Friends to Friends
Leslie... what an honor to have you speak at Quitman ISD this afternoon (8/20/13). You inspired, honored, and reminded us of so many important things. Thank you again for being such an advocate of educators and the children we serve!" - Rhonda Turner, Assistant Superintendent, Quitman ISD
"Hello, I teach Kindergarten at Whitesboro ISD and was in your presentation today (8/19/13). Thank you for your inspiring words and great stories. I truly enjoyed every minute of your presentation!! Thank you for helping to make our first day back so great!" - Shanna Reynolds, Teacher, Whitesboro ISD
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A Must Read for All Educators!
ATPE's online summer book study forums featured "Hello My Name is Public School and I Have an Image Problem", co-authored by Friends of Texas Public Schools founder Leslie Milder and colleague Jane Braddock. More than 100 ATPE members participated in this online book study and earned 8 hours of CPE credit! Lead a book study in your district or on your campus.
Visit hellomynameispublicschool.com or amazon.com to get your copies today. Email Leslie or Jane at lmilder@fotps.org or jbraddock@fotps.org if you'd like to include them in your book study.
order the book...
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Become an Ambassador for Public Education
Now is the time to plan for bringing our Ambassador Training Academy to your district in the 2013-14 school year! Contact Leslie Milder at lmilder@fotps.org for more information.
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Friends of Texas Public Schools Scott Milder 830 Shores Blvd.
Rockwall, TX 75087
smilder@fotps.org214-497-6411
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Advertise with FOTPS!
With more than a million hits annually on its website and more than 15,000 e-news subscribers, Friends of Texas Public Schools is making limited advertising/sponsor opportunities available to organizations wishing to reach school leaders across Texas.
For information on getting your organization's message out to Friends of Texas Public Schools followers and readers, please email Amber Fulton at Afulton@fotps.org.
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Chairman Aycock Named 2013 Texas Public Schools
Friend of the Year
 The Friends of Texas Public Schools Board of Directors has selected Jimmie Don Aycock, Chairman of the House Public Education Committee, as its 2013 Texas Public Schools Friend of the Year honoree. "Chairman Aycock was a champion for public school students throughout the 2013 legislative session, leading the Texas House of Representatives against ardent opposition driven by testing companies and their lobbyists to pass one of the most important pieces of legislation for public education in decades," said Blake Powell, president of Friends of Texas Public Schools. Click here to read a great summary of HB5 on the TAMSA (Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment) website.
Mark your calendars and help us recognize Chairman Aycock's courageous leadership on behalf of the public school students of Texas.
Monday, December 9, 2013
5:30pm - 8:00pm
Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas
Contact Amber Fulton for event tickets, sponsorship, and information. More about our honoree and our event will be coming soon!
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Texas High School Graduation Rate Sets Another All Time High Record
The Texas high school on-time graduation rate has set an all-time high, reaching 87.7 percent for the Class of 2012. The graduation rate for the Class of 2012 is 1.8 percentage points higher than the previous record set by the Class of 2011 and marks the fifth consecutive year the rate has increased.
| YEAR | GRADUATION RATE |
|---|
| Class of 2012 | 87.7 percent | | Class of 2011 | 85.9 percent | | Class of 2010 | 84.3 percent | | Class of 2009 | 80.6 percent | | Class of 2008 | 79.1 percent | | Class of 2007 | 78.0 percent |
"Last year, the Class of 2011 in Texas set a graduation rate that was among the highest in the nation, and now the Class of 2012 has bested that number," said Commissioner Williams. "All those working in Texas education should be proud of our strong numbers and the strides we continue to make as a state."
Out of 316,758 students in the Class of 2012 Grade 9 cohort, 87.7 percent graduated. An additional five percent of students in the Class of 2012 continued in high school the fall after their anticipated graduation date. One percent received GED certificates.
- Asian students in Texas have the highest graduation rate in America when compared to their Asian peers in all other states.
- Hispanic students in Texas have the second highest graduation rate in America when compared to their Hispanic peers in all other states, behind only the state of Maine.
- African-American students in Texas tied the state of Montana for the highest graduation rate in America when compared to their African-American peers in all other states.
- White students in Texas have the highest graduation rate in America when compared to their peers in all other states.
Following is the backup for these national comparisons of subgroup graduation rates:
http://www2.ed.gov/documents/press-releases/state-2010-11-graduation-rate-data.pdf
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Save our Schools Speech by Matt Damon
"I had incredible teachers. And as I look at my life today, the things I value most about myself - my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity - all of these things came from how I was parented and taught.
And none of these qualities that I've just mentioned - none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, that have brought me so much joy, that have brought me so much professional success - none of these qualities that make me who I am ... can be tested.
I said before that I had incredible teachers. And that's true. But it's more than that. My teachers were EMPOWERED to teach me. Their time wasn't taken up with a bunch of test prep - this silly drill and kill nonsense that any serious person knows doesn't promote real learning. No, my teachers were free to approach me and every other kid in that classroom like an individual puzzle.
They took so much care in figuring out who we were and how to best make the lessons resonate with each of us. They were empowered to unlock our potential. They were allowed to be teachers.
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TRUE or FALSE?
Are Texas Public Schools Really Failing?
Of course not! By every measure our public schools are more successful today than ever in history.
- Student performance during the TAKS era, for example, showed dramatic improvements. Percentage of Texas students passing TAKS science rose from 47% passing in 2003 to 91% passing in 2011. Percentage of students passing TAKS math jumped from 44% passing in 2003 to 90% passing in 2011. The percentage of students passing the TAKS English Language Arts exam was 61% in 2003 and reached 95% by 2011.
- School administrator performance is equally impressive where our tax dollars are concerned. Only 3 pennies of every education dollar are spent on central administration, including administrator salaries. On the flipside, 61 pennies are allocated to teacher pay, curriculum, instructional materials, and classroom aides. Surprise! Only 3 pennies of the dollar are allocated to ALL extracurricular activities, and that includes football.
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