State Education News
TSTA has shifted its Members Only area to a protected area of NEA's website. There are two benefits to the new configuration.
The site will now carry a design similar to the rest of the TSTA website, so it should be less confusing.
The login will be different. When you click on "Members Only" in the left column and go to the new site, you will be asked to register to join NEA's online community if you have not already done so. Only one login is now necessary for both NEA and TSTA Members Only content. If you haven't used your Access card to access the the member benefits page of the NEA or TSTA , all members need to do this to access discounts and member's only information.
The Texas Legislative session has come to a close. Several education bills passed, many did not. One bill that did pass calls for an $800 guaranteed pass through raise for all teachers, librarians, nurses, counselors, and educational diagnosticians. This raise comes from federal stimulus money. FWISD will receive $19.8 million, 6 million of which must be used for the above mentioned raises. While not completely doing away with the 15 million dollar FWISD budget deficit, this new money should help keep drastic measures to a minimum. We are being told that no teachers will be let go as a result of the financial condition of the district.
Several new laws need to be mentioned. The new mandated graduation requirements law has put some districts into a tizzy. FWISD decided not to put the new requirements into effect until next year. Basically the law eliminates some elective requirements in order to give students more choices for their electives.
Another law passed by the Legislature mandates that the grades that teachers give students are the grades that they get. Districts are not allowed to mandate minimum grades. The law is unclear whether or not report card grades are included. FWISD has interpreted the law to mean that they are not, so the old grading system is still in place. The maker of the bill has said that the intent is to apply to ALL grades.
Finally (at least for our purposes), a new cell phone law is now in effect that bans the use of cell phones in school zones. This applies to texting as well as talking on them.
National Education News
The United States finally elected and education friendly President. President Obama was the NEA endorsed candidate.
The NEA is working hard on several fronts. Foremost of these is the reorganization of NCLB. Last year NEA sued the government over unfunded mandates and won. The fed appealed so how this will all play out is still to be determined.
Also still to be determined is the fate of the Bills to repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision of the Social Security Act. These two provisions prevent public employees who have paid into Social Security from receiving fair benefits, both survivor and individual. The election of President Obama should result in the repeal of both these acts. So far they have not, but it is early in his administration and the recession isn't helping.
The educator tax deduction helps recognize the financial sacrifices made by teachers and paraprofessionals. Studies show that educators spend more of their own funds each year to supply their classrooms, including purchasing essential items such as pencils, glue, scissors, and facial tissues. The deduction will expire at the end of this year unless Congress acts. We are still waiting for Congress to act.
The NEA is also supporting the President's health plan initiative. It is embarrassing to watch the level to which the opponents of health care reform have sunk. Shouting down speakers is bad manners pure and simple whether the shouters come from the left or the right. Whoever is encourage this behavior is bringing discourse in this country to a new low..
FWISD Education News on the "Local Education News" Page