Changes in store for the Texas Legislature

The next election cycle will be different, thanks to retirements and redistricting

Believe it or not—even though the March 6, 2012, primary elections are still more than four months away and the November 2012 general election is more than a year away—election season is in full swing. Interesting developments are already taking shape. More

Too much testing

SBOE member Thomas Ratliff speaks out against excessive state-mandated testing

The following is an editorial on state-mandated testing written by Thomas Ratliff, the District 9 State Board of Education (SBOE) member. More

School finance lawsuit

The search continues for an equitable finance system

When the 82nd Legislature cut $5.4 billion in public education funding, talk about a new round of school funding litigation began. The talk became a reality Oct. 11 when the Texas Taxpayer and Student Fairness Coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s school finance system. More

Interim charges released

Education items will be studied before the 83rd Legislature

Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Rep. Joe Straus (R–San Antonio) issued interim charges for all House committees Oct. 20. Interim charges direct legislative committees to conduct studies on various issues during the interim and often serve as a preview of what the Legislature will focus on during the next session. More

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Essentials contains legislative advertising contracted for by Doug Rogers, Executive Director, Association of Texas Professional Educators, 305 E. Huntland Dr., Suite 300, Austin, TX 78752-3792, representing ATPE.