Here's the Legislative Update I Provided for the Newsletters at Rummel Creek Elementary and Memorial Middle

I currently serve as the PTA Legislative representative at both Memorial Middle School and Rummel Creek Elementary School.  Below is the legislative update I recently provided for their newsletters:

The 80th Session of the Texas Legislature is down to its last 6 weeks. We are currently tracking approximately 800 bills that relate to education and our Board’s Legislative Priorities. If you are interested in seeing the bills related to each of the Board’s Legislative Priorities, you can see them here: http://www.springbranchisd.com/admin/gov/session/80th/Bills-Related-Board-Priorities.pdf.

Among these bills is House Bill 2236/Senate Bill 1031 which would replace the current TAKS test in high school with end of course exams. In addition, House Bill 3425 would give the Legislature 2 years to study the current TAKS system which would be revised or replaced in 2009. I have discussed at length the current problems with the TAKS testing system with our legislators. While I believe accountability is important, I think spending hundreds of millions of dollars and weeks of instructional time preparing for a test that 98% of 3^rd grade students pass is not a wise use of resources.  The current system does not provide good instructional data and fails to reward success.  Indeed, at our last budget meeting, we had a presentation from a group that has analyzed the top 200 districts (by size) in Texas.  Using a model that includes TAKS results, 4 year graduation rates, and ACT and SAT scores, Spring Branch ranks 1^st out of the top 200. That’s the kind of useful comparison information that I believe matters, as opposed to focusing on a single test.

We are also following a number of bills that would modify the top 10% rule for college admission, provide for teacher salary increases and modifications to the teacher retirement system, vouchers, and Robin Hood.

Finally, our biggest issue continues to be the cap on revenue established by last Spring’s Special Session. Since student population in Spring Branch is not a growing, the effect is to flat-line our revenue. The school finance reform bill included no provision for basic inflationary costs, including cost-of-living teacher salary increases, increasing energy and transportation costs, and increasing health insurance and benefit costs.  As a result, we are facing a $12 million deficit budget for 2007-2008 based solely on these inflationary cost increases.

Please remember to vote in our upcoming School Board election.  Early voting begins on April 30 at the Administration Building.  Election Day is May 12 with voting at your neighborhood elementary school.