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Schoolsupt is deeply concerned about the plight and future of public education. Educators are attacked from all directions. Politicians and media outlets continue to crucify the efforts of good teachers and administrators across this nation. This critical movement that we call the anti-public education movement is gathering momentum. It has become the en vogue thing to devalue all educators in the name of reform and politicize education in general.
Washington politicians are using education as a vehicle to get reelected. NCLB has not been reauthorized because lawmakers cannot figure out how to capitalize politically on it yet. Executive waivers for states to ease the punitive standards of NCLB are what might be available, but true bipartisan legislation that sets a fair accountability standard for the future is not anywhere on the horizon.
Schoolsupt.com urges all lawmakers to find a bipartisan approach to the reauthorization or better yet the repeal of NCLB immediately. Do what you were elected to do. You were elected to do what is right, not to politicize education to further your reelection bid.
So it begins- Another round of litigation to hopefully force the state to do what is morally right by its children. The Equity Center thankfully has taken the lead role in this lawsuit. The litigation calls for a school finance system that is worthy of the children it serves. A system that has student equity, taxpayer equity, ends the target revenue scheme, establishes meaningful discretion and increases adequate funding for both M & O and I & S.
We are proud of the steps that the Equity Center and its members are taking to do what is right for our children. It is unconscionable to continue to support a chosen select few districts at the expense of so many other children. Will Texas take the road less traveled and fund all children equally or must our children’s future be decided in the courtroom. Surely this state can do better than this!
Several administrators across the state are very concerned as to why C-SCOPE Curriculum is not being approved for IMA usage? C-SCOPE is designed to cover all the TEKS, contains multiple resources for each TEK, covers the new EOC and STARR requirements, provides depth and complexity, and was written by curriculum experts from Regional Service Centers.
The State Board of Education has been upset with districts not purchasing instructional materials in a timely fashion. However, C-SCOPE has been put on the TBD list. As stated in TEA’s FAQ,
Can the IMA be used to cover costs of learning management systems such as C-SCOPE?
Final determination of eligible supplemental instructional materials will be provided when Chapter 66 administrative rules have been completed. Districts and other stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide input to the proposed rules. While many resources provide alignment with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, the rules will outline optimum TEKS alignment options.
The FAQ also states,
What can our district purchase using the instructional materials allotment?
The Instructional Materials Allotment (IMA) can be used to purchase instructional materials adopted by the State Board of Education or the Commissioner of Education. The IMA can also be used to purchase instructional materials that are not on the adopted lists as well as technology services and technological equipment. Districts should prioritize their selections of instructional materials as they relate to the new STAAR assessment and End of Course exams.
With C-SCOPE unquestionably meeting the underlined standard from above, one wonders why is C-SCOPE approval on hold. Many administrators have questioned the motives of textbook companies in this approval process.
The IMA was a step in the right direction for school districts to improve the quality of instructional materials, restore local decision making in the process and seek technology innovations in curriculum. The spirit of the IMA is pure. The implementation may not be.
Many school administrators and citizens have been led to believe that new enrollment for school districts has been fully funded. This is not entirely true. Will districts receive funding for the estimated 180,000 new students that enroll in Texas public schools in the next biennium? The simple answer is yes. The long answer is yes — kind of.. The proration/hybrid scheme funds all students but at a reduced percentage. Readers please review your summary of finance and you will quickly see WADA isn’t what it use to be. In fact, it is only 92 % of what it used to be. Funding new students is the right thing, but funding all students at a lesser rate is wrong. When you decrease funding by four billion in the FSP, 100 percent funding for enrollment growth or current WADA never had a chance.
