Tag Archives: Rob Eissler

Scrap it and start over

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good to hear. Texas needs to scrap its school funding system and start all over, Senate Education Chair Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said Thursday, as other members of a special school finance committee agreed that the existing system is hopelessly broken. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Are you ready for end-of-course exams?

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A preliminary run of the state’s new end-of-course exams shows that student performance is not where we would want it to be yet. Of the nearly 102,000 students who took the Algebra I test in May, for example, just 57 … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Get ready for larger class sizes

Posted on May 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Back in 1984, one of the school reforms that resulted from the Perot Commission was a mandate that elementary school classes could have no more than 22 students in them. Many things have changed since then, but that standard has … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Friends and foes

Posted on June 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Observer poo-poos the idea of “Best Of” and “Top Ten” lists, then gives us its stab at a Best and Worst tabulation by naming six of “The People’s Friends” and five “Foes”. Where Texas Monthly focuses more on … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is there a problem with the stimulus funds?

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I hope not. The debate over whether Texas lawmakers can use federal stimulus money to boost education spending, including funding a raise for teachers, is heating up. The Obama administration warned states Thursday it may withhold millions of dollars if … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

School finance bill advances

Posted on May 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Has there ever been a legislative session that didn’t deal with school finance? This Lege is dealing with it as well, and the good news is they may have made some actual progress. Texas teachers would get an $800-a-year raise … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Big education bills pass

Posted on May 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Well, the SBOE may be doing its best to destroy public education in Texas, but the Lege took a step forward to make it better by passing omnibus school reform bills in each chamber. Crafted by the education leaders in … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Big education bills pass

More on the end of the sixty-five percent rule

Posted on March 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an updated story on the end of the sixty-five percent rule. Gov. Rick Perry’s 4-year-old mandate that schools spend at least 65 percent of their money on classroom instruction is under fire from key lawmakers in Perry’s own party. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the end of the sixty-five percent rule

Is the TAKS test at the end of the line?

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

If so, there’s a lot of people who won’t be sorry to see it go. “We have counted on testing and testing only. And it’s caused a lot of angst in the schools,” Senate Public Education Chair Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sixty-five percent of nothing

Posted on February 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So back in 2005, after the regular legislative session and two ensuing special sessions on school finance, Governor Perry issued an executive order that would require schools to spend at least 65 percent of their tax money in the classroom. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sixty-five percent of nothing