Legislative Update

9-5-08 Appropriations Subcommittee discusses incentive pay programs

On Sept. 3, 2008, the House Appropriations subcommittee on Education met to discuss three interim charges; the most important of which being a review of certain Texas Education Agency (TEA) programs, specifically recently enacted incentive pay programs. The committee heard from Legislative Budget Board (LBB) staff, the senior director of educator initiatives and performance for the TEA, as well as TEA Commissioner Robert Scott. 

The LBB provided a history of the three incentive pay programs and what their current status is. This year, the first incentive pay program, the Governor’s Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG), will be phased out, while the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) will continue and the District Awards for Teacher Excellence (DATE) will begin its first year. 

TEEG is a campus-based program that offers incentive pay primarily to educators who teach in the top half of economically disadvantaged schools in the state that are recognized, exemplary or are in the top quartile of schools in improvement. The Legislature appropriated $100 million for TEEG for the 2007 school year and $97.5 million for each of the 2008 and 2009 school years.  Currently there are approximately 1100 campuses participating with educators receiving awards from nearly $3,000 to over $10,000. 

DATE is a district-based program (instead of campus-based) and every school in the state is eligible to participate. The Legislature funded DATE with $148 million; 213 school districts are participating in 2008-09.

Overall, Texas is spending more than $347 million on teacher incentive pay programs for 2008-09, which makes it the largest incentive plan in the country.

ATPE supports differentiated bonus pay plans developed at the campus level but continues to oppose incentive pay plans that determine educator compensation based on individual student test scores. ATPE has a long history of working with the Legislature to increase teacher pay and are currently working with elected officials to allow school districts more freedom in determining how to use incentive funds to increase educator compensation, rather than being required to base awards on test scores. During the 81st legislative session, ATPE will be submitting recommendations to both improve the incentive pay plans and to increase overall educator compensation.

If you have questions about any of these incentive pay plans or would like to discuss ATPE’s legislative program, please contact ATPE Governmental Relations.

8-15-08 Pensions and Investments Committee meeting

The House Pensions and Investments Committee met Aug. 12 to discuss interim charges 2 and 9. The hearing focused primarily on charge 2, which instructs the committee to explore options for funding other post-employment benefits (OPEB), and examine strategies employed by other governmental entities in addressing these obligations.

As it applies to educators, OPEB refers to the TRS-Care retiree health insurance program. Currently, the program is funded by contributions from the state, school districts and active educators. However, the state may need to find a new way to fund the program in order to comply with reporting requirements recently issued by the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB). The committee discussed creating a state fund as a means to meeting the new requirements. This would benefit educators because it would make the TRS-Care system more financially stable, but it could lead to increased costs for active educators. The committee also considered the possibility of ignoring the new standards and continuing with current funding scheme.

ATPE testified before the committee to share our concerns about how the state addresses this issue. We first encouraged the committee to address the deficiencies of the school finance system in order to provide more stability to the state. We also expressed our opposition to reducing benefits or requiring educators to shoulder the burden of complying with GASB standards through increased contributions.

Because this was only an interim hearing, the committee took no official action, but the issue will most certainly resurface during the next legislative session. Stay tuned for updates.

8-8-08 ATPE presents study to Select Committee on Accountability

The Select Committee on Public School Accountability met Aug. 4 in El Paso to hear invited and public testimony on the state’s school accountability system. The committee was created by the 80th Legislature and is charged with reviewing the current accountability system and making recommendations for the system’s improvement.

ATPE appeared before the committee to present a summary of a study on teacher quality conducted by the University of Texas. The study was commissioned by ATPE and will be available at atpe.org later this month. Below is a copy of the summary presented to the committee.

2008 Study on Teacher Quality & School Improvement in Texas Secondary Schools

Edward J. Fuller, PhD.

Bradley Carpenter

University Council for Educational Administration

Department of Educational Administration

The University of Texas at Austin

Greg Fuller

Education Consultant

Presented by the Association of Texas Professional Educators

Select Committee on Public School Accountability

August 4, 2008

 

THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY

Examine the effect of teacher qualifications (quality measures) and teacher distribution on academic achievement in Texas secondary schools and document the relationship between teacher quality and gains in achievement at high-improvement schools.

•          Examine the distribution of teacher quality across Texas secondary Schools.

•          Examine the relationship between changes in teacher quality and school outcomes on TAKS.

•          Investigate the strategies used by “turnaround” schools to increase TAKS passing rates.

Data Elements and Methodology

Quantitative study

Section 1: Analyze the distribution of teacher quality characteristics, defined by six teacher qualifications standards in Texas secondary schools (definition of measures on page 14)

•Percentage of teachers assigned out of field;

•Percentage of teachers not fully certified;

•Percentage of beginning teachers;

•Distribution of teacher experience;

•Teacher turnover; and

•Initial passing rates on teacher certification tests.

Analyze the distribution of teachers against three characteristics of schools in 2007 (findings pages 13-27):

•Percentage of economically disadvantaged students;

•Percentage of minority students; and

•Percentage of students passing TAKS.

School sample: All secondary schools with regular accountability ratings from 2002-03 to 2006-07; middle schools had to offer grades 6-8 and high schools at least grades 9-11.

Qualitative Study

Section I: Ordinary least squares regression analysis:

a) Dependent variable: % of students passing all TAKS tests at all grade levels in 2007.

b) A large number of independent variables related to demographics and other factors outside the control of the school (page 65 of the draft report) were included as control factors.  

c) Passing rates in 2003 were included to control for prior level of achievement.

Using the results, we identified those schools who performed better than and worse than expected based on their student and school characteristics. The 90 schools whose achievement exceeded their predicted achievement by the greatest margin were designated as high-improvement schools while the 90 schools whose performance lagged their predicted performance by the greatest margin were designated as low-improvement schools.

Section II:  Compared the changes in teacher quality distribution and turnover rates at the 90 high-improvement and 90 low-improvement schools identified in the data set (findings pages 27-35).

Section III:  Examined practices in 20 high-improvement secondary schools and compared those practices to a framework of best practices identified in literature on “turnaround” schools (findings pages 36 – 48, policy recommendations pages 49-51).

Summary of Major Findings

As previous analyses in Texas have shown, we found that teacher quality continues to be inequitably distributed across schools, with high-poverty, high-minority, and low-performing schools having much lower teacher quality than low-poverty, low-minority, and high-performing schools. In fact, on almost every single measure, we found significant differences in teacher quality between these sets of schools.

1. The most acute areas of shortage and the largest gaps in teacher quality tend to be in the areas of mathematics and science.

2. There is a positive association between the measures of teacher quality in this study and student achievement on TAKS. Indeed, in every case, high-performing schools had a far greater aggregate teacher quality than low-performing schools.

3. Not only was teacher quality positively associated with levels of performance on the TAKS, but changes in teacher quality were also positively associated with increases in performance on the TAKS from 2003 to 2007.

4. High-improvement middle and high schools employed many of the best practices found in the literature on “turnaround” schools.

Policy Recommendations (pages 7-8)

1. Provide monetary and non-monetary incentives for the most qualified teachers to teach in schools serving students with the most academic needs for extended periods of time.

2. Re-design the District Awards for Teaching Excellence (DATE) program to require a greater percentage of funds be directed to placing and retaining well-qualified teachers in high need schools.

3. Create monetary and non-monetary incentives for teacher preparation programs to produce the teachers we need the most—secondary mathematics and science teachers.

4. Publish an annual report that documents distribution of teacher quality across the state, within Education Service Centers, and within school districts.

5. Require that all teacher preparation programs provide an adequate amount of quality pre-service training to ensure that beginning teachers have the knowledge and skills to be effective.

6. Fund the Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS) or other mentoring and induction programs with a proven track record for all beginning teachers in high-need schools.

7. Provide funds to allow beginning teachers to have a reduced course-load so that they may spend time learning from master teachers in their schools.

8. Implement a statewide working conditions survey that could be used by school and district administrators to identify schools with poor working conditions and to provide assistance to improve the working conditions.

9. Ensure that school and district leadership preparation programs emphasize the importance of shared decision making and appropriate levels of autonomy and accountability.

10. Allocate extra financial support that allows schools to provide students more individual attention through various strategies such as: (a) employing extra classroom personnel so that children do not have to be pulled from regular classes or from electives courses to make acceptable academic progress; (b) creating smaller class sizes or reduced teacher workloads; and, (3) providing more opportunities for teachers and students to interact in small-group settings outside the formal instructional periods.

11. Implement a plan that requires TEA and local districts to create a system that ensures all under-performing schools are staffed by well-qualified teachers, e.g., teacher who have more than two years of teaching experience, who have demonstrated strong content knowledge through exemplary scores on the state certification examinations or GPA from a selective undergraduate institution, and who have demonstrated classroom excellence through classroom observations and increased student achievement.

8-1-08 Commissioner holds education summit

Education Commissioner Robert Scott invited leaders of the education community to a summit to discuss issues facing Texas’ public education system. ATPE participated in the summit, which focused largely on funding issues. Scott announced several items that will be included on TEA’s funding request to the Legislature. The cost of the items totals more than $1 billion and includes $30 million per year for training programs for ninth and 10th-grade teachers in preparation for end-of-course exams; $150 million for both the existing debt allotment and the infrastructure facilities allotment; and a significant increase in funding for adult basic education. Scott also plans to ask for increased funding for background checks because current funds are not covering total expenses.

The group also discussed the possibility of implementing a one-time inflation adjustment during the next legislative session to provide school districts relief from budgetary problems caused by the state’s school finance system. Such an adjustment would be helpful to districts but would not be a sufficient alternative to addressing the problems with the school finance system. There was also discussion on the cost of granting educators a $1,000 pay raise. Such a raise would cost the state approximately $773 million.

The most controversial item discussed was the debate surrounding the possibility of converting the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) from a defined benefits plan (DBP) to a defined contribution plan (DCP). DBPs guarantee retirees a certain return on their investment whereas DCPs are more cost effective but leave participants susceptible to market losses, much like a 401K or 403B. ATPE strongly opposes converting TRS to a DCP and will fight any proposal to do so.

For more information, contact ATPE Governmental Relations.

7-25-08 ATPE testifies before SBEC on educator prep programs

The State Board for Educator Certification met July 25 to consider several items, including proposed changes to requirements for educator preparation courses. The changes would set strict minimum standards for candidates to meet before being admitted into educator preparation programs.

Earlier this year, ATPE participated in a stakeholder committee made up of various members of the education community that analyzed and discussed the pertinent chapters of the administrative code in order to determine what changes should be made. The proposed changes considered today reflect the work of the committee and include:

•Requiring candidates to have at least a 2.5 grade point average.

•Requiring candidates to pass a basic skills test in reading, writing and math or demonstrate equivalent performance on a college entrance exam.

•Requiring candidates to have at least 12 semester credit hours in the subject of the specific content area in which they are seeking certification, or pass a content examination.

ATPE testified before the board in support of these changes and to express gratitude to the board for including educators and educator associations in the revision process. ATPE supports higher standards for educator preparation programs because they will help to better prepare future educators for the challenges they will face in the classroom. Our testimony also recognized the need for flexibility but urged the board to refuse any attempt to weaken the standards or waive the requirements.

The board voted to adopt the changes, which will be posted in the Texas Register and open for public comment. Dates for the public comment period have not yet been determined.

Stay tuned for updates.

7-17-08 House Public Education Committee meeting

The House Public Education Committee met July 16 to continue work on its interim charges. The committee as a whole met to consider charges 2, 5 and 7. Interim Charge 2 is to review the functions of the agencies and boards under the committee's jurisdiction and evaluate the capacities of these agencies and boards versus their appropriate roles in supporting instruction in public schools. Interim Charge 5 is to monitor the implementation of legislation passed by the 79th and 80th Legislatures. Interim Charge 7 is to monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.

The hearing focused on the controversy surrounding the State Board of Education’s (SBOE) recent adoption of revised English/Language Arts/Reading (ELAR) TEKS. Several board members appeared before the committee, including board chairman Don McLeroy, who defended the adoption process and characterized the controversy as the result of a “mix-up” of the two competing versions of standards. According to McLeroy, the facilitator hired by the board to oversee the process worked off of the wrong version of the competing standards, which ultimately lead to the pieced-together version the board finally adopted. McLeroy responded to implications that the adoption process was hijacked and politicized by stating that education is “too important not to be politicized.”

McLeroy was followed by several other board members, who testified that the controversy illustrates that the adoption process is flawed and needs to be changed. Board member Mavis Knight suggested legislation is necessary to clarify the roles of SBOE and TEA in the writing of TEKS and to specify the inclusion of trained and degreed curriculum specialists in the process. Other board members pointed to disregard for the educator workgroups and experts hired by the board to help with the adoption process. ATPE also testified before the committee to reiterate the need for change in order to prevent the adoption process from being used for political purposes.

Following the hearing, subcommittees assigned to interim charges 1 and 6 held a joint hearing. Charge 1 is to study best practices in instructional technology, including online course delivery, including professional development, supplementary instruction and course support, and to examine the costs and benefits of these applications versus traditional delivery models. Charge 6 is to study innovations in state educational data systems and develop recommendations for a comprehensive state educational data system that will: ensure the best available information for educators and policymakers; include unique student records that may be transferred easily among authorized institutions; minimize duplicative or onerous reporting requirements; and meet federal privacy requirements in a manner consistent with the practices of leading states. The charge also calls for recommending statutory changes as necessary to facilitate the implementation of the new data system and to eliminate unnecessary reporting requirements. The subcommittee heard invited testimony from several panels of guests. The panels focused on the Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) program, instructional technologies and the role of teachers, teacher data needs and the usefulness of Texas data.

Stay tuned for updates.

 

 

 

5-20-08 Sen. Education Committee considers CATE programs

The Senate Education Committee met May 19 to study an interim charge related to availability and quality of career and technical education (CATE) programs and their relation to economic and workforce needs in Texas. Committee members heard from five panels of experts that included business representatives and educators from the career and technical education field. 

Business representatives asked that high school courses and planning be employer-driven to insure that content meets current and future economic needs. Generally, they asked for courses that teach the specific content and skills students need to either enter the workforce directly from high school or choose a path of higher education. Many businesses work in partnership with local school districts and community colleges to develop courses around skills that are desired in local economies.

A representative from ACT discussed the company’s research regarding the need to prepare all high school students, whether they are entering the workforce or higher education, to the same rigorous academic standards because the workforce and higher education require the same basic content and skills in today’s economy. Many career and tech students will enter higher education and will need the same academic base throughout their lives. One witness discussed tech prep students’ high rate of transition to four-year university programs.

Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes called for a balanced approach between career training and preparation for baccalaureate and advanced degrees. He made the point that we not only have shortages of technical workers, but also shortages of teachers, nurses, engineers and physicians, we must prepare all students with the content and skills for higher education and the workforce. Programs should provide rigorous course content that is transferable from college to the technical setting because we are currently preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist in the quickly changing global economy. Job skills training programs are rapidly moving to the community college level as the need for higher level skills increases in the workforce. In fact, reading levels required for technical jobs are often higher than reading levels optimal for success in higher education. Paredes also mentioned that on-the-job training should count toward college credit in some instances and that professional development to ensure effective instruction needs to be expanded. He also recommended collecting data statewide to examine whether poor and minority students are tracked into specific programs at higher-than-average rates.

Almost all witnesses called for increased resources to support CATE as well as expanded partnerships between business and K-16 education systems. Several also mentioned programs in other countries and across the U.S. that require career planning and skills development for all students and suggested that integrating CATE into the four-by-four curriculum courses in high school is the best first step toward that goal in Texas. HB 3485 from the last legislative session requires a review and rewrite of the entire CATE curriculum. The writing teams hope to present their product to the State Board of Education in March of 2009.

ATPE supported HB 3485 in 2007 and will continue to advocate for increased choices and a well-rounded curriculum for all students as well as increased resources for CATE programs and equivalent academic rigor across the K-12 curriculum for college and career preparation. 

5-16-08 Accountability committee meets in Houston

The Select Committee on Public School Accountability met May 12 in Aldine ISD to continue hearing invited and public testimony on Texas’ public school assessment and accountability system. The primary focus of this hearing was to examine the wide variety of differences between large and small school districts as they meet accountability requirements, but the committee also heard from school and agency officials regarding the alternative accountability system that currently applies to 399 campuses and charter schools with student populations that are at least 75 percent at-risk.

There are 13 criteria for identifying at-risk students. Students identified as at-risk include those who are retained at a grade level, homebound and homeless students, and students who repeatedly fail the TAKS test. However, the definition does not include economically disadvantaged students. Economically disadvantaged status is part of the at-risk definition for many funding and program initiatives, but not for application of the alternative accountability system.

The alternative system works on a pass/fail basis and has only two indicators: acceptable and unacceptable. However, unlike the current system for all other campuses, it includes a measure of comparable improvement (student growth in achievement). The testimony from the invited panelists covered the unique challenges of this population and the very different definitions of success for these schools and their families. As one panelist stated, “Sometimes just being able to attend school two days in a row is a major accomplishment, so TAKS testing and AYP really take on a different meaning.”

The committee will meet June 16 in the Dallas area, July 14 in Brownsville and August 4 in West Texas (site TBD).  ATPE will continue to monitor the committee and report on its progress. ATPE encourages you to attend a committee meeting near you and give your input on how the current system affects you and your students each day.

5-16-08 TEA seeking trainers

The Texas Education Agency is seeking experienced classroom teachers to serve as curriculum and instruction coach trainers who will assist teachers in early college high schools (ECHS).

The primary focus of coaching will be to increase the level of academic rigor in ECHS classrooms by assisting classroom teachers with teaching strategies and best practices that enhance student learning. 

Eligible applicants are individuals certified as Texas educators who have at least three years of classroom teaching experience and meet the required qualifications.

Approved service providers will be required to demonstrate significant past effectiveness in improving instruction in middle, junior high and high schools serving significant numbers of students identified as at-risk.

Providers approved as curriculum and instruction coach trainers will be eligible to provide services to participating school districts and campuses for a period of up to two years, after which they may reapply to continue their eligibility. Continued eligibility is contingent upon satisfactory delivery of services, adherence to program guidelines and requirements and progress on performance measures as determined by the commissioner.

To apply, respond to TEA's Request for Qualifications (RFQ) at the following link: http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/docs/701/76302_1.pdf. Proposals must be submitted no later than June 12, 2008, at 2 p.m.

5-9-08 Bragging Rights

Texas School Business, a magazine that focuses on Texas educators and vendors that serve the public schools, publishes Bragging Rights each year to honor school districts and their innovative programs. The magazine is accepting nominations for programs to be featured in this year’s Bragging Rights, which will be published in December. If your school has a successful program you would like to nominate, send an e-mail to brag@texasschoolbusiness.com that briefly describes the program, its development and noteworthy results. All types of programs are welcome, including athletics, curriculum development, staff development and special education. All nominations must be submitted by June 1.

For more information, contact Texas School Business editor Katie Ford at Katie@texasschoolbusiness.com or (512) 469-9746.

5-9-08 SBEC meeting  

The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met May 9 in Austin. Among the items on the agenda was a review of revisions to rules for educator preparation programs. State law requires the board to review such rules every four years. ATPE submitted testimony to the board on this item outlining our concerns about educator certification as outlined in the ATPE Legislative Program. The testimony also called for greater oversight to help maintain the highest standards for educator certification in Texas.

The Board took no action on the proposed rule changes relating to educator preparation, but instructed staff to make changes to the proposed language for consideration at SBEC's next meeting in July. You can view the testimony at http://www.atpe.org/Advocacy/LegislativeResources/sbecReviseTAC.asp.  

Proposed revisions to the board’s operating policies and procedures were also on the agenda. ATPE submitted testimony on this item outlining our concerns about proposed revisions to the rules for public testimony. The revision would allow the board chair discretion over which speakers would be heard and limit all public testimony to 30 minutes per meeting. This could limit opportunities for stakeholders to voice their concerns on contentious issues. ATPE recommended that the board not make any changes to the current operating policy and that it embrace public testimony in accordance with SBEC’s own core principle, which states, “We believe stakeholder input is valuable and student success is primary.” In response, the board voted instead to allow 30 minutes of testimony on each agenda item. You can view the testimony on this item at http://www.atpe.org/Advocacy/LegislativeResources/sbecLimitPublicTestimony.asp.  

For more information, contact ATPE Governmental Relations.

4-21-08 ATPE testifies before education committee

The House Committee on Public Education met in Austin today to hear public and invited testimony on its fourth interim charge, which is to research and evaluate state-supported policies and programs designed to attract, train and support effective teachers and instructional leaders, including programs designed to recruit and retain teachers in hard-to-staff schools. ATPE was part of a panel of experts invited to appear at the hearing.

ATPE’s testimony was geared toward shedding light on the reasons recruiting and retaining teachers in our public schools is such a challenge. According to an ATPE-commissioned teacher retention study, the primary reasons educators leave the profession are working conditions and compensation. ATPE stressed that while many school districts offer attractive starting salaries, most do not provide worthwhile salary advancement opportunities, which discourages beginning educators from remaining in the profession and creates a disincentive for qualified candidates to enter the field. ATPE also pointed out that it will be a bigger challenge to address working conditions because the term encompasses so many different aspects of the job. According to our study, the aspects that cause educators the most concern are student behavior, lack of administrator support, burdensome paperwork and state mandates.

The committee will continue meeting during the interim to gather information in order to make recommendations to the Legislature on how to address these issues. ATPE will continue to monitor the committee’s work and will report on any significant developments.

Stay tuned for updates.

4-18-08 ELAR TEKS revisions open for public comment

ATPE recently reported on controversy surrounding ongoing work by the State Board of Education (SBOE) to revise the English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) TEKS. The controversy started when certain board members attempted to replace revised standards developed with the input of educator workgroups with alternative standards rejected by the state more than 10 years ago.

To resolve the dispute, SBOE formed a subcommittee to choose experts to conduct a review of the proposed revisions, take input from all interested parties and submit a final proposal for the full board’s vote.

The subcommittee released a new draft of the revised standards March 19 and heard invited and public testimony on the draft at the March 26 SBOE meeting. The new version contains components of both the original TEA revisions and the proposed alternative revisions, but it also contains new components not in either of the previous proposals. The revised standards have been posted in the Texas Register and are now open for public comment for 30 days. ATPE encourages all educators to review the standards and submit your input.

To view the revised standards and submit your comments, go to www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/home/sboeprop.html. Don’t miss this opportunity to help shape policy that may directly impact your profession.

4-15-08 Joint Select Committee on Public School Accountability Hearing

The Joint Select Committee on Public School Accountability met April 14 in San Antonio to hear invited and public testimony.  Five panels of experts representing the business community, school districts, higher education, school boards and community organizations testified before the committee. Among the experts were Charles Miller, former chairman of the U.S. Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, and former Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff. Ratliff also leads Raise Your Hand Texas, an advocacy group that was instrumental in passing the legislation that created the committee.

The “school district” panel included representatives from the Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Kerrville, and Plano school districts. Their testimony focused on how their districts incorporate student achievement growth into their accountability systems using a form of value-added regression analysis to evaluate individual students, teachers, classes and campus progress. Generally, the systems rank the performance and progress of each area using TAKS scores, norm-referenced tests, end-of-course exams and other measures based on local needs. The goal is to identify students in need of individual attention, predict performance in specific areas and determine a course of study based on each student’s experience.

The panel’s testimony also shined a light on issues districts will face when implementing pay-for-performance programs for administrators and teachers. According to the panel, growth model analyses can help determine the "teacher quality effect" on student learning by taking into account aspects such as demographics, wealth levels and other student variables. The key is to have reliable data systems and develop the goals of the plan based on local needs.  However, evaluating individual teachers using “growth models” is complicated and can be divisive and should be only a portion of the overall evaluation.  Most of the districts also include test scores in absolute terms (number of students passing by campus) in their pay-for-performance programs. Such a competitive system can have an adverse effect on campus teamwork and overall working conditions, especially in smaller schools. Several witnesses stressed the importance of using multiple measures to determine student progress, including criterion or norm-referenced measures and computer adaptive testing.   

The committee also heard from witnesses who called for incorporating college and workforce readiness standards into public education and making curriculum, assessments and accountability systems more rigorous in order to help Texas meet the demands of the global economy. Commissioner of Education Robert Scott responded by pointing out that Texas has done a good job of phasing in more difficult standards by meeting the system at its current level and increasing rigor and difficulty over time. According to Scott, that is what should be done with any future changes resulting from the committee’s work. 

Upcoming committee meetings:

May 12, Houston
June 16, Dallas
July 14, Brownsville
Aug 11, West Texas (Location TBD)

ATPE will continue to monitor the committee's activities as it travels around the state. Stay tuned for updates. 

4-3-08 Pensions and Investments Committee meeting

The House Pensions and Investments Committee met April 3 to discuss its first interim charge. That charge is to evaluate the possibility of requiring the state and employee contribution rate to meet the annually required contribution (ARC) for the statewide retirement funds each biennium in order to prevent unfunded liabilities.

ATPE testified before the committee that requiring pension systems to meet the ARC is not a complete strategy for preventing funding shortfalls. We recommended that the state contribute above the ARC so that the fund would have a buffer against market losses and, more importantly, so that benefit increases could be granted to retirees. ATPE also reiterated our opposition to increasing active member contributions and recommended that the committee establish a ceiling for such contributions in order to provide more security and stability for educators.

ATPE will continue to monitor the work of the committee. Stay tuned for updates.

3-31-08 Opportunity for principals

Raise Your Hand Texas (RYHT), the pro-public education group chaired by former Lt. Governor Bill Ratliff, is offering public and charter school principals the chance to attend one of four leadership workshops being offered by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. RYHT will select 100 principals to attend the event. All expenses would be paid. For more information on this opportunity, visit www.raiseyourhandtexas.org/harvard.