The Texas Legislature began its 87th session this week, with House members electing Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, as the new speaker.

Lawmakers will have to deal with a $1 billion deficit in the current fiscal year as they prepare the 2022-23 budget, according to the biennial revenue estimate, an improvement from the comptroller's earlier projections.

In other action this week:

Throughout the session, you can find daily Updates from the Capitol as well as track key legislation related to education in our Bill Summaries.

TEA says results from optional beginning-of-year assessments given to students in the fall show a learning loss of at least 3.2 months due to school closures in the spring as the pandemic began. This is on top of the typical summer slide. While these optional tests were only given to a fraction of Texas students, the results offer early insights to the challenges ahead in helping students recover. Click here to view the findings.

To assist educators facing difficult situations during remote or in-person learning, the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University compiled a list of state and national resources. It includes information on preventing, identifying, and reporting suspected child abuse, neglect and trafficking. Click here to view the resources.

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to unveil a stimulus plan during a televised address to the nation at 6:15 p.m. CST. Early reports say the measure will focus on delivering direct aid to American families as well as on vaccine production and delivery. More money for schools is also likely.

With COVID-19 cases rising at record-setting rates across Texas, several school districts, including Northside and Austin ISDs, have urged parents to voluntarily move their children back to virtual learning for a couple of weeks in hopes of slowing the spread of the virus and preventing mandatory closures.

As of Jan. 5, nearly 65,000 students and more than 38,000 staff members have tested positive since August. The positive case count is expected to increase significantly when the state dashboard is updated on Friday to include the first full week back from winter break.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced this week that 28 coronavirus vaccination hubs will receive most of the state's next shipment of COVID-19 vaccines as Texas works to streamline vaccinations amid a surge of cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Texas continues to prioritize vaccinating health care workers, people who are 65 and older, and those with medical conditions that increase their risk of hospitalization or death if they contract the virus. Teachers and other front-line workers are expected to be included in phase 1C of the rollout, though no timeline has been given for when access will begin. The vaccination process is voluntary. According to TEA, the current COVID-19 vaccines were authorized under the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization; therefore vaccination cannot be required by employers.

As COVID-19 vaccines are approved and distributed, TRS wants enrollees to know all TRS health plans will cover FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines at no cost. Click here to learn more. Many other health plans are offering vaccines at no cost as well, with the federal government paying for doses.

We have all the latest state and federal guidance in our COVID-19 FAQs on 2020-21 Education Issues. This week, we updated information from TEA about COVID-19 vaccines. While this information is not legal advice, we hope it helps answer questions you may have about COVID-19's impact on schools. Members who have specific concerns or questions should call the Legal Department at 888-879-8282 to speak with a staff attorney.

A paraprofessional sued a school district after his contract was terminated, alleging that the district had discriminated against him based on sex and that he had been fired in retaliation for complaining about the discrimination. The district claimed the paraprofessional was dismissed after he engaged in "inappropriate physical contact with a student." Click here to read more.

House Bill 3 requires all classroom teachers and principals in grades K-3 to complete reading academies. While the target for completion was the 2021-22 school year, the Texas Education Agency now plans to propose rules allowing districts through the 2022-23 school year to train current staff. All K-3 teachers and principals must register for the literacy academies, but there are some exemptions and additional options. Click here for more information.

Groups of teachers can apply to TEA to earn stipends for piloting Texas Home Learning instructional materials, which are designed for both in-person and remote learning. Pilot participants will receive $500 or $1,000 stipends, remote learning training and ongoing coaching support, and extra materials for text sets, including manipulatives (if piloting a THL-recommended unit). Applications are being accepted through January for the spring 2021 pilot and can be submitted from a district representative or a school representative with district approval. Click here to learn more.

If you have new colleagues on campus, reach out and invite them to join TCTA. Second-semester hires can join TCTA and receive full membership benefits for half the cost. (Enrollment ends Feb. 1, 2021, and membership will expire Aug. 31, 2021.) Click here for the application and more information.