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Sustaining Partners
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Congratulations to our Texas educators for working so diligently to protect our children from the recent outbreak of Swine Flu. We hope the public school successes noted in this edition will lift your spirits as you continue to lead our communities through this crisis.
With deep admiration and respect,
Scott and Leslie Milder, Founders
Friends of Texas Public Schools
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"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."
- William Arthur Ward
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Nine of every 10 third-graders pass reading TAKS. Scores for third, fifth and eighth grade reading are released.
 Eighty-nine percent of Texas students who took either the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) or TAKS (Accommodated) reading test passed, which means they have cleared a key promotion requirement.
Texas students must pass the state's third-grade reading TAKS, fifth-grade reading and math TAKS and eighth-grade reading and math exams in order to be promoted to the next grade under the Texas School Success Initiative requirement.
Forty-six percent of the 315,727 students who took the third-grade exam in English received a Commended Performance designation because they earned a scale score of 2400 or higher. A passing score on TAKS is 2100. TEA news release |
Texas Education Survey Results
89.8% of respondents to the March 2009 edition of the Texas Education survey give Texas public school teachers a passing grade. Only 61.6% of respondents give them an A or B.
Similar marks are given to local public school district performance with 80.2% of respondents giving local districts a passing grade. Only 50.5% of respondents give their local district an A or B.
Though confidence is fairly high for local districts, the overall performance of the state in preparing students for college/workforce is lower, with 38.2% giving grades of A or B. A comparable 39.5% give above average grades to districts in managing tax dollars.
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Take the May "Thank-a-Teacher Month Challenge"
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 3 -9
FOTPS is giving away a Campus Set of our popular "Texas Public Schools Rock" t-shirts to one lucky winner.
Friends will share the stories with our readers on the web site, newsletters, or other publications to enhance this special month of honoring educators. Plus, one participant will win a set of 40 T-shirts for their school's faculty.
Submissions will be accepted from
Friday, April the 24th - Sunday, May 31st.
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GREATNESS IN OUR SCHOOL'S
212 Ways to Change the World
Click here to view the video produced by the students and faculty at McAuliffe Elementary in the Lewisville Independent School District.
Once you have viewed the video, be sure to visit the schools online forum and leave them a message. The password is McAuliffe and the password is 212. |
Looking for a great public speaker for your upcoming event?
 Leslie Milder is a great presenter with valuable information about achievements in Texas public schools and what we can do to help students, teachers, and parents.
"Leslie was the keynote speaker at Katy ISD's annual joint luncheon with the Katy Chamber of Commerce honoring our Teachers of the Year. Governor Perry, Comptroller Strayhorn and a number of other very high profile guests have headlined this event in the past, but we have never had a speaker who has won the hearts of both teachers and community like Leslie. While inspiring our teachers, her message of commitment, hope and dedication sent an important message to our community members about the challenges educators face daily and the critical role they play in shaping the future of our world." - Kris Taylor, Katy ISD
request more information
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Test your TAKS readiness The following question is taken from the 11th grade TAKS test.
Which of these devices uses the sun's energy directly?
A. Windmill
B. Hydroelectric dam
C. Nuclear power plant
D. Photovoltaic cell
answer: D. Photovoltaic cell
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Our Mission The mission of Friends of Texas Public Schools, the leading voice of optimism and hope for our public school family, is to ensure positive and constructive conversation about public schools by educating Texans through honest communication, productive dialogue, and relentless encouragement.
Please share our optimism for public education, pass us along to others.
Friends of Texas Public Schools
Scott Milder, President & Chief Executive
P.O. Box 3526
Harker Heights, Texas 76548
Phone: 214-497-6411
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Visit www.facebook.com and search Friends of Texas Public Schools to join the Group
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