We believe every child deserves high-quality education. We support leaders ensuring this right, especially for underserved students, to help them reach their full potential.

Welcome to edVantage TX newsletter by Democrats for Education Reform TX, highlighting the policies, people, and news shaping TX education.

The edVantage TX newsletter is a new regular communication by DFER TX that brings you the news and policy updates you need to help shape the education policy debate.

Contact the DFER TX team at info@dfertx.org to learn more and get in touch about how we can help your team approach crucial education policy debates next session.

Today’s edVantage TX Newsletter brings you:

House Public Education Committee Interim Hearing Recap
DFER TX Spotlight: VP Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz
Policy Updates: A-F Accountability Ratings Held Up in Courts…Again
What We Are Reading
Key Dates to Remember

House Public Education Committee Interim Hearing Recap

Some Progress, Lots of Heated Discussion

Last week, the House Public Education Committee held two back-to-back, marathon hearings on interim charges related to the educator workforce, early education, educational savings accounts/vouchers, and implementation updates on HB 1605 (high-quality instructional materials [HQIM]), SB 2124 (advanced math pathways), and HB 2209 (R-PEP). Here are some key takeaways:

💵 Funding
Despite not being an interim charge, school funding took up a great deal of conversation. There was general consensus on the need to increase funding, particularly in the areas of school safety, teacher compensation, and special education. However, like last legislative session, vouchers hijacked the debate. At one point, the committee seemed to reach a period of exacerbation on how to approach overall school funding, characterized by a member’s comment to anti-voucher testifiers to “give [lawmakers] a number” when asking for more money for public schools.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Workforce
During invited testimony on the teacher workforce, members discussed at length the definition of a high-quality teacher, the value of teacher certification, and the impact of teacher preparation on student achievement. The committee grappled with the complexity of the problem, debating barriers and solutions to improve the supply of incoming teachers, reduce teacher turnover, and provide support to teachers currently in the profession. Overall, the hearing indicated continued momentum to pass the recommendations from the Teacher Vacancy Task Force as well as find additional solutions to address the influx of uncertified beginning teachers.

📚 High-Quality Instructional Materials
A heated discussion between Rep. Talarico (D-Austin) and Commissioner Mike Morath dominated the testimony on monitoring charges. Rep. Talarico praised the intent behind HB 1605 and emphasized the importance of HQIM in the classroom, but pressed the commissioner to address concerns on the delicate inclusion of religious content in state-developed materials, noting that there is a “difference between teaching and preaching.” Public comment for the instructional materials review and adoption (IMRA) process closed on August 16, and the SBOE is scheduled to discuss the first round of proposed materials during the upcoming September board meeting.

DFER TX SPOTLIGHT

Highlighting Lawmakers Committed to Our Children

While we generally focus on Texas lawmakers and policymakers, the exciting change at the top of the Democratic ticket gives us an opportunity to review the education records of VP Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz. DFER was proud to endorse VP Harris shortly after she announced her candidacy for President and is excited to help VP Harris and the entire Democratic ticket this Fall.

Throughout her career, VP Harris has consistently advocated for families and students, supporting policies that aim to provide opportunities for all and address systemic inequities. VP Harris’ powerful story and experience with school bussing underscores her passion for providing high-quality public schools options to every child. In her first major speech as a Presidential candidate, VP Harris called for policies to empower teachers to teach true versions of history, a need for safer classrooms, and a commitment to pre-k education.

As Governor of Minnesota, Tim Waltz has a strong record of fighting for every student. As a former public school teacher, he has the first-hand experience necessary to approach classroom issues such as curriculum reform and teaching standards. As Minnesota Governor, Waltz oversaw the largest per-pupil funding increase in over a decade, made historic investments in special education and implemented a universal free lunch program. He has also advocated for literacy through the READ Act, which guarantees interventions for students needing support and funds the implementation of the Science of Reading.

The difference in the Presidential election could not be more clear as it relates to public education. VP Harris and Gov. Waltz are products of public schools and understand the importance of bold reforms. Former President Trump’s top proposal is to abolish the US Department of Education.

A-F Accountability Ratings Held Up in Court…

…Again

For the second year in a row, a Texas court has blocked release of Texas’ A-F Accountability ratings. The A-F system, created by the Texas Legislature in 2017, has only been fully implemented once since its creation due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 and school district litigation. This year a group of small, rural school districts asked a judge to temporarily block release of the A-F results, claiming recent changes to the STAAR were invalid. This injunction means parents and lawmakers will not have updated data to make informed decisions on enrollment, policymaking, and improvement opportunities for struggling schools.