The Classroom Teacher | Spring 2024

THE MAGAZINE of the TEXAS CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION Spring 2024 | Volume 43 | Number 4

Will New Laws Improve Safety in Schools?

ALSO INSIDE: House Bill 1605 includes protections for teachers TCTA 2024 Annual Meeting wrap-up | Achieving financial goals for your future

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Failed experiments

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e’ve all suffered through failed experiments in our personal lives. Maybe you kept trying a fashion trend that you could never pull off. (I have three of those poofy tiered dresses in my Goodwill pile right now; so cute on other people, not on me!) Perhaps you took a chance on moving to a new area that turned out to be a poor fit, or dated the wrong person for just a little too long. It can be hard to give up on something that you’ve invested time or energy or money (or all three) into.

Our science teachers undoubtedly could chime in on the recommended point at which an experiment can be said definitively to not prove its hypothesis. My dad, an engineer, was forever testing out theories around the house, including one that somehow involved clothes turning inside out during the dryer cycle. That one only lasted for a couple of baskets of laundry before he realized there didn’t seem to be any pattern at all.

If only it were so easy for state policymakers to acknowledge a failed experiment, when the sad results of many modern-era education reforms are staring them in the face.

Standardized testing can be a valuable tool when used correctly. Using results diagnostically, and not punitively, would be a good start. Test results, assuming the assessment instrument is well-designed, can inform teachers and parents of weak areas to be addressed and strengths to cultivate. Administrators can see demographic gaps in their schools that need to be narrowed.

We entered the current era of standardized testing and accountability in 1979, and began ramping up in 1986 with the introduction of high stakes (student graduation) dependent on test results. Even after several decades, it would be hard to declare our approach an unqualified success. While some indicators are positive (Texas tends to compare favorably to other states in NAEP results, for example), it can be hard to gauge improvement given the continual changes in testing and scoring metrics.

Beyond test performance, teachers and parents alike point to concerns about student test anxiety, overemphasis on testing strategies, and other side effects of the system.

Many teachers would argue that high-stakes standardized testing itself has become one of the major problems plaguing Texas schools, rather than a solution. After 45 years, can lawmakers find a way to tackle this issue successfully? There at least seems to be a willingness to try, but so far the Texas Legislature hasn’t been able to agree on how to replace our current system.

Districts of Innovation

Districts of Innovation are one of the most egregiously ineffective “reforms” of the last several decades. Education policymakers in 2015 approved legislation allowing districts, with very few exceptions, to exempt themselves from most of the Texas Education Code. Despite the name, DOIs are not required to be innovative, and it has become clear that they are simply used as a matter of administrative convenience for school districts. Nearly all of Texas’ school districts (972) went the DOI route to avoid the mandatory school start date, while 944 have exempted themselves from some or all requirements to hire certified teachers (federal requirements regarding special education and bilingual educators still apply). One of these DOI uses is relatively trivial; one of them threatens the entire teaching profession.

In 2023, a study examined the testing performance of DOI districts to see if the Continued on page 23 tcta.org | 888-879-8282

PO Box 1489, Austin, TX 78767-1489 Office hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays Phone: 888-879-8282 Fax: 512-469-9527 Website: tcta.org

2023-24 Board of Directors President

Nydia Alvarez-Alonzo, Mission President-Elect

Melody Young, Sherman Immediate Past President

Eleanore Malone, Winona Budget

Vivian Burleson, Northside Curriculum & Instruction

Cristal Isaacks, Levelland Governance

Jennifer Hutchinson, Hays Consolidated Legislation

Brec Espinoza, Brownwood Membership

Debra Helbert, Lamar Consolidated Professional Rights & Responsibilities

Our standardized testing system

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Texas Classroom Teachers Association

Sharron Wood, Deweyville Teacher Personal Services

Melanie Love Hoyt, Pottsboro

Staff Contacts Executive Director

Ann Fickel

General Counsel

Lonnie F. Hollingsworth Jr. Attorneys

Lonnie F. Hollingsworth Jr. Holly Eaton Michael Currie Gerald Francisco Julie Leahy Paige Bruton Williams Kaylan Dixon Smith Business Office

Park Brigtsen

Communications

M. Clare Haefner Legislation

Paige Bruton Williams Ann Fickel Lonnie F. Hollingsworth Jr. Holly Eaton Pamela McPeters Quinn McCall Membership

Persie Tynes Professional Development and Advocacy

Holly Eaton

Services Corporation

Jan Lanfear

Contract Attorney

Lindsay Gustafson

About TCTA

The Texas Classroom Teachers Association is an independent association for Texas teaching professionals that was founded in 1927. TCTA is based in Austin and is the only statewide teachers association that limits active-level membership to those directly involved in classroom teaching or teaching support.

CONTENTS

Spring 2024 | Volume 43 | Number 4

DEPARTMENTS

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On the Cover

Executive Director’s Message

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THE MAGAZINE of the TEXAS CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION Spring 2024 | Volume 43 | Number 4

TCTA News & Notes

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Member Accolades

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Washington Watch

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Will New Laws Improve Safety in Schools?

ALSO INSIDE: HB 1605 provides protections for teachers TCTA 2024 Annual Meeting wrap-up | Achieving financial goals for your future

Membership Matters

Are Schools Safer?

In the two years since an armed intruder walked onto the campus of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24, 2022, state lawmakers and school officials have been reviewing ways to improve security and prevent another tragic mass shooting.

While most action leading up to the 2023 legislative session focused on the law enforcement response in Uvalde, lawmakers also looked to build on legislation passed after the shooting at Santa Fe High School in May 2018.

FEATURES

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Connected to the Community Kirsten Nash always knew she wanted to work with children.

Now in her 18th year of teaching, the speech and debate teacher at Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville ISD is a 2024 state finalist in the Leadership Secondary category of H-E-B’s Excellence in Education Awards.

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HB 1605 includes protections for teachers House Bill 1605 is a comprehensive measure passed in

2023 that changes how instructional materials are adopted and funded in Texas. The law provides additional funding to districts for using State Board of Education-approved materials and allows them to select a range of approved instructional materials for use within the district.

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TCTA delegates elect new state leaders Delegates to the Representative Assembly approved revisions to TCTA’s governance documents and elected new statewide leaders during TCTA’s 2024 Annual Meeting in San Antonio on Feb. 16-17.

THE CLASSROOM TEACHER (ISSN-0279-2494) is the official publication of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association (TCTA), providing news and opinions in the interest of education excellence. All contents are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the publisher’s permission. The views and opinions contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Copyright © 2024. Publication schedule is quarterly. Annual membership dues for TCTA are $175, $5 of which is allocated to a one-year subscription to THE CLASSROOM TEACHER. Subscriptions for nonmembers are available for $10 per year. POSTMASTER: Please send changes of address, articles and/or photographs to: Editor, THE CLASSROOM TEACHER, PO Box 1489, Austin, Texas 78767-1489. TCTA is located at 700 Guadalupe, Austin, Texas 78701. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.

Spring 2024 | THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

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TCTA NEWS & NOTES

SBOE delays discussion and vote on new Native Studies course State Board of Education Chairman Aaron Kinsey has faced scrutiny in his first few months leading the board after expected discussion and a vote on a proposed American Indian/Native Studies course were delayed.

Proponents expected discussion at SBOE’s January meeting, but Kinsey said it was “postponed to allow members more time to review its contents.”

Advocates hoped the curriculum would be addressed in April so the material could be approved and ready for statewide adoption in the 2024-25 school year, but discussion was delayed again. The next opportunity for the board to review the course is its meeting in June, which would be too late for most schools to add the class this fall.

Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Kinsey, a freshman member from Midland, to lead SBOE through December 2025. He replaces Keven Ellis as chair, though Ellis remains on the board.

While the new course is on hold, SBOE members have set

the framework for a new process for adopting high-quality instructional materials for Texas students.

Members adopted several items related to the implementation of House Bill 1605, including final approval on the suitability rubric for the Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process under the bill. This rubric outlines the criteria to be used to determine the suitability and appropriateness of instructional materials for a particular subject and grade level.

(Read more about HB 1605 in Legal Notes on page 14.)

During its January meeting, the board approved IMRA rubrics in the following subjects: English and Language Arts for grades K-3 and 4-8; Spanish Language Arts for grades K-3 and 4-6; and math for grades K-12. The Texas Education Agency is seeking educators and subject-matter experts across the state to serve as instructional materials reviewers.

Anyone with relevant content expertise is encouraged learn more and find a link to apply at https://tinyurl. com/4nwa5r97.

Appeals court blocks Texas from enforcing 2023 book rating law The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked the Texas Education Agency from enforcing a state law requiring booksellers to rate the explicitness and relevance of sexual references in materials they sell to schools. The appellate court sided with booksellers who claimed House Bill 900 violated their First Amendment rights. The court’s Jan. 17 ruling affirmed a lower court’s decision to prevent TEA from enforcing the 2023 law. But the decision did not completely block it. Still in effect is a component that requires the Texas State Library and Archives Commission to create new library collection standards. The new rules must prohibit school libraries from acquiring or keeping sexually explicit materials.

Texas schools to lose $300M in federal special education funding Texas school districts will 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 reported.

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 4

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many districts off guard.

Under the school Medicaid program, districts receive money back from the federal government when their staff provides services to special education students that are medical, as opposed to educational. But a 2017 audit found that Texas was improperly coding what counted as medical services, resulting in overpayments. The state has historically received about $700 million under the program.

After years of appeals, the final decision came down this fall: School districts are now expected to receive about $300 million less per year from now on, according to the HHSC. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/2s8sf2hv.

TCTA NEWS & NOTES

Six pro-public education Texas legislators ousted in Republican primaries in March; four more face runoff elections on May 28 Primary voting took place across 15 states on March 5, including Texas, where every state House district and roughly half of the state Senate districts were up for election. Most incumbents were uncontested or only faced mild opposition, but after a decisive defeat on school vouchers last session, Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to support primary challengers to the Republican representatives who opposed him. Abbott also targeted House Speaker Dade Phelan (HD 21), who will head to a runoff in May against David Covey.

Of the 21 Republicans who voted against the last voucher proposal, five opted not to run for reelection, inviting crowded primaries to replace outgoing incumbents. With few exceptions, the remaining anti-voucher Republicans faced stiff opposition in their respective primaries; six were defeated outright, four will advance to runoffs against the governor’s pro-voucher candidates, and six retained their seats.

Increasing pro-voucher numbers in the House will make it much harder for public education supporters to continue to stave off the diversion of public funds to private schools in the next legislative session.

The runoff elections will take place on May 28, with early voting from May 20-24. In many rural districts, the winner of the primary (and subsequent runoff, if applicable) is virtually guaranteed to win the general election in November.

• HD 33 (Rockwall area): Justin Holland (incumbent) vs.

Katrina Pierson • HD 44 (Seguin/Gonzales area): John Kuempel (incumbent) vs. Alan Schoolcraft • HD 58 (South of Fort Worth): DeWayne Burns (incumbent) vs. Helen Kerwin There also are three Texas Senate seats and eight U.S. House seats in runoffs.

If you voted in a party primary in March, you can vote only in that same party’s runoff. Voters who didn’t cast a ballot in the primary can vote in either party’s runoff.

Two Republican incumbents on the State Board of Education — Tom Maynard in District 10 and Pam Little in District 12 — face runoff challengers. Another GOP incumbent, Pat Hardy, lost her District 11 primary race.

There are 19 Texas House races headed to runoffs in May, and the following four feature anti-voucher Republican incumbents: • HD 1 (far Northeast Texas): Gary VanDeaver (incumbent) vs.

Chris Spencer

Enter your address in The Texas Tribune’s election guide at https://tinyurl.com/mu4xndkt to see if there’s a runoff where you live. Then learn more about Texas House, Texas Senate and SBOE candidates on TCTA’s election website, TexasTeachersVote.org.

TCTA wins three Gold Stars, one Silver Star from 2024 TSPRA Star Awards TCTA’s 2022 Christmas card won a Gold Star and was named Best of Category in the Texas School Public Relations Association’s annual Star Awards. Chosen for its “nontraditional design,” the judge said the card was “visually appealing, and simple yet effective.”

The eUpdate newsletter and TCTA’s 2022-23 membership brochure also received Gold Stars at this year’s awards ceremony, which was held Feb. 28 during TSPRA’s annual convention in Sugar Land. Judges praised both for “pleasing designs” along with their use of color and readability.

The Classroom Teacher received a Silver Star.

The awards program recognizes the outstanding education communications and projects of TSPRA members. Independent, impartial judges evaluate each work and project based on set criteria and they award Gold, Silver and Bronze Star Awards, as well as Best of Categories, Certificates of Merit, Crystal Commendations and the Platinum Award for an all encompassing, year-long communications project. TCTA competes against associations and school districts serving more than 40,000 students.

Spring 2024 | THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

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TCTA NEWS & NOTES

Texas schools facing lowest funding since 2020 State officials say Texas is investing an unprecedented amount in public and charter schools. But inflation-adjusted numbers in a recent Austin AmericanStatesman analysis show the value of funding per student has decreased in recent years (as noted in the chart at right).

The analysis found that on average, Texas public schools have received $10,837.03 for each of the 5.07 million students in the 2023-24 school year from state and local allocations — 1% more than the $10,290.19 per student last year and 5% more than the $9,897.55 in 2020, according to Texas Education Agency data.

However, adjusted to 2024 dollars, perstudent funding from state and local sources is down by 12.9% — $10,387.03 this year compared with $11,919.13 per student in 2020.

The state allocates at least $6,160 per student, an amount known as the basic allotment. On top of that baseline value, the state determines how much extra funding to allocate to districts for

Source: Austin American-Statesman certain additional categories such as special education or bilingual education or the district’s size and technology

requirements. Those allotments combined give districts a total average state funding per student.

Make the most of your membership!

Take advantage of TCTA’s cost-saving programs as you plan your next adventure. Log in at tcta.org/ membership/discount-programs to find deals on Schlitterbahn, Six Flags and other amusement parks, movie tickets, professional sports, zoos, museums, concerts, Broadway shows and more.

Save on car rentals with Alamo, Avis and Budget.

Reserve hotel rooms with participating Choice Hotels or Wyndham Hotels & Resorts*, which include La Quinta properties. TicketsatWork now offers packages with Carnival cruises along with thousands of shopping deals.

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*Please note: TCTA’s Wyndham corporate code changed in March. Log in to get the new code and be sure to reference it when you make reservations.

NEWS & NOTES

TCTA urges SBEC to retain flexibility for how special education teachers show content competency TCTA testified during the State Board for Educator Certification’s Feb. 16 meeting about the need to provide ways other than having to obtain content certification for special education teachers to demonstrate content competency to meet federal requirements.

TCTA’s Quinn McCall pointed out to SBEC that TEA’s current proposal was to require elementary and middle school special education teachers to hold content certification, while providing flexibility for high school teachers. TCTA’s testimony focused on the significant burden this could place on veteran teachers and those just starting their careers, especially given the critical shortage of special education teachers.

McCall emphasized that while TCTA supports flexibility for high school teachers, under current SBEC rules, all grade levels of special education teachers have the option of using a flexible method (HOUSSE) to demonstrate content competency and that a similar flexible approach should continue to be allowed for all special education teachers.

TEA staff emphasized that they would continue to work with stakeholders to arrive at a workable approach. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/yy5uz63x.

SBEC moves controversial edTPA forward A year and a half after TCTA and others were successful in persuading the State Board of Education to unanimously

reject a proposal by SBEC to replace the current teacher pedagogy certification exam (Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities, or PPR) with a controversial national performance assessment called edTPA, TEA staff reported to SBEC at its February meeting that its first attempt at identifying an entity to develop a Texas-specific performance assessment yielded no results.

TCTA’s long-standing opposition to requiring a performance assessment as the only option for a pedagogy certification exam was reflected in testimony by the Texas Coalition for Educator Preparation, of which TCTA is a founding member.

TCEP emphasized that it was paramount for SBEC to overtly commit to keeping edTPA only as an option and not a requirement until another option for a pedagogy certification test is available. In response, several board members expressed their commitment. Chair Jean Streepey (a TCTA member) said it was the board’s intent to keep PPR as an option until another alternative to edTPA is approved. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/ye7wh8ap.

At its April meeting, the State Board of Education narrowly voted to let SBEC’s edTPA rule go forward but with pointed instructions to SBEC that there must be a Texas-specific performance assessment available as an option to edTPA. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/2k6nhf54.

MEMBER ACCOLADES

TCTA members honored as Campus Teachers of the Year in Killeen TCTA congratulates nine members who were among Killeen ISD’s 2023-24 Campus Teachers of the Year: •

Kerry Campbell, Clarke Elementary

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Ramona Unitt, Clear Creek Elementary

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Keisha Lovell, Maude Moore Wood Elementary

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Janell Mayfield, Maxdale Elementary

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Lance Dugger, Mountain View Elementary

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Joanna Oliveras, Pershing Park Elementary

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Esther Garcia, Cavazos Elementary

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Corey Cooks, Timber Ridge Elementary

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Angela Morales, Nolan Middle School

TCTA member joins Kappa Delta Pi chapter Longtime TCTA member Marilyn Cook, who retired from Port Aransas ISD, was inducted into the Eleanor Roosevelt Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi at the 2023 KDP national convocation.

Cook has served on many KDP committees, including four years on the Executive Council.

She has been in the educational field for over 30 years, teaching both K-12 students and at the university level. The Eleanor Roosevelt Chapter honors members who have made significant and longtime contributions of service to KDP as well as demonstrated a commitment to its ideals and to excellence in education. Learn more at kdp.org/home.

Share your success with us! Were you chosen as your campus Teacher of the

Year? Did you win an award or receive grant funding? Email communications@tcta.org and tell us about your recognition so we can share it in The Classroom Teacher.

Spring 2024 | THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

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WASHINGTON WATCH

How Congressional budget battles impact education funding

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n March 24, President Joe Biden signed into law the final set of Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills that fund federal

agencies and the programs they manage. This was markedly late, over five months into a fiscal year that started Oct. 1, 2023.

Delays in passing annual spending measures are not uncommon as party-line disagreements on topline funding levels drag out in conference negotiations. In 11 of the past 13 years, for instance, lawmakers have not passed a single spending bill on time. Questions often arise about how the continuing federal budget battles impact the U.S. Department of Education’s ability to support K-12 schools or implement the administration’s initiatives. We will address some of these questions.

What role does federal K-12 funding play in school district finances?

K-12 public schools are financed through a combination of local, state and federal dollars in proportions that vary across and within states. On a national average, this annual amount totals $810 billion or $16,390 per pupil.

State and local governments provide the vast majority of funding — 89% — for K-12 education. State governments employ formulas to distribute education funds among school districts. Those school districts in turn combine state dollars and additional revenue raised from federal and local sources to fund individual schools. The federal government provides a much smaller funding stream, an average of 11%, to overall K-12 funding.

In Texas, the federal contribution is 12.7% of the $12,763 per pupil total.

Most school funding in Texas comes from local property taxes.

Federal funding is delivered through specific grant programs, mostly targeted to low-performing schools. Other grants help schools with at-risk youth, students with disabilities and students from lowincome households.

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How do annual federal appropriations align with school year funding?

Many of USDE’s elementary and secondary programs are forward funded. Forward funding becomes available beginning late in the federal budget year (which runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30) and is carried into at least one following fiscal year. For example, funds provided on July 1, 2023, would be available through Sept. 30, 2024, or later. In general, this funding sequencing protects elementary and secondary schools that might otherwise experience service disruptions if they received funds aligned with the federal fiscal year and not the academic or school year.

An advantage of this approach is that it allows schools to obligate funds prior to the start of the school year. It also gives schools time to plan for, and adjust to, changes in federal funding levels.

How does a continuing resolution impact K-12 federal funding?

In years such as this past one, when Congress continues to negotiate an agreement on annual appropriations after the beginning of the fiscal year, they usually provide partial-year funding through a temporary appropriations law, often referred to as a continuing resolution. CRs typically provide level funding, based on the previous fiscal year’s appropriations, until Congress approves the annual funding bills. While this delays any planned or proposed changes to federal education programs, it usually has little if any effect on K-12 schools because of the forward funding allocations. However, agencies are not permitted to start new programs until the appropriations bills are signed into law. Agencies often may slow funding

Forward-funded USDE programs U.S. Department of Education K-12 forward-funded programs include: • Title I, Part A (Basic Grants, Concentration Grants, Targeted Grants, Education Finance Incentive Grants) • Title I, Part D (Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk Children) • Title II, Part B Comprehensive Literacy State Development • Special Education – State Grants • Supporting Effective Instruction – State Grants • 21st Century Community Learning Centers • State Assessments • Education for Homeless Children and Youths • Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants obligations while under a continuing resolution until they are assured they will not overspend when current year allocations are realized. This may result in a downsizing of competitive grant opportunities or a decision to approve previously submitted proposals that were highly rated but unfunded.

What could be the effect of forced budget cuts?

In previous years, federal legislation has been enacted to address the debt ceiling and place mechanisms into the budget process to control defense and non-defense spending. Sequestration is an example of forced budget cuts that applies to both mandatory and discretionary programs, although lowincome education programs are exempt.

This is a fiscal policy process that automatically reduces spending increases across most agencies. These policies would have a more immediate effect on individuals and schools served through programs such as Impact Aid (including aid to military dependents and Native American students) and Head Start,

which are not forward funded. If an across-the-board cut to state formula grant programs were implemented, after-school programs along with staff who provide instruction and support to children with disabilities and those in low-income areas could be affected.

Merit-based competitive grant programs where applicants with the highest weighted scores receive funding would also be impacted by forced budget cuts.

What changes will be made to K-12 programs after passage of the FY 2024 Education Appropriation bill?

The FY 2024 package provides $79.1 billion to the U.S. Department of Education, a $500 million cut below FY 2023. However, the majority of K-12 education programs received level funding, while a few key programs received modest increases. Given the narrow party margins in both the House and Senate, adding new, innovative K-12 programming proved to be elusive.

Programs with increased funding: • Title I: $18.389 billion (a

$20 million increase) • IDEA (special education grants to states): $14.213 billion (a $20 million increase) • Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP): $220 million (a $5 million increase) • IMPACT Aid: $1.625 billion (a $7 million increase) • Head Start: $12.3 billion (a $275 million increase) • Child Care and Development Block Grants: $8.7 billion (a $725 million increase) Programs that received cuts: • Education Innovation and Research: $259 million (a loss of $25 million) • Teacher and School Leader Incentive Grants: $60 million (a loss of $113 million). This primarily serves educators in highneed schools.

Funding for Institutes of Higher Education to address educator preparation programs and teacher shortages includes: • $70 million for the Teacher Quality

Partnership program • $15 million for the Hawkins Centers of Excellence • $90 million for the Supporting Effective Educator Development program

What is next?

President Biden released his FY 2025 budget proposal in mid-March to kick off the next fiscal cycle. The proposal includes administrative priorities that will be amplified during the fall campaign season, including a request for a new $8 billion program for states and school districts to continue COVIDtype student support services such as tutoring and summer school.

Without any changes to the composition of the House and Senate membership, we do not expect that FY 2025 appropriations will dramatically change, and level funding would be a realistic outcome.

This article is provided by Van Scoyoc Associates, TCTA’s retained lobby firm in Washington, D.C. Spring 2024 | THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

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IN THE CLASSROOM

Connected to the Community KIRSTEN NASH GIVES BACK BY TEACHING WHERE SHE LIVES

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irsten Nash always knew she wanted to work with children.

“I started my post-college career path working at the Center for Child Protection, a nonprofit children’s advocacy center,” Nash said. “When I had my own kids, I knew that I wanted to shift over to teaching so that I could help strengthen and build the education system that they would be entering.”

Nash said her mother was a great role model for “how important it is for the entire community to be involved in public education.” Watching her mom be an active volunteer in most of her educational experiences inspired Nash to follow her example, choosing to teach where she lives.

“I love seeing students in my community grow up and come to my classroom when they get to high school,” Nash said. “I love seeing my old students starting their own families and then sending their kids up through the same amazing elementary and middle schools where my kids went, and I look forward to teaching this second generation of students as they come through our doors as well. Teaching makes me feel connected to my community.”

Now in her 18th year of teaching, the speech and debate teacher at Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville ISD is a 2024 state finalist in the Leadership Secondary category of H-E-B’s Excellence in Education Awards.

“It is such an amazing honor — a recognition of years of hard work and steady growth,” Nash said.

Selection as a state finalist comes with $1,000 for herself and another $1,000 for her school. “Budgets are tight here, just like everywhere in Texas public education right now,” she said. “This money will help my school be able to say yes to more things and continue to support our students as they do awesome things.”

Helping students do awesome things — such as coaching a history-making champion in the 2019 National Speech and Debate Association tournament — is a reason why Nash was selected as a finalist in the Leadership category, which honors teachers with 10 to 20 years of experience. Throughout her career, her love of teaching shines.

“Teaching is such a cornerstone of society — our work provides the foundation for every single other career. Civilized society would cease to exist without free, quality public education,” she said. “Especially in speech and debate, I know that for every problem that exists — underfunded classrooms, overworked teachers, poor health care systems, climate change, income inequality, racism, sexism, etc. — the children are the answer. Knowing that if anything is going to change, it requires strong public education keeps me motivated, even when times get tough.”

Nash loves that teaching gives her the opportunity to learn

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KIRSTEN NASH “Frequently, especially lately, it feels like public education is under attack. Awards like this, that highlight excellence in teaching and truly celebrate public education, are invaluable as indicators to society that teachers matter — our work matters.”

2024 H-E-B Excellence in Education Leadership Secondary Award state finalist Current job: Director of speech/debate, also teaches AP Seminar and AP Human Geography, Hendrickson High School, Pflugerville ISD TCTA member since 2015 Education: Bachelor’s and master’s, Texas State University Certifications held: Speech 8-12, Social Studies Composite 7-12

and grow every single day. “A huge part of this constant learning is because of my other favorite part about teaching — my students. I am fortunate to get to teach some amazingly talented, ridiculously intelligent young learners. They keep me on my toes and give me so much hope for the future. It is the perfect blend of my passions of being a lifelong learner and helping others discover their voice.”

Continued on page 22

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Get More Involved with TCTA

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any members tell us they joined TCTA because a colleague asked them to join. Campus faculty representatives help us reach potential members and encourage them to get the professional liability insurance coverage and attorney access that’s so important for anyone in the classroom.

If you’re already a campus FR, thank you for all you do to support TCTA. If you’re not but have been thinking about getting more involved, becoming a faculty representative is a great place to start.

We also encourage our faculty representatives to join local affiliate officers to set up displays during your district’s new teacher orientation and/or convocation to help spread the word about TCTA. You can learn more about being a faculty representative at tcta.org/membership/ get-involved.

How it works: Faculty representatives

Sign up now! If you’d like to be a faculty representative on your campus in the 2024-25 school year, scan the QR code to fill out our FR form and make plans to join us at a summer training workshop in July to learn more about how to be a great FR. Current faculty representatives can fill out this form as well to make sure we have your current campus information and preferred mailing address.

Get Take 2/Make $25 credit: Through our recruitment incentive program, you’ll earn $25 for every two eligible First-Time Active members who include your member number or name on their application.

receive a kit each summer with a poster, membership brochures, pens, pencils and other materials to share with colleagues on campus when the new school year begins. We ask each FR to reach out to colleagues during your first week or two back on campus to encourage them to join TCTA. You can set up a display in the break room (with your principal’s permission), leave something in campus mailboxes or stop by classrooms before/after school. We’ll reimburse you up to $20 for any snacks or goodies you pass out.

Questions? Contact Persie Tynes, TCTA’s director of

membership, at membership@tcta.org or call 888-879-8282.

JOIN US IN JULY!

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PLANNING AHEAD

Achieving financial goals for your future

D

o I need help managing my money? Can I afford to buy a home or help pay for my child’s education?

Is my emergency fund sufficient? Will I be able to retire and be financially stable? These may be questions you ask yourself as you plan for retirement.

Financial uncertainty can weigh on you, keeping you up at night. We often hear that the calling to teach isn’t about the money, but about the students and preparing them for their futures. This may be true, but teachers should be paid as the essential professionals they are.

Financial challenges that teachers face

Teachers are in a unique position when it comes to finances and planning for retirement, in particular due to challenges with the interplay between the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) pension and federal Social Security programs.

Experts estimate that you will need between 70% and 90% of your preretirement income to maintain your standard of living in retirement. The average TRS pension benefit only replaces 69% of pre-retirement income, an amount unlikely to be enough to support a comfortable retirement. You can increase that percentage by working longer, but between the physical demands of the job and the very real issue of burnout, putting in more years may not be feasible.

TRS is not indexed for inflation like Social Security. This is a significant problem since you lose purchasing power over time. Costs increase, but your monthly pension remains the same.

This lack of cost-of-living adjustment compounds over time, and your purchasing power worsens, especially in this period of higher inflation. Texas is one of the few states with no cost-ofliving raises built into their modest state pension benefits for teachers.

Additionally, most Texas school 12

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districts do not participate in Social Security, so most school employees are not entitled to Social Security benefits unless they paid into that system through other employment (for at least 40 quarters) or have spouses eligible for Social Security. However, federal laws on the books since the 1980s — the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) — reduce, or in some cases eliminate, the amount of Social Security benefits received in those situations.

Addressing financial challenges and planning for the future

Inadequate pay, an insufficient retirement pension and Social Security penalties can have a significant impact on your current financial situation, goals and retirement planning. It’s more important than ever to have a solid financial plan in place. According to the National Financial Education Council, a lack of personal finance knowledge costs the average American $1,300 a year. When you have a better understanding of the tools you have access to, you can more easily make sound financial assessments and sustainable retirement decisions. To be sure you fully understand the impact of the economic challenges you face as a teacher and prepare for your future, you may want to review TRS information, consult with a Social Security representative, and seek advice from a financial advisor.

On its website, trs.texas.gov, TRS includes helpful member education videos answering most frequently-asked questions for every phase of a teacher’s career. Members can access the MyTRS

portal to keep track of their personal account and plan for retirement. If you have questions about your TRS benefits, you can also call their member support services at 1-800-223-8778.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) also includes resources on its website, ssa.gov, including a WEP calculator and your personal “My Social Security” account to access a listing of all your earnings (taxed by Social Security) during your lifetime. The SSA can help you by phone when you call your local Social Security office or its toll-free national number at 1-800-7721213, and many teachers have reported a more productive experience when meeting with a representative in person.

Aside from the TRS pension fund, teachers can save for retirement through a 403(b) plan. This investment tool is a tax-deferred retirement savings plan offered to public school employees through their school districts or openenrollment charter schools.

Like 401(k) plans in the private sector, employees can make contributions to 403(b) plans on a pre-tax basis.

Employers direct these contributions to specific 403(b) investment products selected by each employee from among the options available in their district or charter school. A public-school employee does not have to use a 403(b) to supplement your pension savings.

You can also establish an IRA or Roth IRA on your own with a brokerage.

Individual retirement accounts, however, have lower contribution limits than 403(b) plans. Internal Revenue Service information about 403(b) plans, including contribution limits and other questions, is available at https:// tinyurl.com/3kfw7w7w.

You may also want to get advice and guidance from a financial advisor who is an expert with investments, insurance, and other financial planning matters. Financial advisors can also help set financial goals and make plans to achieve those goals. Financial

advisors in Texas must satisfy education, examination, experience and ethics requirements.

You can visit the federal Securities Exchange Commission’s webpage at sec.gov to check the registration of a financial advisor, and visit the website of the State Securities Board of Texas (SSB) at ssb.texas.gov for individuals who are registered to sell securities or render investment advice.

The Texas Securities Act is the state law that prohibits fraud in rendering of investment advice.

The SSB also has education materials intended to help teachers and other school employees achieve a comfortable retirement while avoiding costly, inappropriate investments or fraudulent schemes. You can access the materials at https://ssb.texas. gov/investors/teachers. We suggest finding a financial advisor who has vast experience working with teachers (and other school employees) at all stages of their careers and who is familiar with

Social Security and TRS. Not all types of financial advisors offer the same menu of services, so decide which services you need and let this guide your search. You may consider checking with human resources at your school district or charter school as they often have partnerships with advisors who work directly with their school employees.

(Note that this does not necessarily mean such advisors are the right fit for you, but it’s a good place to start.) Word of mouth from other teachers also can be a great option for finding the right advisor for you.

You will want to know how a financial advisor is compensated, including through a consulting fee or commission on selling products. Most financial advisors charge based on how much money they manage for you. That fee can typically range from 0.25% to 1% per year. These fees are primarily deducted directly from the investment account. Some advisors may choose to instead charge a flat-rate fee for their

services. This fee may be charged on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis, and can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Advisors must disclose their fee structure and the benefits they cover upfront.

You also will want to find out what an initial consultation includes. Ultimately, determining whether a financial advisor is worth your money depends on your unique personal and financial circumstances and finding an advisor who aligns with your goals, listens to your needs and acts in your best interests.

Financial stability is crucial for teachers to lead fulfilling lives and make a lasting impact in and out of the classroom. At TCTA we encourage you to plan ahead and take the steps necessary to answer the financial questions you may have. Most importantly, we hope the resources made available to you in this article are helpful in reaching your financial goals and ensuring a secure retirement.

Spring 2024 | THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

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LEGAL NOTES

HB 1605 includes protections for teachers

H

ouse Bill 1605 is a comprehensive measure passed in 2023 that changes how instructional materials are adopted and funded in Texas. The law provides additional funding to districts for using State Board of Education-approved materials and allows them to select a range of approved instructional materials for use within the district.

HB 1605 defines instructional materials as “content that conveys the essential knowledge and skills of a subject in the public school curriculum through a medium or a combination of media for conveying information to a student” and includes materials used by a teacher, such as unit or lesson plans, grading rubrics and answer keys.

HB 1605 contains protections for teachers in districts that use SBOE-approved materials, including immunity from disciplinary action for presenting and discussing certain topics in class. In addition, one TCTA-initiated provision gives teachers relief from current law that provides that teachers can be required to prepare weekly written lesson plans, so long as a district has adopted instructional materials that include unit and daily lesson plans. There is some controversy about whether this provision applies only to SBOE-approved materials or any materials adopted by a school district, but TCTA interprets the law as applying to both situations.

How Does HB 1605 Protect Teachers?

Teachers who, with fidelity, use only materials from a SBOE-approved list adopted by the district are immune to disciplinary proceedings from complaints that the teacher violated certain instructional prohibitions (see the box below).

Protection Developing Lesson Plans

As the bill moved through the legislative process, TCTA saw an opportunity to advocate for relief for teachers from a common paperwork requirement: the preparation of weekly written lesson plans. TCTA worked with the author of HB 1605 to amend current law to provide that units or weekly lesson plans included in instructional materials adopted by a district will satisfy a current statutory requirement to prepare units or weekly lesson plans. This means that a teacher in a district that adopts instructional materials that include teacherfacing resources such as unit plans, unit overviews and daily lesson plans cannot be required to prepare weekly lesson plans.

This protection applies to any instructional materials adopted by a district that include unit and daily lesson plans.

Planning Time Protections

Another TCTA-initiated provision in HB 1605 restricts districts from requiring teachers to perform duties related to “initial plan design and instructional design” or selecting instructional materials during their planning and preparation time unless the teacher voluntarily enters into a supplemental agreement with the district to do so. Absent such a supplemental agreement, districts cannot require teachers

PROTECTION FROM DISCIPLINARY ACTION HB 1605 states that teachers who, with fidelity, use only materials from a SBOE-approved list adopted by the district are immune from complaints alleging a violation of the following: • A teacher, administrator, or other employee of a school may not: o require or make part of a course inculcation in the concept that: • one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex; • an individual is, by virtue of their race or sex, inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive consciously or unconsciously; • an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment because of the individual’s race or sex; • an individual’s moral character, standing or worth is necessarily determined by the by individual’s race or sex; • an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bears responsibility, blame, or guilt for actions committed by other members of the same race or sex; • meritocracy or traits such as hard work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race to oppress members of another race; • the advent of slavery in the territory that is now the U.S. constituted its true founding; • with respect to their relationship to American values, slavery and racism are anything other than deviations from, betrayals of, or failure to live up to the authentic founding principles of the U.S., which include liberty and equality.

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to perform these duties during the statutorily required 450 minutes of planning and preparation time in a two-week period in most circumstances.

“Initial plan design” means a teacher is creating detailed lesson plans from scratch. Examples include, but are not limited to, creating daily lesson objectives, key points and aligned student activities or aligned assessments.

According to TEA, this prohibition applies to any district that does not provide teachers with full Tier One instructional materials, which are listed in the chart above.

When is a Supplemental Duty Agreement Required?

Districts have three options to comply with HB 1605: • Provide teachers with full Tier One instructional materials that include unit and daily lesson plans, which would exempt teachers from the requirement to prepare initial lesson plans or select instructional materials; • If districts decline to provide teachers with full Tier One instructional materials that include unit and daily lesson plans, the district must give teachers time outside of their 450-minute minimum planning time to prepare initial lesson plans; • A district cannot require a teacher to use the 450-minute minimum planning time for initial lesson plans or design unless the teacher agrees to a supplemental agreement, which should include some form of additional

DID YOU KNOW?

According to TEA, teachers spend 7 hours per week developing instructional materials but only have 3.75 hours per week for planning in their master schedule.

compensation such as a stipend.

TCTA members who are offered a supplemental agreement for lesson planning should contact the Legal Department at 888-879-8282 before signing the agreement if there are any questions or concerns about it. TCTA members should also contact the Legal Department if their district is in the process of approving or amending a District of Innovation plan that would modify current rights regarding planning and preparation periods.

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. TCTA members with job-related questions or concerns should call the Legal Department at 888-879-8282 to speak with a staff attorney.

Spring 2024 | THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

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Are Schools Safer?

AS HB 3 AND OTHER NEW LAWS AIM TO IMPROVE SECURITY, TCTA MEMBERS WEIGH IN ON WHAT WORKS What TCTA members say In a recent survey, TCTA members were asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 how effective they believe the stated option has been or would be at improving security at their school.

Star ratings: 1 = not very effective; 5 = very effective Additional security equipment (such as alarms, metal detectors and cameras).

More training and safety drills.

Established behavioral threat assessment teams.

Dedicated behavior intervention specialists.

Social services providers on campus.

Enhanced social-emotional learning programs.

Increased presence of police/armed security on campus.

Better access to mental health services.

More counselors and/or more time spent on counseling.

More trained/armed school marshals/guardians.

I

n the two years since an armed intruder walked onto the campus of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24, 2022, state lawmakers and school officials have been reviewing ways to improve security and prevent another tragic mass shooting.

While most action leading up to the 2023 legislative session focused on the law enforcement response in Uvalde, lawmakers also looked to build on legislation passed after the shooting at Santa Fe High School in May 2018. One such program, the School Safety Allotment, initially provided $100 million for schools to improve security.

During the 2023 session, lawmakers allocated $1.4 billion to expand the School Safety Allotment, giving schools access to more funds to harden campuses and implement other changes.

House Bill 3, the primary school safety measure passed in 2023, also requires districts to have at least one armed security officer on each campus. Other provisions include assigning education service centers as school safety resources for districts, ensuring that disciplinary records will follow a student who is transferring schools, creating a school safety and security office within TEA, and addressing truancy issues.

Employees regularly interacting with students must complete mental health training (unless they have already done so), and districts will receive enhanced funding for school safety. (Read more about HB 3 at tcta.org/hb-3-school-safety.)

Safety improvements

In a survey of TCTA members in March and April, 75% of respondents said they felt safe on campus. That’s an increase since June 2022, when only about 60% of respondents said they felt safe. One reason many members cited was visible changes to improve security. Classroom doors now lock automatically in many districts, and key cards are needed for employees to enter the school building.

In the past two years, many schools have made improvements to limit entrance and exit points during the school day. Others, such as Beaumont ISD, have added fencing outside to further restrict access. Commissioner’s rules define an “exterior secured area” as including a wall or fence at least 6 feet high with anti-scaling design features, and BISD is utilizing 6-foot fences with barbed wire. The district also added ballistic filming to windows, which is designed to prevent glass from shattering if a bullet hits it.

Gov. Greg Abbott tasked the Texas School Safety Center with “random intruder detection audits” during the 2022-23 Continued on page 18

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HB 3, the 2023 session’s primary school safety bill, requires districts to have at least one armed security officer on campus. Schools also have added automatic locks to doors and will need a panic alert device in every classroom by the start of the 2025-26 school year.

What TCTA members say:

70 75 77

% report armed security on campus daily.

% say armed security makes them feel safer.

% say “school hardening” strategies, such as limited entrances, make schools safer.

Spring 2024 | THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

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Continued from page 16 school year to determine whether districts and campuses complied with prescribed safety measures. The center already audited campuses at least every three years, but Abbott ordered the timeline accelerated after the Uvalde shooting.

The Texas School Safety Center audited 100% of Texas public school districts and 83.5% of campuses during the 2022-23 school year. A report released in June 2023 showed 95.6% of campuses did not allow an “intruder” to gain access.

Of the audited campuses, 75.5% were not required to make any changes, while the other 24.5% were given instructions for safety enhancements. Of those that needed improvement, nearly 90% had completed the changes by the time the report was released last summer.

Along with school hardening strategies, districts are expanding their police presence to comply with HB 3. Nearly 70% of TCTA survey respondents said they have an officer on their campus. Many TCTA members noted that they see officers patrolling more often, though some say officers continue to be shared among campuses.

Several districts created their own police forces during the 2023-24 school year, including Eanes ISD near Austin.

Superintendent Jeff Arnett said it cost about $1.5 million to create the nine-member department, with only a small fraction of the funding coming from the state.

HB 3 gave school districts $15,000 per campus and $10 per student for security improvements, which most districts said wasn’t nearly enough to meet the new law’s requirements.

“We had to find the room within our funding so that we could afford these officers to make sure that we had the best trained, best caliber staff on each of our campuses,” Arnett said.

Austin ISD created a motorcycle unit as it tries to hire 89 more officers to ensure the district can place at least one officer on each campus.

“With the introduction of House Bill 3 last year, we had to think of different ways to be creative, to compete, to make sure that all officers had the resources they need to support our students and staff,” Superintendent Matias Segura told KVUE. While districts can apply for school safety grants through the Texas Education Agency, lawmakers only added $1.4 billion to the program, not nearly enough to help districts with strapped budgets meet the new security requirements.

Lawmakers failed to pass bills that would have allocated more funds for school security and safety during four special sessions in the fall.

Mental health concerns

Another aspect of HB 3 stipulates that school employees who regularly interact with students must complete mental health training regarding students who experience a mental health or substance use issue that may pose a threat to school safety. Training is not required for employees who have previously completed similar training by a local mental health authority.

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TEA will provide allotments to help districts pay the costs of travel, training fees and compensation for time spent completing the training. Educators can receive CPE credit for the training.

Most TCTA members said counselors need more time to provide counseling services for students. Survey responses indicate that they believe social-emotional learning programs can be effective at preventing school shootings.

About half of the survey respondents said their campus has a full- or part-time dedicated behavior intervention specialist on staff, but most respondents say more can be done to support mental and behavioral health, including limiting cellphone use in schools.

“There is not enough funding for additional counselors, behavior programs with trained specialists, and mental health programs,” a member in Sweeny ISD said.

Lisa Beasley in Wall ISD serves on the threat assessment team, but says “we really have no control over anything past identifying the threat.”

Senate Bill 763 allows Texas schools to use safety funds to pay for unlicensed chaplains to work in mental health roles.

Volunteer chaplains also will be allowed in schools. Districts had until March 1 to decide whether to employ chaplains. So far, only one, Newman Charter Academy in Arlington, has done so, according to TEA.

Other safety bills

While HB 3 was the 2023 session’s major school safety bill, several others of interest were passed, including HB 13, which creates a “sentinel” program under which employees can be certified to carry a gun, with an accompanying incentive of a $25,000 stipend. In addition to the training required for school marshals, the sentinel would receive training on mental health first aid and trauma-informed care.

SB 838 requires that districts provide a panic alert device for every classroom, beginning with the 2025-26 school year.

Only 29% of TCTA survey respondents said their classroom had a panic alert device, with an additional 5% saying they knew devices were coming soon. Many with devices said their district was utilizing a smartphone app. (The TCTA Legal Department questions whether districts can contractually require teachers to use personal devices or force teachers to accept terms of service with third parties such as app developers.)

HB 473 says a threat assessment team must notify parents before assessing a student. The parent must be given an opportunity to participate in the assessment and submit information to the team regarding the student. After completion of the assessment, the team must provide findings and conclusions to the parent.

And SB 1720 ensures confidentiality for district employees who report potential threats to the campus threat assessment team.

Despite the strides made to improve campus safety and security in the past two years, many TCTA members say more can be done to ensure campuses remain safe, including smaller class sizes.

While strides have been made, many TCTA members responding to our recent survey say more can be done to keep schools safe.

66

% think more counselors and/or freeing up time for counselors

to provide counseling services to students would help with safety issues.

47 28

% have social services providers on their campus; 47% do not. % say their campus has a dedicated behavior intervention

specialist available to help teachers with Schools need to reduce the number of students in the classroom so teachers can form bonds with the students, says Josefa Martinez in PSJA ISD. “As a teacher with 23 students in the classroom, I find I have very little time to bond with my students and create those relationships that would allow for communication and trust. More students in the classroom equals more troubled students being ignored or overlooked,” she said.

Several members said parents need to play a bigger role

disruptive students; another 22% share a specialist with at least one other campus.

56

% say their behavioral threat assessment team has been effective at identifying students who pose a potential threat.

53

% say enhanced social-emotional learning programs could be effective at preventing school shootings. in addressing behavioral concerns, saying it’s hard to change student behavior if parents don’t believe their child’s behavior is disrupting the learning environment.

Longtime educator and TCTA member Brenda Clem of Goose Creek CISD thinks most schools are safe, but says it’s important to remain vigilant while encouraging students to show “kindness, understanding and support of others.”

Lesann Hartman of Hereford ISD agrees. “If you see something, say something.”

Spring 2024 | THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

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DELEGATES ELECT NEW STATE LEADERS Delegates to the Representative Assembly approved revisions to TCTA’s governance documents and elected new statewide leaders during TCTA’s 2024 Annual Meeting in San Antonio on Feb. 16-17. State President Nydia Alvarez-Alonzo of Mission CTA presided over the meeting.

Elected to two-year terms on the Board of Directors (formerly the Executive Board) beginning June 1 are: • President-Elect: Vivian Burleson, Northside CTA • Budget Director: Tommy Evans, Abilene CTA • Curriculum & Instruction Director: Cristal Isaacks, Levelland CTA • Teacher Personal Services Director: Melanie Love Hoyt, Pottsboro CTA Elected as Councilmembers-at-Large to serve a one-year term on the Advisory Council (formerly the Directors’ Council) beginning June 1 are: • Albert Mosqueda, San Benito CTA • Omar Esson, Killeen CTA • Velma Sanchez, PSJA CTA • Joyce McCurdy, Wichita Falls CTA • Maria Lara, Lubbock CTA Delegates in even-numbered districts also elected the following members to the Advisory Council for two-year terms beginning June 1: • District 4: Dawn Hopkins, Lamar CTA • District 10: Mocha Wohlgemuth, Whitesboro CTA • District 12: Sherry Miller, Killeen CTA • District 16: Myra Borchers, Amarillo CTA • District 18: Melanie Jones, Midland CTA • District 20: Kimberly Villarreal, North East CTA 20

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Annual meeting attendees earned up to 4.5 hours of continuing professional education credit during three CPE sessions.

During “Addressing the Increase of Anxiety and Stress in Our Youth,” presenters Brandalyn Haggerty and Colleen Lee talked about the factors students face daily that impact their mental health and cause stress and anxiety, such as academics, family, friendships, relationships, and social media.

Haggerty and Lee explained ways that student behavior may indicate a student is struggling, and provided strategies to help a child succeed in coping with these experiences.

Rebecca E. Lopez also shared ways to deal with challenging student behaviors during her session, “Reaching Diverse Continued on page 22

Spring 2024 | THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

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Continued from page 20 Learners and De-escalation Strategies for Students with Challenging Behaviors.” She shared effective strategies for diverse learners, and helped participants understand the impact of adverse childhood experiences.

Lopez also discussed social-emotional learning and trauma-informed care, providing practical de-escalation techniques to help teachers build a stronger classroom culture and bring positive change.

In the third session, TCTA staff attorneys Michael Currie, Gerald Francisco, Julie Leahy and Kaylan Dixon Smith provided updates on key issues facing educators this year.

Leahy discussed Domain IV of T-TESS and concerns

several members have expressed over how their professional roles and responsibilities, such as community involvement, are being scored by administrators.

Francisco reviewed teachers’ rights to assault leave, while Smith, TCTA’s newest attorney, discussed a teacher’s right to remove disruptive students from class. Currie closed the session with an overview of school safety laws before all four attorneys answered questions from the audience.

Recordings of all three sessions and their related handouts are now available to watch on demand in the Online CPE tab when you log into your account at members.tcta.org.

Delegates will be back in Austin for the 2025 Convention and Capitol Visit. We continue to finalize details, so check tcta.org/convention this fall for information.

IN THE CLASSROOM Continued from page 10 Calling teaching “simultaneously the hardest, but best job you will ever have,” Nash also has some advice for educators just starting their careers. “There are a few things critical to survival — a strong group of fellow teacher-mentors and a willingness to keep growing and learning.”

For more than 20 years, H-E-B has been honoring educators 22

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through its Excellence in Education Awards program. The 2024 awards include a new category for counselors, and TCTA member Megan Massey of Sue Evelyn Rattan Elementary in Anna ISD is a finalist. (We hope to share more about her in the summer issue.) All 50 of this year’s finalists will be honored May 5 in Houston when the state winners are announced. Go to https://tinyurl.com/2rftxkca to learn more.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Continued from page 2 freedom to be more innovative had produced results. It had not. Maybe actual innovation would have made a difference, but administrative conveniences don’t seem to be moving the needle. Can we stop wasting time and effort devising ways to get around state law and start addressing real issues — like actually enhancing the teaching profession — head on?

Charter school expansion

As a concept, charter schools aren’t the problem. But nearly uncontrolled growth is affecting funding for traditional public schools. There are good charter schools that serve a purpose in our public school system, but there are far too many that fail to provide a good education and/or manage public funds wisely.

First authorized in the 1990s, open-enrollment charters (which comprise the majority of charter schools in Texas) were limited to 20, and have grown to 186 — but with more than 900 campuses. Supporting this second system of public schools is a diversion from attending to the needs of the public schools that more than 90% of our students attend.

Teacher performance pay

There is precedent in Texas education policy for disbanding a failed program. Some of us have been around long enough to remember the career ladder, authorized by the legislature during the massive reforms of HB 72 in 1984. Teachers earned extra money upon achieving certain goals (positive appraisals, professional development requirements and the like), but inevitably districts found that they had to “move the goalposts” as more and more teachers became eligible to earn the extra pay. In such a system, more teachers moving up the ladder means more money to pay out, so the program either becomes unaffordable, or the goals unattainable. Texas teachers (and their professional organizations) spent nine years

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trying to convince lawmakers of the flaws in the system before the legislature finally killed the program altogether.

The current Teacher Incentive Allotment program and the career ladder aren’t structurally alike, but the sustainability issue is virtually identical. If TIA is meant to incentivize teachers to “perform better,” then as the program achieves its own objectives, it falls apart. Either it can’t afford the increasing numbers of teachers earning incentives, or the goals must change to make the funding harder to attain — causing resentment, unhealthy competition, and potentially unfair treatment by administrators.

The financial gain for teachers benefiting from TIA is a very positive thing for those individuals, but it is not a substitute for the need to raise base salaries for teachers across the board.

By its very design, it seems inevitable that at some point TIA will go the way of the career ladder. Or, if the state opts to funnel more money into the incentive program, less funding will be available for overall employee pay and benefits — adding one more pressure point on the teaching profession.

Throughout these decades of failed reforms, TCTA and other education groups have sounded the alarm to policymakers. We knew that testing and accountability were heading in the wrong direction, that teacher merit pay programs weren’t sustainable, that Districts of Innovation would accomplish nothing for teachers or students, and that unfettered charter school growth would likely be harmful.

And we repeatedly told them so. (As a side note, the cynical among us might suggest that all of these policies are working beautifully, if the goal is to do irreparable harm to public education.) While not all of these programs need to be fully eliminated, significant restructuring will be necessary if we are to turn these failed experiments into successes.

We’re now telling state leaders that vouchers are on the cusp of being their next failed experiment. Texas public schools can’t take much more ill-advised tinkering.

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Spring 2024 | THE CLASSROOM TEACHER 23

Texas Classroom Teachers Association PO Box 1489 Austin, TX 78767-1489 888-879-8282 | tcta.org

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Don’t wait until fall to renew your TCTA membership — sign up during our spring campaign!

Starting May 15, log in at members.tcta.org and renew with credit/debit or PayPal or go to tcta.org/renew and fill out the payroll deduction form to ensure your coverage continues when you return to school in August.

Invite your colleagues to join for the 2024-25 school year with Take 2, Make $25.* Coverage begins Aug. 1, 2024, or the date they sign up, whichever is later.

Send them to tcta.org/join to sign up starting May 15 or call 888-879-8282. *For every two NEW Active-level members you recruit for TCTA, we’ll send you $25! Go to tcta.org/take2 for details.