Texans for Education Reform Issues and Supported Legislation
Charter Schools
This proposal increases the arbitrary charter cap and establishes specialized, funded and trained staff to review applications, monitor schools and close failing ones on an expedited basis.
The legislation: SB 2
Home-Rule Districts
This proposal allows an independent school district, if it so chooses, to convert from a traditional school to a home-rule district and thereby receive the same flexibilities as public charter schools to improve educational outcomes.
The legislation: SB 1571/HB 2476
Online Education
This proposal expands the expands the availability of online courses, provides greater transparency about the quality of courses available, and makes high-quality virtual courses from around the country more accessible in Texas, but only if they align with our state’s curriculum standards.
The legislation: SB 1298/HB 1926
School Transfers
This proposal provides students and their parents the opportunity to transfer, as room is available, to schools of their choice within their own district or into another district.
The legislation: SB 1775/HB 2980
Credit by Exam
The “Competency-Based Advancement Bill” allows students to receive credit in courses for which they are able to pass college readiness examinations. Students are able to advance through classes at their own pace by taking these exams when they can prove they have mastered the material.
The legislation: SB 1365/ HB 3328 & HB 3319
Achievement School District
This proposal creates a statewide district and superintendent whose sole purpose is to provide expedited, specialized and temporary governance and oversight to low-performing campuses.
The legislation: SB 1718/HB 1957
Parent Trigger
This proposal improves current law to allow parents to petition the Commissioner sooner in order to change their own failing neighborhood school into a successful school choosing from a variety of means.
The legislation: SB 1263/HB 2976
A-F Accountability Rating
This proposal changes Texas’ current vague school rating system (Exemplary, Recognized, Acceptable, and Unacceptable) to an easy to understand “A, B, C, D, and F” standardized rating system. This will grade schools in the same manner as schools grade their students.
The legislation: SB 1408/similar provision in HB 5
Teacher Effectiveness and Advancement Bill
This proposal seeks to include objective measures of student growth in teacher evaluations and gives local school districts more flexibility to maximize the impact of teachers by creating a variety of career paths and compensation structures.
The legislation: SB 1403/HB 2977