EduLege Top news in school communications

EduLege Extra

Some of the timely issues that have been addressed in recent editions of EduLege

‘As significant as anything we have ever seen…’

When the coronavirus pandemic first slammed the economy in March of 2020, more than one-million Texans lost jobs seemingly overnight, the state’s unemployment rate nearly quadrupled and thousands of households struggled with housing and food security But a less tangible impact of the pandemic — a steep decline in educational attainment by Texas students — might end up having an even greater, long-term economic consequence, according to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.

“This is the largest problem facing the state of Texas — the problem of making sure that our citizenry is educated to take advantage of the opportunities” generated by the economy in the future, Commissioner Morath told a Texas Association of Business policy conference in Austin.

Commissioner Morath, who made his comments during a panel discussion on the Texas workforce, said the percentage of 3rd grade students in the state who meet gradelevel proficiency in reading and math has dropped precipitously since the start of the pandemic.

“It is the largest decline in student knowledge in numeracy and literacy that has quite possibly ever occurred in the history of the state of Texas,” the Commissioner said. The drop “in student proficiency in mathematics and literacy is as significant as anything we have ever seen.”

Left unchecked, he said, the drop in educational attainment stands to equate to an average six percent reduction in lifetime earnings for all 5.5 million students who are currently enrolled in Texas public schools — for a “net present value” of $2 trillion in forgone income.

Harrison Keller, commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, participated in the panel discussion with Mr. Morath and said enrollment at colleges in the state declined significantly over last spring.

“It is hard to overstate the impact of the pandemic on our colleges and our universities," Commissioner Keller said.

Commissioner Keller said community colleges and regional universities have borne the brunt of the pandemic-related enrollment declines, with male

The drop in admissions could have huge economic repercussions over time, Commissioner Keller said, because there is “an astounding correlation” between unemployment and a lack of post-high school educational attainment. He also said the pandemic-induced economic downturn was “the most inequitable,” in terms of hurting low-skilled workers the most.

Better than Congress…

Americans' confidence in public education is still greater than that towards the news media and Congress but less than that of small business enterprises, the military, medical professionals and the presidency.

These findings, from a June 1 - July 5 poll, are the latest in Gallup's tracking of the public's confidence in a variety of key U.S. institutions, which began in 1973 during the Watergate scandal.

Gallup has tracked 14 core institutions since 1993, and the public's confidence in them has remained relatively low — particularly over the past 15 years, when the average has not risen above 36 percent. Before 2006, averages at or above 40 percent were more common.

Currently, an average 33 percent of U.S. adults express "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the 14 institutions, marking a three-percentagepoint decline since 2020 and a return to the level seen in 2018 and 2019. When the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States in 2020, it caused great upheaval in most aspects of Americans' lives. Gallup says that it also resulted in an overall improvement in average confidence across the 14 institutions.

Gallup says that some of the strongest public confidence was displayed for the U.S. medical system and for public schools.

Now, with the worst of the pandemic seemingly over and the intensity of last year’s racial justice protests subsiding, Americans' confidence has again retreated to the more typical levels of recent years.

Going Blue…

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has announced that 325 schools across the nation — including 26 in Texas — are National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021.

The prestigious recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or its progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups. The Texas schools that were named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021 are:

• Zeferino Farias Elementary School, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo School District. • Atlanta Elementary School, Atlanta School District. • Gallegos Elementary School, Brownsville School District. • Mittie A Pullam Elementary School, Brownsville School District. • Christ The King Catholic School, Diocese of Dallas. • Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy, Dallas School District. • Trinidad "Trini" Garza Early College High School, Dallas School District. • Calder Road Elementary School, Dickinson School District. • South Texas Preparatory Academy, Edinburg, South Texas School District. • Clendenin Elementary School, El Paso School District. • Hawkins Elementary School, El Paso School District.

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• Lamar Elementary School, El Paso School District. • Ramona Elementary School, Ysleta School District. • Vista Hills Elementary School, Ysleta School District. • Hidalgo Elementary School, Hidalgo School District. • North Houston Early College High School, Houston School District. • P. Beutel Elementary School, Brazosport School District. • Klondike High School, Klondike School District. • Achieve Early College High School, McAllen School District. • Porter Elementary School, Mesquite School District. • Young Women's Leadership Academy, San Antonio School District. • South Texas Rising Scholars Academy, San Benito, South Texas School District. • Navarro Elementary School, Navarro School District. • Spearman Junior High School, Spearman School District. • Logos Preparatory Academy, Sugar Land. • Valley Mills Elementary School, Valley Mills School District.

“I commend all our Blue Ribbon honorees for working to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. In the face of unprecedented circumstances, you found creative ways to engage, care for, protect, and teach our children,” Secretary Cardona said. “Blue Ribbon Schools have so much to offer and can serve as a model for other schools and communities so that we can truly build back better.”

Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.

Mr. Speaker…

Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio has been named Key Communicator of the Year by the Texas School Public Relations Association. Mr. Straus, who presided over the Texas House from 2009 until 2019, has been — in the words of TSPRA — "a vocal advocate for providing robust funding for public education, and he identified public education as the state’s best economic development tool.” “His leadership and support for pro-publicschool legislation is resolute,” said Alamo Heights Superintendent Dana Bashara in her letter of support.

Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus

Some of Speaker Straus’ key accomplishments that benefit public education include: • Making the Texas school finance system more efficient. • Standing firm against the privatization of Texas public education and vouchers. • Leading the passage of HB 5 in 2013, which established the new Foundation High School Program. • Directing the Texas Education Agency to make significant changes in the monitoring system it was using to determine qualifications for Special Education services. • Refusing to bow to political pressure, which led to defeat of SB 6, the so-called “bathroom bill,” which would have prohibited transgender bathroom use.

Today, Mr. Straus is chair of the Texas Forever Forward Political Action Committee, and he continues his public service endeavors through service on various boards, community and state organizations.

Aledo is Outstanding…

The Texas Association of School Administrators has named the Aledo Board of Trustees as its 2021 Outstanding School Board — TASA’s top honor for a school board that has demonstrated exceptional commitment to students and the community.

The presentation was made in Dallas at the Annual Conference hosted by TASA and the Texas Association of School Boards.

The Aledo School Board was chosen from among five finalists that were interviewed by a committee of Texas school administrators. The committee said that it was impressed by the Aledo Board’s heavy emphasis on student learning and academic achievement; its work to earn trust within their community; and its ability to manage change.

Pictured above: Front (left to right): Aledo Trustees Julie Turner, Jennifer Loftin, and David Lear. Back: Vice-President Jessica Brown; President Hoyt Harris; Superintendent Susan Bohn; Secretary Forrest Collins; and Trustee Jennifer Taylor. Aledo, located west of Fort Worth in Parker and Tarrant Counties, is a fast-growth school district with more than 6,400 students and 700 employees.

The other four finalists for 2021 Outstanding School Board were Duncanville, Hays, Mission and Tomball.

Sanchez is SOTY…

H.T. Sanchez of Plainview was also named Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards at the Annual Conference in Dallas.

Superintendent Sanchez has led the Plainview School District since May 2018, serving 4,843 students in a Panhandle district that stretches nearly 400 square miles across most of Hale and some of Floyd counties. His educational experience spans two decades as a teacher, coach and principal before becoming a superintendent.

In naming Dr. Sanchez as recipient of this year’s award, the 10-member TASB selection committee commended his collaborative leadership style, unwavering focus on student outcomes and ability to connect with teachers and staff.

Dr. Sanchez earned his Bachelor’s degree in English from Angelo State University, his Master’s degree in school administration from Sul Ross State University and Doctorate in educational administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

“There’s no superintendent that can do good work without the support of an amazing board,” Superintendent Sanchez said when he received his award in Dallas.

Dr. Sanchez was selected for the prestigious award from a group of five state finalists that included Superintendent Courtney Hudgins of East Bernard, Superintendent Mark Estrada of Lockhart, Superintendent Samuel Wyatt of Rankin and Superintendent Jeanette Ball of Judson.

Long-time TSPRA member Andy Welch, the retired Communication Director for the Austin Independent School District, compiles and writes two issues of EduLege every week during the school year, copies of which are typically distributed by the state TSPRA office to members on Mondays and Thursdays. That schedule is altered for holidays, and for winter, spring and summer breaks—and when he needs the occasional day off.

Email any questions, suggestionss or concerns to Andy at andywelch1@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @welch_andy.

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE DATES

• Conference scholarship applications available: Oct. 5, 2021 • Conference registration opens: Oct. 4, 2021 • Proposals to present: Sept. 8-Oct. 25, 2021 • Star Awards entries open: Sept. 20, 2021, noon • Deadline to submit entries for Star Awards: Nov. 1, 2021, 11:59 p.m. • Nominations for TSPRA professional awards available: Nov. 1, 2021 • Conference Planning Committee meeting: Nov. 4, 2021 • Deadline to apply for conference scholarship: Nov. 19, 2021 • Deadline to submit nominations for professional awards: Dec. 15, 2021 • Late fees registration begins: Jan. 24, 2022 • No registration refunds begins; substitutions allowed: Jan. 24, 2022 • Last day to make hotel reservations at conference rate: Feb. 7, 2022