Recently Approved 15 Percent Grading Policy Is Deferred For One Year

Last Friday Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott announced that he was deferring the implementation of the new 15% grading requirement connected to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) end-of-course exams.  This announcement follows after I, along with over 100 of my colleagues in the Texas House of Representatives, sent a letter to the Commissioner requesting the Texas Education Agency use the 2011-2012 school year as a transitional period for the STAAR test as provided by current law to provide clarity to school districts and teachers.

The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3 in 2009 to improve the State's school accountability system with the goal to make sure students are academically ready for college or career through more rigorous curriculum and appropriately aligning an end-of-year test to the curriculum.  The new accountability system gives teachers the flexibility to teach towards multiple measures of learning success.  In addition, school districts would be held accountable for student learning by including student success into the school accountability system.  As a member of the Texas Legislature I fully support a more rigorous curriculum to ensure that our students have the skills necessary for college and their respective careers while at the same time giving teachers the flexibility to teach the curriculum that best fits their students' needs instead of preparing for standardized tests.

While my colleagues and I went on record last legislative session opposing the overemphasis of standardized testing in our public schools, I do not believe this temporary delay of the 15% grading requirement serves as a move away from school accountability standards in the classroom. 

Looking forward I am personally very concerned about the state of education in Texas.  Unless we take action in the near future the state of education in Texas will continue to worsen and eventually harm the economy of our great state.  This does not have to happen.  The question that remains is, "Do we have legislators who are willing to lay aside the politics and make bold decisions to transform our education system into one that allows our students to choose between a good paying job skill or one that prepares them for college without having to take remedial courses. Only time will tell.  Nevertheless, I know these two things for sure about our education in South Texas: 

1. South Texas has some of the most dedicated teachers in America.  We owe our teachers our appreciation for what they do each and everyday in the classroom.
2. South Texas public schools have not received their fair share of funding from the Texas Legislature for many years because of politics and an unfair and complicated school finance system.  This must change.

Until next week, let's talk and Let's Move Texas Forward!