tions; TEA Communications
June 13, 2019
  • We need your help!
  • Five Schools Authorized to Open in 2020
  • Nominate Teacher and Leader of the Year
  • Career Opportunities at TCSA
  • Restorative Discipline Survey
  • TCSACon General Registration is Open
  • The 74: Amendments to Watch in the House
  • Opinion: Texas Charter School Superintendent Argues for More Federal Funding
  • San Antonio Express: "What Would You Do" host Quiñones speaks graduates
  • CBS 7 Midland: Elementary will be a tuition-free charter school
  • Yahoo Finance: Castro and Flores Inspire Premier High School Graduates
  • Waco Tribune-Herald: Rapoport Academy program teaches students business skills
  • Harmony Public Schools Debuts First Magazine
There are less than 15 days left for Charter Schools Now to meet its funding match. With $50,000 to go, we need your support to unlock an additional $50,000 from a generous donor. Your contribution of $50 will push us across the finish line! Charter Schools Now does the critical work of informing your local and state elected officials of the impact charter schools have on Texas families so they can vote in support of your schools.

While public charter schools in Texas had a good legislative session, there are lawmakers who continue to push back against the public schools that are serving Texas’s most vulnerable populations. Anti-charter lawmakers introduced more than 40 anti-charter bills that would have hurt our schools. Elected officials from Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Houston have spoken out against us – even going as far as saying that we don’t serve low income families and calling for a ban on new charter campuses. Charter Schools Now will make sure that these lawmakers know the truth about public charter schools and vote in support of our schools and children. Help Charter Schools Now.
TCSA News
Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath authorized five new charter schools to launch in August 2020. The final step of authorization shall take place this Friday, June 14th when the State Board of Education meets. 

These schools began a rigorous authorization process in August 2018 and successfully navigated a lengthy and arduous authorization process with external reviewers, internal TEA staff, and the State Board of Education. These five teams represent just a small portion of the over 35 teams that started the journey to authorization. 

Read more about the schools here.
The deadline for 2019 TCSA Teacher of the Year and Leader of the Year nominations is July 15th, 2019. Board members, administrators, teachers, students or parents and community member may nominate eligible applicants for these awards. Please take a moment today to nominate a deserving teacher or leader via survey monkey!

Learn more here.
If you believe that every Texas student deserves a high-quality education, join the movement and be a part of our team! Take a look at our current job openings!

See open positions here.
Restorative Discipline Survey
This week, TCSA welcomed Lauren Golubski to the staff for the summer as a policy intern. Lauren comes to TCSA as part of the Urban Leaders Fellowship and will be working with TCSA’s policy team to research restorative discipline practices at Texas charter schools. She will be reaching out to schools this summer with a survey about restorative discipline, and your response will be highly beneficial to TCSA’s ongoing policy work. Contact Connor Cook at cocook@txcharterschools.org if you have any questions.  
2019 Texas Charter Schools Conference
General Registration for the 2019 Texas Charter Schools Conference is open! There are so many ways we believe you can learn, grow and share at the Texas Charter Schools Conference – it’s an event you won’t want to miss! TCSACon offers 60+ quality educational sessions to choose from on cutting-edge trends, best practices, challenges and solutions in public education, as well as in-depth advocacy and Texas Legislature insights for charter schools. Join us!

National Charter News
“House members have proposed more than four dozen education-related amendments to a pending fiscal 2020 spending bill, running the gamut from student loans and Title IX to school safety and English language learners.

The Senate has yet to release its 2020 spending bill. Congress and the Trump administration must craft a deal to avert automatic overall budget cuts set to take effect next fiscal year before any additional spending can be allocated.'

Read about the five issues to watch here.
Texas Charter News
Beatrice Mayes Institute's superintendent, Christopher Mayes argues for increased federal funds to expand charter schools and serve more students.

"Public charter schools like BMI are doing great things in our communities and are preparing our students for a future of success. We must ensure that the limited funding that exists to help high-performing charter schools continues to grow so that our students can continue to thrive. Simply put, we know what works, and there is no better investment than the future of our children."

Read more  here.
"ABC News correspondent and "What Would You Do" host John Quiñones returned to his hometown to give a "motivational speech" to high school graduates in San Antonio last Friday.

An alum of St. Mary's University, Quiñones was the commencement speaker at Harmony Science Academy-San Antonio, sharing words of wisdom to the Class of 2019 at Trinity University."

Read the story here.
"One parent at the meeting, Ariana Navarrete, said her son previously attended Travis Elementary. Navarrete said they moved and he switched schools, but she plans on filling out an application for him to attend IDEA at Travis Elementary.

“I would like for him to be a little bit more challenged. I would like to see him go up in grade levels and be excited about learning. I love reading, and I want him to love to read and want him to be excited about learning. I teared up a little bit on those videos they were showing because it looks like they do have a very high success rate,” she said."

Read more  here.
"United States Congressman Joaquin Castro and Texas State Senator Pete Flores addressed Premier High School® graduates at the June 8 commencement. 

 Both legislators imparted words of wisdom to the graduates as they embark upon the next stage of their lives."

Read more  here.
"Rapoport Academy high school students do not have to wait to start sharpening their entrepreneurial skills and building business connections, with the charter school’s work-based education program that will be featured next month at a state charter school summit."

Read the story here.
Harmony Public Schools released their debut issue this week! Keep up with Harmony Schools and sign up for the magazine here!
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Read more on our blog: The Texas Charter Exchange