May 2019
Leslie & Scott Milder
Co-Founders
Friends of Texas 
Public Schools
Est. 2004
CORPORATE PARTNERS
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College of Education & Human Services





 





DK Haney Roofing is a certified TIPS and TXMAS vendor dedicated to helping schools get roofing projects done. Schools have been our specialty for 23 years, so we can help you navigate insurance claims and board approvals. Our state-of-the-art roof management portal provides instant access to all your roofs and reports. Call 866-379-4846. 
ADVERTISE WITH FRIENDS 

With more than a million hits annually on our website and nearly 70,000 e-news subscribers, we are pleased to offer advertising and sponsorship opportunities available to organizations wishing to reach school leaders across Texas who support Friends of Texas Public Schools. 

For information on getting your organization's message out to Friends of Texas Public Schools followers and readers, please email Jennifer Storm.  

Texas Ranks 5th in High School Graduation Rates!
Texas public schools are doing better than 90% of the states in the nation in graduation rates! Texas graduation rates rank 5 th , well above the national average.  In fact, when you break down the graduation rate by sub-populations, Texas is in the top four in several categories: 2nd among Asian students, 2nd among Black students, 2nd among White students, 2nd among Economically Disadvantaged students; and 4th among Hispanic students.

How would students abroad perform if held to NAEP's proficiency benchmark?
Statistical analyses dating back decades have asked: How would students abroad perform if held to NAEP's proficiency benchmark?

The answer: The vast majority of students in most countries can't clear that bar. Not a single nation can demonstrate that even 40 percent of its 4th graders are proficient in reading by NAEP's definition. That's why a succession of scholars and organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences, have labeled NAEP's proficiency benchmark "wishful thinking," of "doubtful validity" and producing results that "defy reason" and "refute common sense."

In truth, while critics equate NAEP's proficiency benchmark with grade-level performance, the U.S. Department of Education has long noted that if observers are interested in grade-level performance, NAEP's "basic" standard is the appropriate benchmark. By this metric, the critics' claim of failure is stood on its head. Depending on the grade and subject, up to 82 percent of U.S. students are performing at grade level. While this is not perfect, it is also not a sign of shameful failure.

NAEP's highly debatable proficiency benchmark is employed as a weapon in what Roland Chevalier, former superintendent in St. Martin Parish, La., liked to call the "PiƱata Theory" of school reform: Keep beating the schools until good things fall out of them.


Dear Friends,
 
The school year is wrapping up, summer is upon us and preparations for the 2019-2020 school year will be full steam ahead. I hope you will consider putting together a plan of action to keep sharing all of the great things happening in public schools throughout the summer.  Find happenings to keep your local schools in the headlines in a positive manner during the summer break. A great way to bolster schools is by going to the www.greatschools.org website and entering a positive review for your local public schools. 
Great things are happening in our local public schools!  Let's tell the story!

Thank you,

Blake W. Cooper
Executive Director
Friends of Texas Public Schools
CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Schneider Electric is the leading choice for K-12 infrastructure improvements. Schneider Electric, has partnered with districts across the nation to modernize facilities, implement new technologies, enhance curriculum, and generate revenue that helps our K-12 clients reach their biggest ambitions. As partners, we start by identifying projects within the district's plan that increase energy efficiency and reduce maintenance and operations costs. The guaranteed savings generated through these improvements are leveraged to fund the project. Count on our 100 years of energy management experience to improve the efficiency and functionality of your infrastructure.  Watch this Video to See How Scurry-Rosser ISD Upgrades Facilities & Athletic Department with Energy Savings
 
Thank you to our Affiliate Partners!
Belfor - Cornerstone - Government Capital - Pfluger Architects -  Powell & Leon - Right at School -  Symmetry  Turf - Texas Association of School Business Officals (TASBO)  - Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators (TASPA) - Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) - TransCend4
Coming Soon: Ambassadors Express
Bring your school leadership team for a full-day workshop and discover what it means to be an Ambassador and how to create a culture of Ambassadorship across your district. Based on the book, " Hello! My Name Is Public School and I Have an Image Problem, " this program prepares educators to step up as Ambassadors for their students, schools, and profession. Includes lessons on the great things happening in our schools and explores the major factors contributing to the decay of public confidence in our public schools, including brotherhood, communication, politics, and the incessant misinformation pervading public debate.  
 
SAVE THE DATE: Monday, October 28, 2019, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm 
Google Education, Austin, Texas
For more information, click here.
Share Great Stories
We know that great things are happening every day on the campuses of our neighborhood public schools. Please send your district's stories to us and we will share on our social media.

 

OUR MISSION
To facilitate respectful conversations about Texas public schools through honest communication, productive dialogue, and relentless encouragement.