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Messages from FOTPS Supporters
"In the midst of the bad news about soaring class sizes and other challenges in our schools, this is a good time to remember there are also a lot of positive things happening thanks to hard-working students, teachers, parents, volunteers and others. Friends of Texas Public Schools has compiled some of that good news. We need to elect legislators who will reverse the education cuts so our kids don't lose ground."
Mike Villareal
Texas State Representative
House District 123
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Help spread the good news about Texas public education
Texas students show dramatic academic growth during TAKS era
Since 2003, passing rates on every single Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test at every grade have improved dramatically. Exit level math passing rates more than doubled since 2003, rising from 44 percent in 2003 to 90 percent this year, even as standards rose steadily over the same period. Students also knocked it out of the park on the exit-level science exam where rates rose from 47 percent to 91 percent between 2003 and 2011. Extraordinary gains were made by every grade level tested! This year, passing rates on 23 of the 27 subject area tests were in the 80 to 99 percent range.
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Friends of Texas Public Schools Scott Milder P.O. Box 1568
Rockwall, TX 75087
smilder@fotps.org214-497-6411 |
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Where Does A Dollar Go?
BE PROUD is a campaign started by Texans who are fed up with the incessant, mean-spirited criticism and attacks on our public schools, most of which is routinely leveled by knuckleheads intentionally misleading the public with flawed and corrupted data. Our public schools are achieving extraordinary results in spite of seemingly overwhelming challenges, yet those who work in our schools rarely receive praise for their hard work and accomplishments.
Friends of Texas Public Schools is proud to host this group's work, which is kicking off with a series of one-minute visualizations illustrating the real story about public school performance.
Click below to watch a short video about where a dollar goes in Public Education in Texas.
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Visualization produced by Mesquite ISD |
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Don't Believe the Education "Reformers"
Public schools are better than we think and efforts to quantify teacher performance are typically destructive.
By Gene Lyons for Salon.com
Despite melodramatic pronouncements to the contrary by sundry politicians, tycoons, tycoon/politicians and media-enhanced "reformers" like former Washington, DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, the available evidence shows American students performing steadily better on standardized assessments of educational progress over the past 30 years. Three mildly heretical thoughts about American education: First, given the impossible assignment we've given them-an egalitarian mission in a nation rapidly growing more stratified by income and class-American public schools are probably doing a better job than they ought to be. One big reason is greater professionalism among teachers. A lot has changed since I wrote a Texas Monthly article documenting the awful state of teacher education back in 1979, mostly for the better.
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Editorial: Texas students do well compared with national stats
Dallasnews.com
 Texas fourth- and eighth-graders are not progressing in reading. That's a key finding in the newly released results from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress exam. But if you dig deeper into the state scores on the respected test, which is given voluntarily nationwide, you will discover encouraging signs.
The most reassuring finding is that our fourth- and eighth-graders are outpacing their peers from the same demographic background nationwide. That includes in reading, where Texas scores have remained relatively flat. It's worth taking the time to look carefully at the chart that accompanies this editorial. Start with the math scores for Texas' eighth-graders: When compared with their demographic peers nationally, every Texas ethnic group finished among the top four states. Black and Latino eighth-graders finished second, and they beat their national averages by at least 14 points. Only black students in Hawaii beat our African-American eighth-graders. Only Latinos in Montana scored better than our Hispanic eighth-graders. Now check out the math scores for fourth-graders: African-American fourth-graders in Texas finished second nationally among their peers. They also beat the national average for black fourth-graders.
read more...
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Friend of the Year Event Celebrated in Style
 Friends of Texas Public Schools honored Chuck and Gena Norris as the recipients of the 7th annual Texas Public Schools Friend of the Year award on November 30, 2011 at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. The award was presented by Charles Dupre, Superintendent of Pflugerville ISD along with Friends of Texas Public Schools founders, Scott and Leslie Milder.
The Norris's are founders of Kickstart Kids, a program offered through Texas public schools whose mission is to build strong moral character in our youth through martial arts. "The Norris's have created a program that is making a dramatically positive impact in our public schools," says Scott Milder, president and CEO of Friends of Texas Public Schools. "They have chosen to invest their energies in strengthening the public school experience for Texas children and we are delighted to recognize them for their efforts." Visit www.kick-start.org to learn more about Kickstart Kids and the benefits it could have for your students.
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First Ambassador of the Year Inaugurated
 Friends also inaugurated a new annual honor to recognize an educator who lives the code of ambassadorship for the profession that we teach in our Ambassador Training Academy. We proudly honored Katrina Keener, a teacher in the Red Oak Independent School District, with our first annual Texas Public Schools Ambassador of the Year Award. Click here for more about Mrs. Keener.
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Ambassador Training
"Our people are our single greatest strength and most enduring long-term competitive advantage." -Gary Kelly, President and CEO, Southwest Airlines
The ambassador training academy is a professional development program designed to change the conversation about Texas public schools from the inside out. It addresses attitudes and mindsets, helping each member of the profession step up as ambassadors for themselves, their classrooms, campuses, district, and their profession. It is designed to unite campus and district staff around the organization's purpose and strengthen the culture of brotherhood among those who work in the schools.
The academy prepares participants to act and communicate professionally and with heart and purpose... helping them avoid common issues rooted in ineffective communication practices that inadvertently undermine parent and public confidence in their work.
Participants learn how the power of professional unity profoundly impacts the profession and why this culture of brotherhood is an essential element of any successful organization. The forces that weaken public trust and confidence in public education are discussed, as well as strategies for restoring public pride, hope, optimism, and confidence in the profession.
Contact Leslie Milder at 214-498-7680, or lmilder@fotps.org for more information.
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