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FEATURED NEWS

Gov. Abbott taps freshman member as SBOE chairman

Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed freshman member Aaron Kinsey to lead the State Board of Education through December 2025.

"I sincerely value the relationships I have built across the board and look forward to our accomplishments as we focus on strengthening Texas' future," Kinsey said in a statement.

Kinsey, an oil industry entrepreneur from Midland and a proponent of school choice, replaces Keven Ellis, who chaired the board for the past four years. Ellis remains on the board. Kinsey will begin his role as chairman at SBOE's next meeting, which is Jan. 30-Feb. 1 in Austin. Click here to read more.

Register to vote in March 5 Texas primaries by Feb. 5

Feb. 5 is the deadline to register to vote in the March 5 primary elections. Early voting begins Feb. 20 and ends March 1. Voters in each primary will choose their candidates for U.S. president, U.S. Senate, congressional and legislative offices, the State Board of Education, the Railroad Commission and judicial seats. Click here to see if you are registered to vote or to print a registration form.

In the next couple of weeks, TCTA will be updating TexasTeachersVote.org with information about candidates for Texas House, Texas Senate and SBOE seats, including how incumbents voted on key education issues in 2023.

Social Security bill still sits in House subcommittee despite bipartisan support for H.R. 82

H.R. 82, a bill that would eliminate or restructure the WEP and GPO provisions of Social Security, is up to 303 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. Despite bipartisan support, the bill still sits in a House Ways and Means subcommittee as lawmakers work to secure funding to pay for the proposed changes. A companion bill in the U.S. Senate, S 597, is also pending in committee.

TCTA provided written testimony in support of the legislation during a hearing in November, and we will continue to work with Congress for fairer treatment of educators under the WEP and GPO.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Two school board members sue district over request for records

Two school board members filed a lawsuit against a school district, alleging that they made requests for documents and information from the district in their official capacities as school board members and that the district failed to provide all the information they requested. The district denied this and claimed that it provided everything.

The district further argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed, claiming that the board members failed to go through the proper grievance process prior to filing the lawsuit. It also claimed that the board members were no longer entitled to the documents cited in the lawsuit because their terms had ended and they were no longer on the board. The district court denied this request and the school district appealed. Click here to find out what the court of appeals decided.

OTHER NEWS

U.S. improves world ranking in science, math, reading

The recently released results of the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) show the U.S. world ranking improved in science, math and reading. The U.S. results are compared to the 36 other member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group of industrialized nations. Students in 44 non-OECD countries also take the exams.

In math, the U.S. average score (465) was not significantly different from the OECD average score (472). In reading literacy, the U.S. average score (504) was higher than the OECD average score (476). And in science, the U.S. average score (499) was higher than the OECD average score (485). Results of scores in financial literacy will be released in May. Click here to read more.

Texas schools to lose $300M in special education funding

Texas school districts are poised to lose more than $300 million a year in special education funding under a recent federal administrative decision, at a time when many districts are struggling to keep up with an exploding number of requests for evaluations, the San Antonio Express-News reports.

Dozens of districts stand to lose at least $1 million, and three will face shortfalls of more than $10 million: Northside ISD, Dallas ISD and Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. Houston ISD will lose out on close to $10 million in the coming year, according to data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. 

Although the cuts are the result of a long-running dispute with the federal government, the finality of the decision has caught many districts off guard. Click here to read more.

USDE seeks educators for school ambassador fellowship

The U.S. Department of Education is accepting applications for the 2024-25 School Ambassador Fellowship through Feb. 5. The fellowship is a professional engagement experience designed to improve the outcomes for students nationwide. Selected teachers, administrators and other school leaders, such as counselors, social workers and librarians, will share their expertise with the department to provide input on a range of national education policy issues. Click here to learn more or to apply.

Register now for TCTA's 2024 Annual Meeting

Online registration is underway for TCTA's 2024 Annual Meeting on Feb. 16-17 at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio. Hotel reservations must be made by Jan. 25 to secure TCTA's special room rates.

Members in attendance can earn up to 4.5 hours of continuing professional education hours during three CPE sessions on Friday, Feb. 16:

• 10 a.m.: Addressing the Increase of Anxiety and Stress in Our Youth
• 1:30 p.m.: Reaching Diverse Learners and De-escalation Strategies for Students with Challenging Behaviors
• 3:30 p.m.: TCTA Legal Q&A Session

Delegates to the Representative Assembly will convene on Saturday, Feb. 17, to discuss TCTA business and elect statewide leaders. You can read more about the Executive Board candidates in the winter issue of The Classroom Teacher, which was mailed in late December and can be read online here.

Click here for more information and links to register.

Mistake in FAFSA forms could reduce aid for college students

More than 17 million students are expected to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) this year in hopes of getting help paying for college. But a big mistake on the form, which has been plagued by delays, could lower the amount of federal financial aid many receive unless it's remedied soon. Click here to read more from NPR.

• MLK Day is Monday, Jan. 15. TCTA Headquarters will be closed.
• The State Board of Education meets Jan. 30-Feb. 1 in Austin.
• Feb. 5 is the last day to register to vote in the March 5 primary elections.
• TCTA's 2024 Annual Meeting is Feb. 16-17 in San Antonio.