Make it Matter Monday 5/5

Learn

The Texas Freedom to Read Project has information about the latest bad library bill, SB 13, which will be heard in the House Pub Ed committee hearing this week. Please read this background information so you can help us fight this assault on the autonomy of our local libraries. 

Read more about SB 13

Do

There are many bills being heard in the Pub Ed Committee this week. See below for more information on each and then plan to share your thoughts through the public comments section for the hearing at https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c400. This is an important and easy way to get on the public record. 

Submit comments here

Share

There was a special meeting with AISD focused on potential next steps for the three area middle schools that are under threat through the TEA accountability system. Please read and share the thoughtful recap from AISD parents and ACPTA volunteer, Sharyn Vane, to help parents and community members understand the options for these schools and opportunities to engage in the decisions around them. 

Read all about the AISD special meeting

SPILLING THE CAPITOL TEA

Updates

SB 2 - Voucher bill 

The voucher bill was signed by the Governor on Saturday, with his billionaire benefactors by his side. The bill will undoubtedly go to court. 

HB 2 - School Funding

The bill passed the House and has now been referred to the Senate Education Committee. Word is the Chair of the Senate Education Committee, Sen. Creighton, doesn't like the House version, which raises the basic allotment, because he doesn't like the very idea of the basic allotment - he thinks every penny should be earmarked for something specific. Which seems to be why it's having trouble during the reconciliation process. We need to start pressuring our own Senator to push to release that bill from committee so it can get a vote but we'll move on to badgering the Senate Education committee soon - keep an eye open for that call-to-action. Coming soon if we don't see movement this week. 

HB 4 - Accountability bill

The bad accountability bill was substituted with a much better one last week, just before the hearing. It will replace the STAAR with a MAP-type assessment that will be given three times a year in an effort to measure growth, and will adaptive, so that, if the kid is not currently on grade level, their final assessment won't be on material they aren't prepared for or have progressed beyond. It truly will measure growth, which is what we want. It also allows districts to opt in to alternative accountability measures, like the percentage of kids who are involved in the arts or extracurriculars, for example, as part of the A-F accountability system. And, it takes a lot of power away from the Texas Education Agency, which is huge. It will also limit the number of assessments only to what is federally mandated but is still high-stakes. It's not perfect but it's a huge improvement over what we have.  It'll go to the House for a full vote and then over the Senate to be reconciled with their version of the bill. 

This Week

There is a House Pub Ed hearing on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 8am in the Reagan Building Room 140. 

NOTE: You can find out about all the committee hearings happening this week in the House and the Senate.  There may be some things that stand out as interesting to you in another committee. Click on the bill link in the hearing schedule to read more about it. If you click on the Text tab of the bill (the History tab is the default but there are a number of tabs to choose from - mine are light gray), you'll find a fiscal note, analysis, and, eventually, the witness list, which will include a list of folks who register/testified, and the list of the public comments for each bill. What's up there depends on the timing and whether the reports have been released but it's worth digging around, if you've got a bottomless glass of wine and plenty of time. 

Overview of some of the bills this week:

HB 1655, Schatzline: AGAINSTRelating to a policy prohibiting public school employees from assisting a student with social transitioning and to the loss of state funding for a violation by a public school. Seriously, a teacher should not be worried about getting into trouble for treating a student with respect. 

HB 3312, Swanson: FORRelating to the preservation and release of video surveillance recordings of special education settings. This requires recordings to be kept for 12 months, instead of the current 3. SPED advocates would like it to go further but it's a good start. 

SB 13, Paxton, et al: AGAINSTRelating to a school district's library materials and catalog, the creation of local school library advisory councils, and parental rights regarding public school library catalogs and access by the parent's child to library materials. FFS. We have a Call to Action sheet with background and a sample script here. 

SB 57, Zaffirini | et al.: FORRelating to provisions and plans by public schools to ensure the safety of individuals with disabilities or impairments during a mandatory school drill or a disaster or emergency situation. It adds making plans to help a student with disabilities through safety drills in the IEP. 

SB 207 Paxton | et al.: FORRelating to excused absences from public school for certain students to attend mental health care appointments. This bill requires schools to excuse student absences for appointments with health care professions. 

You can submit comments for any of these bills here: https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c400A live video broadcast of this hearing will be available here: https://house.texas.gov/video-audio/ 

Join us at 8am in the Reagan Building, or whenever you can get there. We will have a room for the day where you can recharge your devices, hone your testimony, or just come and support those of us who will be testifying. It'll be a long day for those who plan to testify so please plan accordingly. We'll will try to keep you posted on where we'll be via the Band app (https://band.us/@acptaadvocacy).

Invite an Advocacy Speaker to your next PTA meeting

There is a lot of information you can and should be sharing with your communities. If you are affected by any of the budget cuts, please invite your district trustee to your next meeting to discuss options and share community concerns. If you have the bandwidth, please invite an ACPTA advocacy person to attend to discuss where we stand with state legislative issues like funding, vouchers, and accountability. 

Trustees can be found at https://www.austinisd.org/board/members.ACPTA Advocacy invites can be sent to advocacy@austincouncilpta.org. 

Mark Your Calendar: Sine Die, June 2nd

The last day of the session is June 2 and it's called Sine Die (last day). It's apparently quite the party and something everyone should experience at least once. I suspect some folks will be partying more than others but we're going to lighten the mood for those feeling sad as well as celebrate our own advocacy efforts and successes. We have reserved the Legislative Conference Center so put Noon - 2 on your calendar on June 2nd and plan to join us for some fun. 

Don't Let UP! 

Thanks for all your engagement! Don't stop! Only four weeks left in the session and there are still a ton of bills that will be debated and voted on. We're almost there. Don't let up the pressure - it's as important as ever to keep making those phone calls. 

There are more hearings this week and the next and the next. I hope y'all are ready to help us keeping fighting for our schools. We will NEVER give up fighting for the schools, teachers, and community we love. Please join us wherever and however you can!

Daphne Hoffacker ACPTA Advocacy Chair advocacy@austincouncilpta.orgaustincouncilpta.org/advocacy