Consolidated ISD  -  Edgewood ISD  -  Ennis ISD  -  Eula ISD  -  Everman ISD  -  Fannindel ISD  -  Farmersville ISD  -  Farwell ISD  -  Ferris ISD  -  Fort Bend ISD  -  Frisco ISD  -  Fruitvale ISD  -  Ganado ISD  -  Garner ISD  -  Gatesville ISD  -  Gonzales ISD  -  Goose Creek CISD  -  Graford ISD  -  Graham ISD  -  Granbury ISD  -  Grand Saline ISD  -  Grape Creek ISD  -  Grapevine-Colleyville ISD  -  Greenville ISD  -  Gregory-Portland ISD  -  Gunter ISD  -  Hamlin ISD  -  Hamshire-Fannett ISD  -  Hardin ISD  -  Hardin-Jefferson ISD  -  Harleton ISD  -  Hawley ISD  -  Hemphill ISD  -  Highland Park ISD (Amarillo TX)  -  Hillsboro ISD  -  Holliday ISD  -  Hudson ISD  -  Humble ISD  -  Hutto ISD  -  Iraan-Sheffield ISD  -  Jacksonville ISD  -  Jasper ISD  -  Johnson City ISD  -  Jonesboro ISD  -  Katy ISD  -  Keller ISD  -  Kemp ISD  -  Kilgore ISD  -  Kingsville ISD  -  Kountze ISD  -  La Marque ISD  -  La Porte ISD  -  Lake Dallas ISD  -  Lamar Consolidated ISD  -  Latexo ISD  -  Lewisville ISD  -  Lingleville ISD  -  Lipan ISD  -  Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD  -  Lone Oak ISD  -  Louise ISD  -  Lovelady ISD  -  Lyford Consolidated ISD  -  Lytle ISD  -  Mabank ISD  -  Malakoff ISD  -  Marion ISD  -  Martin's Mill ISD  -  Mason ISD  -  Mathis ISD  -  Milano ISD  -  Milford ISD  -  Miller Grove ISD  -  Millsap ISD  -  Mission Consolidated ISD  -  Morton ISD  -  Moulton ISD  -  Navasota ISD  -  Nazareth ISD  -  Nederland ISD  -  Needville ISD  -  New Caney ISD  -  Newton ISD  -  Nordheim ISD  -  Northside ISD  -  Northwest ISD  -  Novice ISD  -  O'Donnell ISD  -  Olton ISD  -  Orangefield ISD  -  Overton ISD  -  Paducah ISD  -  Paint Rock ISD  -  Palmer ISD  -  Pampa ISD  -  Panhandle ISD  -  Panther Creek Consolidated ISD  -  Paradise ISD  -  Peaster ISD  -  Perrin-Whitt Consolidated ISD  -  Pflugerville ISD  -  Petersburg ISD  -  Pine Tree ISD  -  Pleasant Grove ISD  -  Port Aransas ISD  -  Port Neches-Grove ISD  -  Pottsboro ISD  -  Rains ISD  -  Ralls ISD  -  Reagan County ISD  -  Red Lick ISD  -  Red Oak ISD  -  Redwater ISD  -  Rice Consolidated ISD  -  River Road ISD  -  Robinson ISD  -  Rochelle ISD  -  Rockdale ISD  -  Round Rock ISD  -  Royse City ISD  -  Rusk ISD  -  Sabine Pass ISD  -  Sam Rayburn ISD  -  San Augustine ISD  -  San Felipe-Del CISD  -  San Saba ISD  -  Sanford-Fritch ISD  -  Santo ISD  -  Savoy ISD  -  Schulenburg ISD  -  Seymour ISD  -  Sharyland ISD  -  Shelbyville ISD  -  Sheldon ISD  -  Silsbee ISD  -  Skidmore-Tynan ISD  -  Smithville ISD  -  South Texas ISD  -  Southland ISD  -  Southside ISD  -  Springtown ISD  -  Spur ISD  -  Spurger ISD  -  Stamford ISD  -  Stephenville ISD  -  Sterling City ISD  -  Sunnyvale ISD  -  Sweetwater ISD  -  Tahoka ISD  -  Thorndale ISD  -  Throckmoton ISD  -  Tolar ISD  -  Trenton ISD  -  Trinity ISD  -  Tulia ISD  -  Valley View ISD  -  Van Alstyne ISD  -  Van ISD  -  Vernon ISD  -  Vidor ISD  -  Warren ISD  -  Waskom ISD  -  Weatherford ISD  -  West Orange-Cove CISD  -  West Oso ISD  -  West Sabine ISD  -  Westwood ISD  -  White Settlement ISD  -  Whitesboro ISD  -  Whitewright ISD  -  Wichita Falls ISD  -  Wills Point  ISD  -  Windthorst ISD  -  Woden ISD  -  Wylie ISD  -  Ysleta ISD  -  Zavalla ISD

Teacher groups concerned over changes in Educator’s Code of Ethics

The Texas State Board of Education endorsed an updated Educators’ Code of Ethics last week that raised so much concern among teachers that every major teacher organization was opposed to the revision.

Here’s testimony provided to the SBOE from Texas AFT’s legislative counsel Patty Quinzi:

“Texas AFT  is opposed to these proposed rules because the changes would serve to expand the prosecutorial authority and discretion of (the State Board for Educator Certification) staff while providing professional educators with inadequate guidance regarding what is expected of them in their professional role.”

Quinzi gave three specific examples:

“Section 247.1(b) uses broad language requiring educators to ‘exemplify…good moral character’ without providing guidance as to SBEC’s definition of these terms. Increasing the Code’s use of such language targeting ill-defined ‘immorality’ represents a step backward in the quality of our state’s rules and standards for the education profession. When the Education Code was rewritten in 1995, then-Sen. Bill Ratliff, lead author of the rewrite, cited such vague language as an embarrassment to the state and struck it from the law on continuing contracts. Now with this proposal we see the proliferation once again of the same type of problematic language that never served to communicate to teachers what is expected of them.  Instead of improving on the current rules, these proposed rules take the state and the profession backward 15 years. The focus of the disciplinary rules needs to be on job-related conduct, not on someone’s vague notions of  ‘character.’

"Section 247.2(1)(A) adds the term ‘intentionally’ or ‘recklessly’ to the existing term ‘knowingly,’ a change that expands prosecutorial authority but gives educators no guidance regarding the appropriate boundary between acceptable and unacceptable conduct.

"Section 247.2(1)(L) would create Standard 1.12, adding ‘abuse of prescription drugs’ to the litany of sanctionable offenses. This rule might make sense if it were linked to an event in which a person is arrested and charged with a crime.  However, as written it seeks to police an inappropriately broad spectrum of off-duty behavior. For instance, it would be inappropriate to hold educators to a standard triggering potential sanctions for what could be the result of simple human error, such as taking too many Ambien before going to bed.”

The revisions were proposed by SBEC. SBOE members have the power by a two-thirds vote to reject but not amend proposed rules. They took no action on Friday, which means the revisions are in effect.

Another revision to note updated the ethics code to address social media. The new Standard 3.9 reads:

The educator shall refrain from inappropriate communication with a student or minor, including but not limited to, electronic communication such as cell phone, text messaging, email, instant messaging, blogging, or other social network communications. Factors that may be considered in assessing whether the communication is inappropriate include, but are not limited to:

(i)            the nature, purpose, timing, and amount of communication;

(ii)          the subject matter of the communication;

(iii)         whether the communication was made openly or the educator attempted to conceal the communication;

(iv)         whether the communications could be reasonably interpreted as soliciting sexual contact or a romantic relationship;

(v)          whether the communication was sexually explicit; and

(vi)         whether the communication involved discussion(s) of the physical or sexual attractiveness or the sexual history, activities, preferenes, or fantasies of either the educator or the students.

Austin insiders discuss implications of Republican "tsunami"

The Texas Tribune hosted a panel Thursday with a focus on this week’s election results and its implications on the 2011 Legislative Session.

In what’s being described in increasingly dramatic terms as a tidal wave, a tsunami, a bloodbath and Red November, Republican candidates swept 22 incumbent Democrats out of office in the Texas House Tuesday night. They moved from a narrow majority of 77 Republicans to 73 Democrats last session to a 99 to 51 lead.

The implications for public education are massive, according to Thursday’s panelists.

Moderated by Texas Tribune editor Evan Smith, the panel was made up of Austin insiders: Arlene Wohlgemuth, executive director and director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Health Care Policy studies; the honorable Pete Laney, former speaker of the House of Representatives; Corbin Casteel, partner at Casteel, Erwin & Associates and architect of some of the surprise Republican wins Tuesday night; and Jim Dow, executive director of Texas 20/20.

Wohlgemuth and Casteel, the conservative voices on the panel, both said that voters sent lawmakers a clear message this week.

“Stop spending money and stop telling us what to do,” is how Wohlgemuth summed up that message.

Democrat Pete Laney said it will be interesting to see how the super-majority in the Texas House deal with what could be as much a s a $25 billion deficit, especially in light of promises of no tax increases. Balancing the budget, the panelists agreed, could prove devastating.

“We’ll see if they’re as adamant about cutting as they were during the election cycle,” Laney said of candidates who’ve promised to rein in state spending.

“There’s no choice but to cut. Where it’s going to come from, that’s what they’re elected to decide,” Casteel said. “There was a theme in the races. It’s all fiscal conservatism, cut taxes, stop spending.”

Wohlgemuth said her organization would be making recommendations regarding eliminating certain state agencies. She said it’s not just about cutting for the sake of cutting, but shrinking government and eliminating inefficiency.

She also brought up charter schools several times, advocating for lifting the state cap on the number of charters. Taxpayer funded private school vouchers were also mentioned as a likely topic this session.

Wohlgemuth referenced TPPF studies that criticize school district spending. And, while she said TPPF would not support spending any more than half of the state’s rainy day fund to balance the budget, she cryptically criticized school districts for maintaining healthy fund balances.

“We have spent a lot more money on education in both facilities and staff…so I think there’s room there,” Wohlgemuth said.

Stay tuned to EduSlate for more inside scoop on what’s being discussed at the Capitol.