Transcript Slide 1

Schools, Our Future????
nd
82
Legislative Session
 Reduction in Funding -
Foundation School
Program
 No Mandate Relief
 Increased Accountability
Standards
 Expanded State Testing
 No Light at the End of
the Tunnel!
Where Are We Going & What Can
YOU Do?
Radical School Reforms
1960’s & 70’s
 Tear down the walls between classrooms
 Abolish all rules & requirements
 English teachers can teach math, math teachers can
teach English
 Students design their own courses
 Students learn whatever they feel like learning –
whenever
 Remove graduation requirements, grades, tests,
textbooks
1983 - Nation At Risk
 Problems Linked to
60-70 Reforms
 Curriculum
 Graduation
Requirements
 Teacher Preparation
 Quality of Textbooks
 Did NOT Address
 Impact of Societal
Issues
Nation At Risk Recommendations
 The New Basics:
 4 years of English
 3 years of Math
 3 years of Science
 3 years of Social Studies
 ½ year of Computer
Science
 2 years of Foreign
Language (College
Bound)
 Colleges/Universities
raise admissions
requirements
 Upgrade quality of
textbooks
 Lengthen school day &
school year
 More homework
 Special classes for
disruptive students
1980’s - Texas Blue Ribbon Committee
 TABS – Basic
 TEAMS – Minimum
 TAAS - Minimum
 TAKS – Grade Level
 STAAR – College/Career
Readiness
1990’s - Age of Accountability
 Measured school success
based on test scores in:
 4 subject areas
 Every child tested every
year
 Schools Rated:
 Exemplary
 Recognized
 Acceptable
 Unacceptable
2000’s – Federal Accountability
(NCLB – No Child Left Behind)
 Texas Model goes to
Washington
 2 subject areas
 States would reform
schools
 Low performing schools
would get help
 Students in failing
schools could transfer to
other schools
Reality Today
 Test-driven education system
 Teachers spend more time preparing for “the tests”
 Curriculum narrowed
 Non-tested subjects/activities pushed aside
 Increased numbers of college students in
developmental courses
 Programs created to keep the increasing numbers of
students from dropping out of school
Reality Today
 Over-burdened with bureaucratic requirements,
procedures
 Lowest performing group will determine rating of
campus and district :
 27 Tests – 3rd through Exit (EOC)
 5 Groups of Students (All, AA, Hisp., Wh., Eco. Disadv)
 Financial Gains for Private Sector Businesses:
 Tutoring Resources
 Testing Services
 Test Prep Materials
Greatest Flaw in the “New Reform”
2014
 ALL students in every
school must be
proficient in reading and
math. (On Grade Level)
 Special Needs
 Non-English
 Disadvantaged
 Homeless
 Failure to Meet
 Schools will be closed
 Teachers fired
 Principals fired
 Public schools
privatized
Comparable to:
 Federal and state laws
that demanded:
 Every last molecule of
pollution will vanish!
 All American cities will
be crime-free!
Factors Outside the School’s
Control
 Child’s ability /health
 Education of child’s parents
 Involvement of parents in child’s education
 Resources in the home
 How much the child studies
 How much TV the child watches
 Child’s motivation
 Dysfunctional home-life
Characteristics of Texas Compared
to Nation
• 2nd – Total Student Enrollment
• 1st - Enrollment Growth
• 1st - Hispanic Student Enrollment Growth
• 42nd – Instructional Expenditures per Pupil ($5,443)
• 29th – Pupils per Teacher
• 35th – Freshman Graduation Rates
• LAST - % of Over 25 Year Old Adults Completing High
School (79.9%)
Characteristics of Texas Compared
to Nation
• 31st - % over 25 Year Old Adults Completing a
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•
Bachelor’s Degree (25.5%)
9th - % of People Below Poverty Level in Past 12
Months
8th - % of Children Below Poverty Level in Past 12
Months
41st - % 18-24 Year Olds enrolled in Higher Ed
46th - % of High School Teachers Teaching with a
Major in their Main Assignments
Today’s Classroom
Class of 30 Students:
 8 Poverty
 3 Extreme Poverty
 12 Non-white
 10 Different Language
 5 Not Raised by Parent
 1 Homeless
 6 Mobile
 7 Abused
Texas Public Education
 Past 10 Years
 Past 10 years
 Added 845,000 students
 384,000 in Kindergarten
thru 5th Grade
 Economically
 Added 1,040 Campuses
disadvantaged increased
by 897,000
 49% to 59%
 Added 65 Charter
Schools
Texas Public Education
 Past 5 Years
 Budgets frozen at 2005-
2006 funding
 Consider inflation, 11%
reduction over 5 years
 Education Code
expanded from 1000
pages to 1,500 pages
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82
Legislative Membership
 House
 101 Republicans
 49 Democrats
 Senate
 19 Republicans
 12 Democrats
 Mandate from Voters in
2010 as carried by the 37
Newly Elected House
 No new taxes
 Shrink government
 Cut Government
spending
 Protect the Rainy Day
Fund
State Priorities
Balance the Budget –
without raising taxes
Voter Identification
Immigration –
Abolishing Sanctuary
Cities
Pre-Abortion Sonograms
Eminent Domain
Protect Rainy Day Fund
Funding Cuts – SB 1
• (-$4 Billion) Foundation School Program
• (-$1.3 Billion) – Outside the FSP
– After -School Programs
– Pre-Kindergarten Grants
– Tutorial Programs for TAKS Failures
– TEA ( Cut 350 Employees)
– Region Service Centers
– Instructional Materials
– Technology Allotment
Funding Inequities
 2010-2011:
 District revenues $3,910 to $13,093 per
student
 PISD received $5,225 per
student (2010-2011)
 SB 1 (2011-2013)
 Gaps in funding remain
 Average cuts to districts
5.6% for 2011-2012
5.4% for 2012-2013
 Repealed proration state will not make-up
the lost revenue
Debate- Schools Not Efficient
Staff Patterns
Employees
Campus
Administration
Central
Administration
Teachers
Auxiliary Staff
Aides and
Support Staff
1999-2000
2.6%
2009-2010
2.8%
.9%
1%
51.3%
27.6%
17.6%
50.5%
27%
18.7%
SB 8 – Legislature’s Efforts to
Address Loss of Revenue
• Reduction in Salaries
• Furloughs (6 non-instructional days)
• Limits FITNESSGRAM to those in PE credit courses
• Amended non-renewal timelines
• Suspend without pay in lieu of pending discharge
Reality for Districts
• Termination of staffing
positions:
– RIFs
– Attrition
• Reassignments:
– Librarians
– Art/Music
• Cut supplies, materials,
technology
• Eliminate special programs
Reality for Districts
 Elimination/Reduction
of non-core programs or
classes:
 Extra Curricular
 Music
 Art
 Electives
 Charging a fee to:
 Ride the bus
 Participate in extracurricular activities
 Accessing technology
 Increase fees for:
 Meals
 Supplies
Reality for Peaster ISD
• 2011-2012
– Loss of $505,663
• 2012-2013
– Loss of $302,429
Total of $808,092
Over two years.
Other Bills That Passed:
Official State………..
• Saltwater fish - Red Drum
• Music - Western Swing
• Water Lilly - Nymphaea Texas Dawn
• Table Domino Game - “Texas 42”
• Birthplace of Boogie Woogie - Marshall, Texas –
• Depot Capital of Texas - Giddings, Texas
• Getaway Capital of Texas - Lake Whitney
• Legendary Home of Chicken Fried Steak – Lamesa, Tx
Other Bills That Passed
 SB 2189 – Legalized“noodling”
 HB 716 – Hunt feral hogs and coyotes from a helicopter
(“pork choppers”)
 Better luck next session!
 The hamburger fell short - State Sandwich
 Libscomb County’s - the Turkey Buzzard Capital of
Texas!
Bills That Failed
• Consolidation
• Sunset of State Board of
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Education
Middle School Reform
Private schools to
participate in UIL
Teacher Appraisal
Reform
Major relief from
EOCs/STAAR
New STATE Accountability System –
NO CHANGE
 Driven by state
assessments
 Weakest link determine
ratings
 Available resources not
factored
 Exceptions not
considered for
demographic differences
New STATE Accountability System
 Interventions and
Sanctions
 Closure Requirements
 Alternative
Management Options
Accountability Manual
365 Pages
STAAR/EOC
 Rigor increased –depth & level of cognitive complexity
 Standards based other state, national, international
assessments
 Timed Test
 Increased graduation implications
EOC
• 12 End of Course Exams linked to college readiness:
• English I – III
• Alg. I, Geometry, Alg. II
• Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• World Geography, World History, US History
• Exams will count 15% of the course grade
• District policy – impact of EOC on course credit
EOC - Graduation Requirements
• Pass ALL 12 of the subject area tests AND
• Obtain a cumulative score in the 4 subject areas
• 3 Passing Standards based on Graduation Plan:
• Minimum
• Recommended
• Distinguished (College Readiness on English III and
Algebra II)
• Multiple retakes
Days of Testing
 Grades 3 – 8
 19 days of testing
 27 with retesting
 Grades 9 – 11
 15 days of testing
 45 days with retesting
2013 Train Wreck
 Without major changes:
 Revenue shortfall
 Inequity in funding
 Impact of new
college/career ready
standards
 Accountability Systems

State and Federal
 Politics
What are the NEEDED CHANGES?
• Redesign School
Finance:
• Adequate
• Equitable
• Quality of School:
• Multiple Criteria
• NOT Weakest Link
• Less Emphasis on Tests
• Politicians that
SUPPORT Public
Education
• Local Control
What Can You DO???
 Grassroots Movement
 Advocate for Public
Education
 Get Involved
 Hold Politicians
Accountable
 Research Platform
Political Candidates
 Registered Voter
 Vote in the Primary
Election – March, 2012!