Check out these highlights from the House school finance bill

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FROM THE CAPITOL

House passes school finance bill, adds pay raise

In a 148-1 vote Wednesday, the House passed its school finance bill . HB 3 will now move to the Senate, where a different school finance bill has been filed. Click here for a look at the highlights of HB 3 , which includes a pay raise for non-administrators.

On Tuesday, the House Pensions, Investments and Financial Services Committee approved SB 12, the Senate's TRS bill, sending it to the full House for consideration.

Several TCTA-initiated bills are on the move this session, including legislation related to school discipline.

Next week, the House Public Education Committee will review about 40 bills, most of which relate to charter schools, including two initiated by TCTA.

Click here to find all of the latest education news from the Capitol.

OTHER NEWS

5 TCTA members among finalists for H-E-B awards

TCTA congratulates five members who were named state finalists for the 2019 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards: JoLisa Hoover of Leander ISD, Katherine Miller of Wichita Falls ISD, Karen Naiser of Dickenson ISD, Ryan Piwetz of Port Aransas ISD and David Walker of Austin ISD.

The H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards honor elementary and secondary teachers in three categories: Rising Star, Leadership and Lifetime Achievement. H-E-B also honors principals, school boards and early childhood education providers. Statewide winners will be announced in May.

Click here to learn more about the finalists.

Texas may owe feds $223M after special education cuts

Officials at TEA told lawmakers the state may owe the federal government as much as $223 million for illegally decreasing funding for students with disabilities, The Texas Tribune reported Friday.

In October, TEA estimated the state's fine would be about $33 million. The new figure is a significant increase and equals about 25 percent of the state's annual special education grant. For the past year, TEA has been working to implement changes to its special education programs to meet federal guidelines. TEA told The Texas Tribune that it is discussing solutions with legislators and the U.S. Department of Education.

Click here to read more.

TCTA participates in Texas education summit

TCTA's Holly Eaton was among the panelists in The Texas Tribune's Future of Education Summit this week in Austin. Eaton joined a discussion on recruiting, retaining and compensating teachers. Other sessions delved into leadership, accountability, and federal and state regulations as policymakers, educators and advocates discussed the most pressing issues facing public education in Texas.

Click here to watch "It All Begins with Teachers" (scroll to the bottom of the page to find it) and the other sessions about the Future of Education.

Pearson seeks applicants to score math tests in Austin

Pearson is looking for qualified educators to help score math exams at its Austin Regional Scoring Center this spring and summer.

To learn more and apply, click here.

TEA seeks feedback from first-year teachers

This week, new teachers under a standard certificate were emailed a link to a survey, which must be completed by June 12. TEA will use the results from the survey as it evaluates the state's educator preparation programs. First-year teachers who complete the survey will earn CPE credits.

Click here to learn more about the first-year teacher survey.

CALENDAR

April is Child Safety Month.
STAAR testing takes place April 9-12.
April 7-13 is National Library Week.
April 19 is the deadline to apply to be an ELAR reviewer for TEA.

TEXAS CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

PO BOX 1489 AUSTIN, TX 78767 | 888-879-8282 | TCTA.ORG