Humble ISDLegislative Agenda

Reaching Out to Texas LeadersIn the 83rd Legislative Session

• From January through May, Legislators are addressing many issues including:– Excessive State Mandated Testing– Inequitable, Inadequate & Inappropriate Funding– Graduation Requirements– Accountability Measures – Vouchers

Each constituent contact makes a difference

Make the Effort• Please take contact information and let your

representatives know your opinion and that you vote

• Lawmakers contact information can be found on the Humble ISD Legislative Committee Webpage

• www.humbleisd.net/domain/5598

Make the Effort

• 82nd Legislature cut $5.4 billion from state budget – first real reductions to education since World War II

• Texas per student funding well below the national average even before the cuts

• Thousands of positions lost and student achievement program’s funding eliminated

• No money budgeted for population growth

A Little Background

• Increased student loads for teachers• Reductions made affecting every area of the

District• Joined a lawsuit as a plaintiff with 675 school

districts challenging the funding system

The Humble ISD Response

Moving Forward

• Humble Superintendent, Dr. Guy Sconzo, honored as first superintendent asked to testify in State Funding trial

• Judge Dietz rules against the state declaring the system to be “financially and quantitatively inefficient” and unconstitutional

Funding / FinanceHumble ISD supports:•More equitable funding system adequate to ensure career and college ready graduates•Restoring funding to 2010-11 levels plus student growth•Updates to Cost of Education Index •Restoring grant funding to 2010-11 levels•Updates to weights and allotments for Economically Disadvantaged and Limited English Proficient (LEP) students•Additional funding for Instructional Facilities (IFA) and Existing Debt Allotments (EDA)

Testing / AccountabilityHumble ISD supports:•State accountability systems that recognize student growth/progress in all areas•Recognizes successful career and workforce development programs•Recognizes successful student fine arts and wellness programs•Recognizes multiple indicators of student career and college readiness (PSAT, SAT, ACT, IB, AP, dual credit, certificate and certification programs)•Prohibiting campus or district ratings based on lowest performing subpopulation of any indicator

Testing / AccountabilityHumble ISD supports:•Including accountability exemptions for English Language Learners (ELL), Limited English Proficient (LEP) and refugee students for 3 years•Eliminating state mandated 15% EOC scores•Eliminating cumulative EOC score requirement•Reducing number of high stakes tests•Reducing number of EOC tests required for graduation•Allowing substitution of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Dual Credit assessments for EOC scores

Graduation Requirements

Humble ISD supports:•A renewed focus on Career and Technical Education (CTE) allowing maximum flexibility for substitution of CTE courses for core graduation requirements

Governance / VouchersHumble ISD supports:•Returning local control of school start date to local districts•Maintaining a defined benefit plan for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Humble ISD opposes:•Vouchers, tax credits, tuition reimbursement, scholarships or other schemes that divert public tax dollars to privately run schools not held to the same accountability standards as public schools

Federal IssuesHumble ISD supports:•Rescinding sequestration and funding cuts to education•Providing additional funding for special education (IDEA) grants for fiscal year 2013•Increasing Title 1 funding•Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) with removal of the punitive Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO) accountability system and replacement with a broader assessment of multiple student growth measures

Crafting a Meaningful MessageAll of these issues are important to Humble ISD but a heartfelt call from the parent of a high school 9th grader about high stakes testing or graduation requirements will be more powerful than a form letter covering all bullet points.Talking about crowded classrooms and local maximum tax rates will carry more weight than a string of abbreviations.

Make It Personal• Relate specific details about the consequences of budget

cuts that have impact on students• Talk about the quality of the education product delivered

by Humble ISD even in spite of budget challenges and the lack of meaningful discretion at the local level

• Stress the importance of adequate funding across the board

Keep the contact brief, positive and simple but always with an expectation that legislators will do the right thing for the children of Texas.

Legislation to MonitorMonitoring constantly changing bills through the legislative process is difficult.Use these resources to help focus on key issues. www.capitol.state.tx.usTexas Legislature OnlineMy TLO allows bill tracking and alertsMobile device support

Current Senate Bills Worth WatchingSenate Bills by Number and Sponsor•SB 1 (Williams)– Appropriations•SB 2 (Dan Patrick)– Vouchers•SB 3 (Patrick)– Graduation Requirements•SB 1724 (Patrick)– Testing•SB 225 (Seliger)– Graduation Requirements and Testing•SB 240 (VanDePutte)– Testing and Accountability

Current House Bills Worth Watching

House Bills by Number and Sponsor•HB 1 (Pitts)– Appropriations•HB 5 (Aycock)– Graduation Requirements, Testing and Accountability•HB 640 (Diane Patrick)–Testing and Accountability•HB 866 (Huberty)– Testing in Grades 3-8