Having trouble reading this email? Click here to view it as a webpage.

88TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE

Lawmakers start new session with budget surplus of $33B


The 88th session of the Texas Legislature began at noon Tuesday, a day after Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar released an updated estimate of the revenue available for lawmakers to work with that included an unprecedented surplus of nearly $33 billion. Click here to read more.


TCTA will be following the hundreds of bills that could affect teachers, students and schools and will keep you updated on their progress throughout the session. You can find the latest legislative news on our Capitol Updates webpage, with highlights reported in eUpdate each week.


In other legislative action this week:

  • The House and Senate met Tuesday to adopt the rules that will govern their operations throughout the session.
  • The Senate rules remain mostly unchanged from last session’s, though the shift to a combined Education Committee that includes a Higher Education Subcommittee (rather than two separate committees) was formalized.
  • Today, the House and Senate met in a joint session for more procedural actions, including the statewide canvassing of votes for governor and lieutenant governor, and then adjourned until next week.
  • We may see the first versions of the state budget when lawmakers return after MLK Day, and TCTA will be examining the bills to determine how these initial drafts address such issues as teacher salaries, health insurance, and a retiree cost-of-living adjustment.


Be sure to read TCTA's preview of the legislative session for more on what's expected on education issues. Read it online here or in your copy of the winter issue of The Classroom Teacher, which was mailed earlier this month.

OTHER NEWS

Nominations due Jan. 25 for two TRS Board positions


TRS is accepting nominations through Jan. 25 for eligible members to qualify as candidates for the election of the At-Large and Retiree positions on the TRS Board of Trustees. Both terms begin as early as Sept. 1, 2023, and end Aug. 31, 2029. Click here for more information on eligibility and how to submit nominations.

TEA updates pre-K guidelines ahead of fall implementation


The Texas Education Agency has released its 2022 Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines. Implementation of the guidelines begins in August, with the start of the 2023-24 school year. The published documents include streamlined and comprehensive guides for PK3 and PK4 in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.


To help educators prepare for the new guidelines, TEA has planned webinars and designated office hours to review changes and answer questions:


For additional questions regarding the prekindergarten guidelines, please contact lauren.gomez@tea.texas.gov or use TEA's ECE Support Portal.

USDE unveils new proposal for student loan debt repayment


Federal student loan borrowers could pay less money toward their debt and shorten the path to forgiveness under the terms of the Biden administration’s revamped income-driven repayment plan, which was unveiled Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education.


“We’re fixing a broken student loan system,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. “We’re making a new promise to today’s borrowers and to generations to come. Student loan payments will be affordable. You won’t be buried under an avalanche of interest, and you won’t be saddled with a lifetime of debt.” Click here to read more on the plan from The Washington Post.


The details of the proposed plan come about five months after President Joe Biden announced it alongside his program to forgive up to $20,000 in federal student debt per borrower. The fate of the debt relief program rests in the hands of the Supreme Court, which will hear the case in February.

Invite new colleagues to join TCTA for half price this month


If you have any new colleagues who were hired in January, invite them to join TCTA for half price. Find more information on eligibility here. Remind them to act quickly since Feb. 1 is the last day to join TCTA for the 2022-23 school year.

CALENDAR
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 16.
  • Register for TCTA's 2023 Convention by Jan. 27.

CONTENT PUBLISHED JANUARY 12, 2023 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

You can find previous editions of eUpdate online at tcta.org/eupdate.


TEXAS CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

PO BOX 1489 AUSTIN, TX 78767 | 888-879-8282 | TCTA.ORG

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
Facebook  Twitter  Pinterest