Capitol Watch Alert Archive
News & Information Related to COVID-19
The following is a compilation of information and resources related to COVID-19 collected from state and federal sources, followed by a list of event changes/postponements/cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This page is updated daily. Also see our Remote...
SBOE Vetoes 3 Charters, Allows 5
At the State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting Friday, September 11, 2020, the board took final action on Commissioner of Education Mike Morath's list of proposed Generation 25 Open-Enrollment Charter Schools. By taking “no action” on any of the eight proposed...
SBOE to Consider New Charter Applications September 11
Please Contact your SBOE Member! On Friday, September 11, the State Board of Education will vote on eight new charter school applications — representing 18 new campuses across the state — that have been approved by Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. The charter...
TASA Statement on Texas Schools’ Need for Clarity, Consistency and Local Control for the 2020-2021 School Year
The start of the 2020-2021 school year is going to be difficult because of COVID-19. In spite of all the planning and expenditures for safety measures that Texas school districts have undergone with the help of the state, there are cases of COVID-19 in many...
TEA Announces Additional Reopening Guidance, Including Local Option for an Online-Only Start to the 2020-21 School Year
On July 7, TEA released public health planning guidance for the 2020-21 academic year. Given the latest developments around COVID-19, TEA is issuing important updates to the guidance today, July 17. School systems will now be able to temporarily limit access to...
TASA + 11 Education Organizations Ask Governor to Consider 5 Recommendations
On Wednesday, July 15, TASA, along with 11 other education organizations, sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott emphasizing that "the health and safety of the 5.4 million schoolchildren and more than 600,000 district employees is of paramount concern to the members of our...
Public Comment Open on New School Facilities Standards Drafted by TASA Committee
Public comment on proposed commissioner's rules on new school facilities standards is now open. The proposed revisions would remove an obsolete rule, provide an end date for the current school facilities standards rule, and create a new rule to implement the safety...
AASA Requests Superintendents’ Signatures of Support for E-Rate Funding
TASA's national affiliate, AASA, is requesting signatures of support from superintendents in Texas and throughout the U.S. to urge Congress to ensure that the next COVID-19 funding package includes $4 billion in direct funds to the Federal Communications Commission’s...
Governor Closes Texas Schools through End of 2019-20 School Year
Gov. Greg Abbott issued several executive orders April 17, including one that closes all Texas schools to in-person student attendance for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, as it "would be unsafe to allow students to gather." He noted that teachers are...
Comptroller Gives Insight on State Economy and Budget Outlook
Comptroller Glenn Hegar sat down with Ross Ramsey of The Texas Tribune April 7, 2020, to talk about the state of the Texas economy and its possible impact on the state budget. During the interview Hegar was not shy about using the term “recession” in describing the...
Senate Finance Committee to Meet March 24
The Senate Finance Committee will meet Tuesday, March 24, 2020, at 10 a.m. to hear invited and public testimony on several interim charges, which include: Information Technology: Review the state's major information technology infrastructure. Examine cybersecurity...
Senate Education Committee to Hold Interim Hearing March 11
The Senate Education Committee will meet at 10 a.m., March 11, 2020, to hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charges: Adult Education: Identify and evaluate current innovative programs that assist non-traditional students (first-time adult...
Senate Finance Committee to Meet February 25 on TRS, PSF, Natural Disaster Funding
The Texas Senate Finance Committee will meet 10 a.m., Tuesday, February 25, 2020, to hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charges: Investment of State Funds: Review the investment strategies and performance of funds invested through the Teacher...
Coming Soon! 2020 Primary Elections
Primary elections in Texas are especially important because oftentimes all the candidates running for a seat are in the same party, so the primary determines who wins the seat. To make an impact on the election, public education advocates must be eligible and prepared...
Education Advocates Urge More Oversight Over Charter School Expansion Rules
On January 13, 2020, representatives from numerous education organizations and school districts as well as parents testified at a TEA public hearing on the need for more oversight and transparency in the agency’s proposed rules and framework related to charter school...
Senate Finance Committee Schedules 2020 Interim Meetings
The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled several meetings to hear invited and public testimony on interim charges. They will meet in E1.036 (Finance Room) of the Capitol at 10 a.m. on the following days: February 25, March 24, and June 2, 2020. The committee was...
TASA Submits Joint Comments on Charter Expansions
TASA was among 17 education groups that submitted joint comments to TEA December 20 in response to proposed commissioner's rules on charter school performance frameworks and expansions. These rules would provide for automatic expansion of charter schools that meet...
Speaker of the House Issues Interim Charges
Originally posted November 25, 2019, and updated December 5. On November 25, 2019, Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen posted a list of charges for committees of the Texas House of Representatives to study during the interim before the 2021 legislative session. The...
TASA Members Appointed to HB 3-Related Committees
On November 7, 2019, TEA announced the appointees to two new committees created as a result of HB 3. The Special Education Allotment Advisory Committee will develop and make recommendations regarding methods of financing special education. The Compensatory Education...
Lieutenant Governor Releases 2019 Interim Charges to the Texas Senate
On October 30, 2019, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick posted a list of 116 charges for committees of the Texas Senate to study during the interim before the 2021 legislative session. The charges include seven that were issued to the Senate Select Committee on Mass Violence...