-: Members!
Members, who I really appreciate,
we've got some exciting things to see here this morning.
And we're gonna start off with our invocation,
which I think
Mr. Rowley's gonna do.
Mr. Mercer had a dental emergency.
So, Mr. Rowley, you're gonna pick it up for us
and do the invocation
and pledge of allegiance and our pledge to the Texas flag.
-: Okay, well, how about if we just pray?
(laughing)
If you all would bow your heads and join with me.
Father, we come to you now in Jesus' name.
We thank you so much
for all the blessings and anointing
that we have seen represented in our public education system
over the last year,
and we look forward to seeing that as well.
We thank you, Father, for the guidance and direction
that you give us, we thank you for the blessing of teachers
and administrators and educators.
Father, we ask for your direction and guidance
for this Board in every decision that we make.
We pray that it would be in the best interests
of those in whose
stead you've given us.
Father,
we thank you that you give us a sense of guidance as well,
and that you show us the path
that would best lead these young people
in the direction you would have them to go.
We thank you, again for the opportunity to meet as a Board.
We thank you for the unity, Father,
that you've brought into this body,
and for the continued direction and blessing that we have.
We thank you for these things.
We ask them in your Son's name, Amen.
Donna: Amen.
-: Okay, would you stand as we say the pledges?
It's the American flag first?
Okay.
All: I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.
-: To the Texas flag.
All: Honor the Texas flag.
I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas,
one state under God, one and indivisible.
-: You can do the roll call, please.
Miss Jackson will do the roll call for us.
I don't know if we have some members in the back, still.
We have some members in the back, still?
Ms. Jackson: Mr. Allen?
Mrs. Bahorich?
-: Here.
Ms. Jackson: Miss Beltran?
Mr. Bradley.
Voiceover: Here.
Ms. Jackson: Mrs. Cargill.
Mr. Cortez.
Voiceover: Here.
Ms. Jackson: Dr. Dominguez. -: Here.
Ms. Jackson: Ms. Hardy.
Voiceover: Here.
Ms. Jackson: Mr. Maynard.
Voiceover: Here.
Ms. Jackson: Mrs. Melton-Malone.
Voiceover: Here.
Ms. Jackson: Mr. Mercer.
Mrs. Miller.
Voiceover: Here.
Miss Perez.
Voiceover: Here.
Ms. Jackson: Mr. Ratliff.
Mr. Rowley.
voiceover: Here.
Donna: Members, the first thing I want to do
is have approval for the minutes.
So the first item of business is the approval
of the minutes of the April 8th, 2016 meeting.
Are there any corrections to the minutes?
Hearing none, the minutes are approved as read,
or as presented.
Members, the next thing I'd like to do
is to do the resolutions and presentations,
and the first one with Mr. Cortez
our Board Secretary.
Student Heroes Award.
-: Good morning.
Whereas the State Board of Education
Student Heroes Award Program recognizes and applauds
Texas Public School students who engage
in altruistic acts of kindness, charity, and support
towards their fellow students or community
and whereas the SBOE members
did select and honor the following students
with a 2016 Student Hero Award
and whereas Josh Clarke, a student at Pebble Hills
High School, Socorro ISD,
established the student to student military
nonmilitary club
to help ensure students of military families
make the transition to a new school and town
and whereas Jocelyn Sousa Ramirez
founded a mentoring club for incoming freshmen
at the Los Fresnos High School at the Los Fresnos
Independent School District,
(clears throat)
linking the students most at risk freshmen
with older students to tutor them in Algebra,
Biology and English I,
and whereas a strong passion for helping others
led Briana Anaez Zumiga, a fifth grader at
Steven F. Austin Elementary in Edinburg
Consolidated Independent School District,
to work tirelessly as a mentor to both younger students
and peers on her campus
and whereas Lizzy Zion,
a junior at Bellaire High School at Houston Independent
School District,
as a founder of the Young Women United
strive to break down cultural barriers,
protect human rights, provide empowerment tools for women,
and inform the public about world affairs.
And whereas Zach Laneah, a ninth grade student
at Tivy High School Kerrville ISD
pays it forward by raising funds for a
Make-A-Wish Foundation after receiving his own
trip of a lifetime from the group
after being diagnosed with an inoperable aneurysm.
And whereas McMeans Junior High School, Katy ISD
Sixth grader Loren Forney has been helping her community
and volunteering since kindergarten
where she started the Teddy Bear Campaign,
collecting and sharing teddy bears with new born babies
and sick children.
And whereas Jeremy Krabtree, a fourth grader at
Alexander Elementary School in Katy ISD,
goes throughout the day
being kind to his fellow students by befriending
the new student or sitting with the child without
a friend at lunch.
And whereas Grant Miles Neal, a senior at
Splendora High School in Splendora ISD,
began a mission to acknowledge
what he termed,"The Invisible Student,"
by greeting his peers with handshakes,
offering greetings with compliments,
and making it a point to learn the names of all his peers.
And whereas Driver Coward in Lindale ISD
Second grader at Penny Elementary School in Lindale ISD
used his recent birthday party
to have his guests decorate
and fill duffle bags with stuffed animals, blankets,
toiletries, and distribute to Smith County foster children.
And whereas Elgin High School, Elgin ISD, senior
Vanessa Rodriguez, created and structured a twice-a-week
tutoring program, aimed at helping English language
learners.
And whereas Kathrine Nellin, a student at Johnson
Career and Technology Center in Crowley ISD
uses her own experience of being bullied
to provide a loving, accepting atmosphere
for the children she works with.
And whereas Kendall Didge, a senior at Highland Park
High School in Highland Park ISD,
whose volunteer work,
and the creation of the Big Sister's Closet
has benefited the students of Hutchkins Elementary
School in the Dallas ISD.
And whereas Bailey Junior High Arlington ISD student
Cooper Filpot has volunteered
with the Birthday Party Project to provide
birthday magic and fun for children
at an Arlington women's shelter.
And whereas Nicoli A. Walupo, a ninth grader at
Bynum High School in Bynum ISD recently began the program
In For Ten, donating ten percent of his earnings
from the auction of his show animals to benefit
other students
at his school AG Department
and whereas despite her own health issues,
Hannah Keatey, an active volunteer with the Lubbock
High School in Lubbock ISD,
volunteers and commits numerous hours
to help The Children's Miracle Network
whereas each of these
amazing students have exhibited strong character
and integrity by helping other students
now therefore be it resolved
that the SBOE does hereby extend its congratulations
to each of these students and commend them
for their unselfishness, good character,
and altruism towards
and be it further resolved
that this be presented to each of them
and that a copy be included in the permanent record
of The State Board of Education.
Witness our signatures this
22nd day of July, 2016, Austin, Texas,
Donna Bahorich, Chair, Ruben Cortez, Secretary.
-: Question is on the adoption of the resolution.
All those in favor say, "Aye."
All: Aye.
-: The resolution is adopted.
Of course, Members, I know this is one of our favorite
things to do, is the give out the Student Hero Awards
it was an award started by our previous chair,
where we recognized self sacrifice
and a service to the community and to fellow students.
I love hearing about what the students do
all over the state of Texas and so
thank you, Mr. Cortez.
And now, Members,
one of my favorite things and I...
I think we'll read the resolution after we see the clip
if you will.
Mr. Cortez.
It's my distinct honor and pleasure for the second time
to recognize a National Championship team from
Bellaire High School, who took home the top honors
in the Council for Economics Education 16th Annual
National Economics Challenge,
with 10,000 competitors.
These students are from my district, Bellaire High School,
just four teams made it to the final rounds.
The Bellaire team showed their abilities by coming in
1st place with each of the three written tests
that dealt with micro, macro, international, and current
events and during the critical thinking round, they
demonstrated their problem solving skills that again
placed them in 1st place.
So let's see the end of their competition there.
-: Think you know all there is to know about the economy?
A handful of high schooL students probably know more.
And today, they showed off their knowledge at the National
Economics Challenge where Steve Liesman got to award
one team the Championship Trophy.
Voiceover: They prepped for months.
-: The index most commonly used to measure inflation
is?
All: Consumer Price Index.
Voiceover: And it all came down to this.
These students beat out more than 10,000 high schoolers
in which become the spelling bee for economics.
The National Economics Challenge where smart
is cool but it takes really, really smart to get
a trophy.
In the finals, it was Lexington High School from
Massachusetts going head to head against WWP High School
North, from New Jersey.
-: Five trillion.
-: That is correct.
(applause)
Voiceover: And Congratulations to Lexington High School
you are this year's David Ricardo's Champions.
Voiceover: The David Ricardo Division.
Steve: In the Advanced Division it was Bellaire
from Texas and Mounds View High School from
Minnesota.
Bellaire High School showed their economic acumen
and they got out to a comfortable lead.
Voiceover: Bellaire is leading by a score of 11
to 2.
Steve: And never looked back.
-: An author receives a flat 10% royalty on the total revenue
from her book,
if the book distributor's a monopolist,
at what value of marginal revenue would
the author prefer the distributor sell the book
if marginal revenue equals marginal cost at $4.
(beep)
-: Marginal revenue equals zero.
-: Yes, correct.
(applause)
-: That means that Bellaire is our National Champions.
Voiceover: Wow.
(applause)
-: Nan Morrison CEO of the Council for Economic Education
explained why the competition is more than just a game.
-: It's about team building, it's about having fun,
it's about coming to New York, and it's about the
10,000 other kids, they're learning great skills.
-: Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen,
look out.
The next generation of economists is coming.
They may be in high school,
(beep beep)
but they're ready to buzz in right now.
For Nightly Business Report,
I'm Steve Liesman in New York.
-: That was a great clip.
(applause)
Well I would really like to recognize,
why don't you read the resolution, and then I'll come
over to the podium there.
-: You want to buzz them in?
(laughter)
-: Buzz 'em in.
-: Whereas Texas is one of only 20 states that requires
students to take an economics class as part of its
graduation requirement,
and whereas this has provided Texans with a strong
foundation in economics
and whereas this required study produced a bull market
situation,
this spring, when a team of students from Bellaire
High School in the Houston Independent School District,
in the Council for Economic Education's 16th Annual
National Economics Challenge,
and whereas the Bellaire team
of Leanna Wang, Amy Fan,
Suneal Furmarie,
and Anthony Yune won 1st place
on the three written tests that dealt with the Micro,
Macro, and International Economics
as well as Current Events
and whereas their stock on the rise,
it was no surprise when the team earned the top score
in the Critical Thinking Competition
and advanced to the fast-paced Quick Bowl
and whereas by closing the bell of the competition,
the Bellaire team bested 10,000 competitors
and won the contest top prize.
And whereas the Bellaire team was fortunate to have
the backing of their teacher, Michael Clarke,
who has now produced ten teams that have advanced
to the National Finals
and has now had two teams win 1st place,
now therefore be it resolved that the State Board of
Education does hereby congratulate Mr. Clarke
and his team of economic superstars in their victory,
in the 16th Annual National Economics Challenge.
Witness our signatures this 22nd day of July,
2016, in Austin, Texas,
Chair Donna Bahorich, Secretary Ruben Cortez.
(applause)
(cheering)
You want to buzz them in Madame Chair?
-: Well, first thing I'm gonna do is I'm gonna make sure we
maybe correct the resolution just a little bit,
because I think we've had 11 teams go to the National Finals
right?
Is that correct?
Teacher Clarke?
Voiceover: One and one for finance challenge.
-: Okay so, for the finances
but so the resolution's right?
Is what I'm trying to say.
Okay, good. I wanted to make sure we didn't miss
some of those accolades.
Terrific.
Question is on the adoption of the resolution
all those in favor say "Aye".
All: Aye.
-: The resolution is adopted.
(distant chatter)
-: Thank you very much.
(distant chatter)
Oh sure, sure.
(laughter)
Sure.
We're very honored to be here,
we're always proud to represent our school,
our district, and the State of Texas.
Just to make it to New York City,
we had to beat out many of the elite private schools
from around the country that were state champions
at their states.
We always feel so good about representing public schools
in the State of Texas.
Also, of course, one little quick story about the
National Finals,
before we went to the Quiz Bowl competition on Monday,
we swapped the testing on Sunday before we went to
the Quiz Bowl competition on Monday on the way home
that evening on Sunday,
our team member Leanna Wang, who's not with us,
she's visiting her grandparents in China,
she hasn't seen them since she was ten and she wants
to see them before she goes off to Yale,
fell pretty ill in the subway and
actually we basically almost had to carry her back
to the hotel room, she was so sick.
We rushed out to get her Gatorade
and medicine and she's still up at one in the morning,
actually Amy, she never really slept much at all, did she?
-: I remember waking up at three and she was
not feeling well.
-: And I was like we can drive on with three,
there's no reason for you to go if you're that ill,
and she insisted, "I'm gonna be there to represent Texas,
"and I'm gonna be there to represent Bellaire High School
"and Houston ISD,"
she came to the competition to the Quiz Bowl
and she was the girl that you saw give the last correct
answer, what you didn't see is
we escorted her off the stage to the seats
and she collapsed in the seat for about another
half hour, as we kept giving her liquids and fluids
so she's a true Texan and we are very proud of her
but we're very proud of all of these kids.
They're also diverse, it's not just economics,
they're experts in many different areas
and they're gonna go ahead and do great things
in the future and I'm just lucky,
I'm the coach but I'm not the one who has to answer
the questions on the test,
and answer in the Quiz Bowl,
so of course you're guys that were the star performers
that came through and won it,
I'm so proud of you,
I'm proud of the Texas Council for sponsoring the
competition Laura Ewing, and Katherine Rinehart
and of course especially proud of my wife over there
Lisa, who is the one that has to put up with the
countless hours of preparation and always keeps
a smile on her face, and always has another sign
made up when we come back and win a competition.
(laughter)
I'm sorry to take so much of your time but I wanted to
make sure I thanked everybody and the State Board
of Education, you've been so
welcoming and you have really made us feel special.
Thank you very much.
(applause)
Voiceover: Would you happen to say where they're
going to college? Mr. Clarke: Yeah.
Voiceover: And what they're majoring in?
Donna: That's perfect.
Voiceover: It's not economics.
(laughs)
-: Hi, I'm Suneal. I'll be going to Northwestern University
and I'm majoring in Biomedical Engineering.
-: Hi, my name is Anthony Yune,
I'll be going to UT right next door,
and I'm studying Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science.
-: Hi my name's Amy Fan,
I'm going to Duke next year,
and I don't know what I'm majoring in
but I'm debating between Math, Economics and Public Policy.
Hoping I lose interest in one before I have to decide
between the two.
(laughter)
-: Amy, Amy, show them the trophy.
Donna: Yeah we didn't see the trophy for sure.
-: This is the lovely trophy.
(laughter)
Voiceover: Wow.
(applause)
-: Thank you for,
Michael Clarke, you have an amazing
track record with these students and we're just so thankful
for all the hard work and dedication,
we know the countless hours that go into this work
to get students ready for a competition at this level.
It's pretty astounding and pretty amazing
and we really are so grateful to Laura Ewing
and the Texas Council on Economics Education
and Katherine Rinehart and their work,
getting our students, getting schools involved
in this kind of work and
the kind of support and training that you give to
Texas on Economics all across the state
and we just really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
(applause)
Members, the next part we're gonna go into is the
testimony.
I think we have seven testifiers today, correct?
Okay.
And, testifiers, you'll have three minutes,
at the end of two minutes you'll hear
the first bell and then that means you'll have one
minute left and if you'll finish at the second bell,
at three minutes and just close off your remarks,
then there will be a time for questions.
-: Lynne Shandel Kreggar, followed by Velma Ibarra.
Lynne Shandel Kreggar.
(distant chattering)
Thank you.
You can go ahead and start.
-: Good morning, I am Lynne Shandel Kreggar,
I am a cosmetology instructor, finishing my seventh year.
I am requesting, I am a part of an organization
called CIPS, which is Cosmetology Instructors of
Public Schools,
and I am requesting that the Texas Board of State Education
reconsiders the proposal of the Cosmetology programs
three credits to two credits.
One of the things making sure that
we look at all Board process and things like that
that we address in a classroom is going over the TEKS
and as CIPS, we've done several surveys,
and in your packet you have several of those surveys
in there showing that most schools
conduct a three credit course.
And with most of the school moving to a minute
calendar,
this lessens the days that the students will actually have
in the classroom.
Meaning that they only have 172 days,
and they're only gonna get
theirself 860 hours
when they are reaching a cosmetology instructor,
or cosmetology operator license, they are needing a thousand
by a TDLR
requirement.
One of the things that has been proposed is
bringing on the innovated course
and the innovated course for the Principles of Color
and Design and Color Theory,
this allows the student to take one course
on its own,
of not reteaching but addressing the additional hours
of hair color for 175 hours.
They've already received 150 whenever they were in
the course for a thousand hours
so we're looking at making it where the classes
are concurrent and they get the three credits
instead of lowering it down to the two.
(bell dings)
During this time, the main thing that we need to remember
is that we want the student to be successful,
and that's one of the things just like
everyone wants to see is that the student is very
successful
and as a part of CIPS, we thank you for taking the time
to listen to us.
Donna: Thank you.
Any questions members?
Yes, Mr. Maynard?
Mr. Maynard: Yes, I just want to than you for coming
and I will tell you that this has been,
we're aware of that and this has been a discussion
and that we're gonna work with that
and get that
we talked to staff about that
and so
we understand that we're kind of on a little bit of a
timeline with 17, 18 implementation, that sort of thing,
but we're aware of it.
Lynne: Thank you, I appreciate that.
-: No other questions?
Thank you, Member.
Lynne: Thank you for Donna: Absolutely.
Lynne: Taking the time. Donna: Thank you for coming
Voiceover: Velma Ibara.
Followed by Al Maldonado.
-: Good morning, Madame Chair, members of the State Board,
My name is Velma Ibarra.
I thank you for the opportunity to speak before
you this morning.
I am a member of HOPE,
Hispanics Organized for Political Education.
This is an organization that is made up of
up to 11 advocacy groups from throughout the State
that constitute the Texas Latino Education Coalition.
I am also a grandmother of three students in Texas
public schools.
I am a 39-year retired educator administrator,
a former State Education Chair for LULAC,
the League of United Latin American Citizens,
and a former school board member.
When the State Board of Education approved back in 2014,
I believe, the Ethnic Studies course
and likewise issued a proclamation for publishing
companies to submit text for approval for this class.
It was a time for celebration for many educators,
and students and parents in this State.
However, as we are very well aware, the only textbook
proposal submitted for this course to date,
has turned out to be a major catastrophe.
I will not spend any of my time this morning to talk
about the serious objections that are
being
publicized statewide through press conferences,
the media, et cetera,
because I do understand that there will be an evaluation
process and a public hearing on this topic here
in September, but this morning I want to take the
opportunity to ask simply that in November
this Board take swift action to revoke and
not approve the text entitled Mexican-American
Heritage.
Much has been said about the multiple errors effect,
lack of expert advice, and downright racist
and derogatory remarks that are made not only about
Hispanics but almost every other ethnic group
in this State.
So let us work together, I assure you that the good
people of Texas,
are not going to accept resolutions like,
"Well, you all activists wanted a class, you got it,
"you got a textbook, now let's go with it."
We know that the majority of this Board,
or, God-willing, all of the Board
will allow for reason and justice to prevail.
And this is not the first time that a historically
questionable textbook has been up before this Board
so we ask for due diligence on this topic.
I leave you with a quote by a student from the Houston
ISD who completed,
an Anglo student, who completed the course with a
Mr. Diaz, there at one of their high schools.
And his comments really loan credence to the fact
that it is not only Hispanic students who will benefit
from this course, and he said, and I quote,
"This class says a lot. It fights that racism that just
"is just culturally inherent.
"And that's why it could be really beneficial
"not only to Houston students but obviously to
"a lot of Texas students.
"White Texas students can gain a lot of perspective
"because I think that it will help fight racism,
"and that is why I like this class."
So, our plea this morning is to allow these kids
like the beautiful group that was just before you
that probably constituted three or four ethnic groups,
that they be given the opportunity to have correct
and scholarly information in front of them when they
take this course and, as the saying in Spanish says,
(speaks Spanish)
Peace comes through respect for all of us.
Allow these kids to have a textbook that is correct
and that respects the history of our enrollment
in our schools.
Thank you very much for the opportunity.
Donna: Yes, Mr. Maynard.
-: Yeah. Thank you for coming in,
expressing your concerns,
I'm just curious is that you have several factual errors
and I'm curious if those factual errors have been
submitted to our staff?
-: Yes, sir. In fact, there is a statewide network
of Scholars in Mexican-American history, yes sir,
that are working on that,
and they most certainly, in fact, their work details
that they have found up to four or five errors in
almost every page in that textbook,
so we want correct information in front of our kids.
And a very important point that is on there,
on your text as well, is that as educators when we
become certified, there is a code of ethics
that is in the back of our certificate that clearly says
seven items that are part of our ethics code
and one of them is that we will never use disparaging
language, or what are 'put-downs,'
with any of our kids, and that violates education code,
if that textbook ever gets in front of kids.
Thank you so very much.
Mr. Maynard: So, I understand this is that if
you've got a network but the publisher, the staff,
the Board cannot respond to things unless those
things are properly submitted.
The second question I would have is that,
so it's my understanding that this is the only textbook
that was submitted for this course?
Do you think that there are other publishers out there
that have a book and why did they not submit?
-: You know sir, that is the question that we have wrestled
with as activists throughout the State.
We are very disappointed that that did not happen
and that is why we are calling for a rethinking
or a redoing of this process so that
because there are multiple and many resources
that are out there already on the market.
I may not be entirely correct on this, but we know
that when textbooks are issued, there has to be a
significant market,
and because in Texas unfortunately, there haven't been
free materials by the State in the past,
we only have a limited number of high schools that
offer the course
so that we believe that
there may have been a
a thought out there that there would not be a very
large market for these companies to invest
in the publishing of such a textbook,
but we are very, very hopeful that that will
be revisited and that we do it the correct
and the right way,
but yes sir, in terms of materials, there are
multiple that have been out there already for decades
and we are disappointed that they did not
or were not presented to the publishing companies
or the publishing companies did not come forward
to offer them.
Mr. Maynard: Alright, thank you.
Donna: Mr. Ratliff?
Mr. Ratliff: Thank you for coming today. I just want to,
we spend a lot of time when textbooks come before us,
hearing testimony about bias or bad taste
or other things like that and
while it's an issue, it's beyond our jurisdiction
to rule on issues like that.
We get to deal with factual errors and whether they
cover the standards or not.
I think there are times when
inaccurate or misleading comments can rise to the
level of a factual error,
but the only things within our jurisdiction
we can't look at whether it's a racist comment
or a comment in poor taste,
it's an actual error or not.
So if you'll help us stay within our jurisdictional
boundaries of dealing with what we get to deal with
that helps us have a better process and not get
highly publicized comments one way or the other
of things that we don't have any control over.
-: Yes sir, and rest assured
and I understand what you are saying that
there will be multiple presentations that will deal
specifically with the errors, the factual errors, sir,
that have been found in the Mexican-American
Heritage text.
-: And I don't mean to suggest that those
aren't issues, they're just not issues that we get to
opine on or rule on.
Velma: Yes, right.
-: Thank you.
Donna: Ms. Beltran.
Oh, Ms. Perez first. Okay.
-: First and foremost, Velma thank you so much for coming
and presenting and for
laying out what I know to be very flawed textbook.
As a Latino on this Board,
representing 1.6 million people,
and knowing that over half the students
in our State are of Latino descent
I think that it's
it's a very important topic to bring to light.
We do know that there are groups of experts,
people who are studied scholars in this subject
that have been working very, very diligently
picking apart this book. and there are factual errors
that have been found in it.
I know that those will be presented when the time comes
and so I just want to say thank you so much for being
the voice for all the organizations that are working
on this right now.
It's concerning to me that something like this
would enter a classroom, especially as we know that
developmentally, students need to be able to identify
and there's tons of research out there that shows that
when a student identifies with what they're learning,
not only does it build character, it also helps to
propel them forward in their education,
their advancement into whatever they're trying to do.
Just thank you for the work, thank you for all the
collaboration that I know is happening across the State.
If there's anything that I can do to help support
please know that I'm here.
-: Yes ma'am, and that credit goes to very, very many
other leaders and organizations throughout the State
as you said, Ms. Perez, that are doing that work
so that we can provide the State Board with the information
that zeros in on factual but derogatory,
also does not belong in our classrooms.
I know that's not
factual but what is a fact is that that is in our
ethics code, and I know that there is a
primary concern that anything that we would put
in front of a child does not violate the ethics
the education code, I beg your pardon.
-: In addition to that, I think that one of the conversations
or some of the conversations I've been having with
(mumbles) organization and a group of other individuals
is that there are currently texts out there that
can be used, that can be tailored for K-12
and that's something we're also going to be looking
at, because, hopefully, this book gets voted down,
that's the direction I'm going and my mind's not
changing on that,
but we need to be able to have something supplemental
and I know that these organizations are also working
to identify what those books look like and how we can
work on getting those into the classrooms
to support the course.
-: Yes, and if I may respond to that, although high schools
throughout the State have the right to select anything
from the internet, and create their own curriculum,
it is only fair that these groups and these students
also have the opportunity to have free materials
offered by the State of Texas in their districts.
Thank you, thank you so very much
for the work of the State Board
and for your support of public schools.
Very grateful.
Donna: Ms. Beltran?
-: I also wanted to extend gratitude for your presence here
and your presentation.
I always have to look this way so I apologize for
not being able to look at you while I'm speaking,
but I also want to
urge Board members to think very carefully about
adoption of this text as we're working our way
toward our September meeting,
and while I'm certain I have no doubt that there will
be factual errors,
I think to Ms. Ibarra's point,
if there is derogatory or offensive language,
and there is, because there have been experts in the media
publicized very widely,
I think this Board has a moral obligation
to also consider that language as
you know really asking a question about what
what should be in front of kids,
and how that might change mindsets for the worse
quite frankly.
So I'm just urging board members to really take a close
look at this
textbook and
I'm asking to pull on your heartstrings and putting
yourself in the shoes of a Mexican-American student,
whose parents, like myself,
whose parents have been hardworking
and I apologize,
in just the excerpts that I've seen,
I can't imagine being a child and seeing that
language in front of me.
And so as we prepare for this conversation
I just urge you,
to think about the kids in our public school system
that we've already, we all know,
are mostly Hispanic students.
But thank you for your time.
-: Yes, and I leave you with this thought,
if we consider the strife among racial groups
and economic groups in this country,
and throughout the world, it behooves us to grab
this opportunity to allow kids to learn
with scholarly work about themselves so that
we respect one another.
Period.
Thank you.
-: Folks have more questions for Ms. Ibarra?
Yes, Ms. Hardy.
-: Ms. Ibarra, we're thankful for your presence here,
you're an excellent spokesperson for HOPE
and I will say having been a teacher, and having done
this kind of course work before,
we often find out own favorite works that we like to use
and I would imagine that the teachers that are already
teaching this course have a passion for that course
and have already found what they want to do,
because I used to seek my own material.
What is different now, than in the past,
is and I don't agree with everything in House Bill 6,
or Senate Bill 6,
SB6,
the school district is still obligated to pay for the
materials that are decided upon by that teacher,
whether it be something that's come through our
adoption process or not.
So, in the past,
if it weren't a State adopted book,
then it wasn't paid for by instructional funds,
that is no longer the case.
So, I venture to say that if you went back to the teachers
who are teaching the course,
they have some of their favorite books and those books
are provided for them and so I'm confident that
those school districts that are offering the course,
will be finding really good material to teach
the course from.
Appreciate your efforts to come here and make that clear.
I only wish that the media has jumped on this like
crazy and I'm standing with my Hispanic friends,
I'm not going to support anything that is
that biased and hurtful to other people.
And inaccurate.
But the thing about it is,
the media makes it sound like this is something that
that State Board of Education is already
supported and given its approval on,
and we certainly have not,
but just continue your good work and
you know you've got our support.
Thank you.
Velma: Thank you so very much.
Donna: Mr. Cortez.
-: Ms. Ibarra, thank you for being here and just
Board members, just so you're aware,
over the last several months,
I have met with several
ethnic study professors from across the State
and I've put together a small Ad-hoc committee
and they've taken a lot of time to go through
read this book, look for those,
errors, those comments that the media continues to
print.
I was on the phone with one of them yesterday.
The chair of the committee,
and he told me that the report's almost ready,
I'm gonna make it available to all the Board
so you all can see it.
They're gonna put it in very simple formats,
they'll tell you exactly where the errors at,
what page, why the believe it's an error,
they're using you know, they're gonna reference
citations as to why,
so that everyone of you can have an opportunity to see
where their concerns are, but
I've only seen
portions of it in my Dropbox,
I haven't read through the whole thing,
but I've seen the back and forth between them
and they're referencing how there's almost an error
on every single page of this textbook.
I'll make that available to all of you
as soon as I get it,
I'm told that I should get it early next week.
But that's what I was told last week so it might
be the week after that, but we're very close.
I just ask that once you get it, please take time
to look at it, I know it's very difficult for us
on the Board to actually go through every single
textbook,
I can't pretend that I'm an expert in that field
so I went out and sought experts who are in that
field and even one from right here at the
University of Texas at Austin who's a member of
of that Committee
and so I would just ask that you guys take an opportunity
to read through it
and I think you'll clearly see that some of the comments
that have been mentioned in the media,
are taken right out of what these scholars are saying
is in the book
and some of these are deeply offensive.
I'll just ask of you to consider that as we embark
on this conversation in the month of September and November.
Donna: Dr. Dominguez.
-: Ms. Ibarra, thank you also for being here
and I, too, want to make sure that
even though the State does reimburse school districts for
materials that they
use that are not adopted by the State Board of Education,
for the State Board of Education just to even
consider adopting such a book, because there will be
one, if not, at least two or three school districts that might
receive this book,
and just the thought of having
adopted this,
is not good for children, and we have to remember
that they are our only future.
That's your future as well.
Because, as we grow older, the ones that are gonna be leaders
and so that is our task.
Thank you.
Donna: Yes, Mr. Rowley.
-: I look forward to receiving the information,
Member Cortez.
I try not to draw too many conclusions from what I read
in the media and so
but certainly I have a high level of concern with regard
to this textbook from what I've seen.
But my comment is that I just want to point out the
importance of
our process,
of reviewing instructional materials.
I'm appreciative that this particular publisher
did submit this material for this textbook
for our review, some do not,
and in instances when they are not submitted
for our review,
then any school district in Texas could've picked up
that book and began to use it.
I think the transparency
and the fact that there is a public viewing and
analysis of textbooks that are submitted through our
process is invaluable.
And I personally was concerned and am concerned that
we're not
that publishers aren't required to submit
all of their publications through
our process because I think it's very valuable
and I think this situation points out the value
of having a statewide process like what we afford
for publishers.
I'm speaking more to the legislature probably
in this regard than anything. Donna: Absolutely.
-: But I think it certain points out the fact that
without our process then all of these things would
not have come to light.
-: And I'd like to buttress that,
you know, members, we made a significant change
and that's why this has been so widely available
as will recall with this particular proclamation
and all proclamations henceforth,
these digital materials have to be submitted
through a public portal that's available to anyone
sitting at home who would like to download and look
at the materials, have access to the materials,
during the public review process.
That is a change that we, as Board members,
agreed was important for the future of looking at these
because we have limitations of the
hired panels that we bring together, reviewers that we have,
that we pay a little stipend to to come and help us
with these materials,
that says limited numbers and without much broader access,
that's now available, that we've made available online,
we would not have had the opportunity for as many people
to see it because as you will recall,
previously before this proclamation,
to see the review materials under consideration
you had to go to an education service center.
It was not required,
that's the way you got to view the materials.
We had an optional viewing
during our last proclamation,
that was optional for publishers because we weren't
far enough down the process, but now it's required.
It's proof positive of the kind of moves the Board
is making to make this material available and
Ms. Ibarra, I just wanted to let you know,
that I know myself, and many other Board members
if not all of us have
forwarded links to our proclamation
with your book
that you're concerned about to
our friends and to our networks to try to get feedback and
to make sure that people know we need to hear
the feedback,
we need specific errors submitted so
we're actively seeking comments and
errors, to find errors for us in materials like this.
I just want you to know that we appreciate the effort.
Thank you so much.
Voiceover: Al Maldonado, followed by Randy Houchins.
Al Maldonado.
Donna: Mr. Maldonado, you can go ahead.
-: Thank you, Madame Chair and members of the Board.
Donna: I don't think your microphone is on.
Is the green light there,
the wireless there?
Thank you.
-: Madame Chair and members of the Board, good morning.
My name is Al Maldonado from Houston, Texas.
I'm here representing Hispanics Organized for Political
Education, HOPE,
a State wide advocacy group consisting of civic and
community leaders that promotes the
well-being of all Texans.
We work in collaboration with other State wide organizations
such as the League of United Latin American Citizens, LULAC,
of which I am 30 year member,
Mexican-American legal defense and educational fund,
as well as worked intimately with the Mexican-American
legislative caucus, and the Senate Hispanic caucus.
On behalf of HOPE, I'm here to speak against the adoption
of the proposed Mexican-American studies textbook
entitled Mexican-American Heritage.
Although I have not personally reviewed the textbook,
nor am I a scholar to this area,
I have spoken to several of my colleagues, including
two former Mexican-American studies professors
at the University of Houston,
and they all described common inaccuracies with the book.
There was an article in the Austin American Statesman
this past Monday,
and it basically reflects a good accurate description
of the inaccuracies.
Among them, and I quote,
"Disregards recent scholarship on the history of
"Mexican-American immigration, literary contributions
"and civil rights, feminists, and labor of movements
"Ignores the early foundations of Tejano history.
"Characterizing Mexican-American labor leaders
"as social and political threats to American society,
"and ignores the contributions of indigenous civilizations
"in math, astronomy, philosophy, and art" unquote.
In addition, Mexican-American study scholars
including the two former Mexican-American professors,
and members of our community consider the derogatory
racially bias.
It was discovered that on page 30 of the textbooks,
this is what they're telling me,
the Aztecs are labeled "bloodlust" quote, unquote.
And they also found passages where
Mexicans who fought for Texas' independence are
characterized as, quote unquote "terrorists."
If these characterizations were used to describe the
American colonists, or founding fathers,
there would've been requests and bitter outcry.
Although the authors may be educators, they are not
recognized and viewed as scholars in the area of
Mexican-American Studies,
as a result, they lack the credentials to author
such a textbook, which is clearly reflected
by the lack of understanding of the Mexican-American
experience.
In closing, over 50% of the students in Texas public schools
are Hispanic,
the time is past due for them to study and learn about
their history, heritage, and culture
and selecting a textbook that is worthy,
the Hispanic community insist
that it addresses the achievements of members of our
community and the significant contributions
they've made to our great country.
The proposed textbook does not meet this criteria.
For the good and welfare of our great State of Texas,
HOPE respectfully requests,
that this body vote against the adoption of the
proposed textbook until a more civil one is presented.
Thank you for your time.
-: Any questions?
Thank you so much, sir.
We really appreciate it.
Voiceover: Randy Houchins followed by Amy Houchins.
Randy Houchins.
Donna: Randy is it on?
The green light, there should be a green light.
-: Okay it's on now. Donna: Great, thank you.
-: Many parents were encouraged after the discussions
on Math TEKS during the April meeting.
Some were upset that the review could not take place
over the summer as the 2015 sample questions
have been released.
This frustration was the impetus for the petition
that is circulating.
I was not the originator of the petition,
but I did sign it.
I want to thank this Board for setting up a math
work session in September,
since this will not be a public meeting,
and you are going to bring in members of the team
that wrote and reviewed these standards,
I encourage you to get the input from Dr. Milgram.
Listening to Wednesday's meeting, Mr. Morath
threw it back to you saying,
"As in all matters of the standards, it is the purview
"of the SBOE
"and we support you in anyway y'all decide to go.
"It is clear to the public that if anything is to be done,
"it will be done by this Board."
Also from the meeting on Wednesday,
it seems Mr. Morath believes that it is only the process
standards in a classroom implementation problem in math.
But this is incorrect.
Yes, the process standards are outside of the particular
core content, core knowledge area,
I wished he hadn't used the word, 'core.'
The process standards muddy the issue and are not
necessary to be in the standards to teach any of
the content knowledge.
As Dr. Milgram stated, "There is no process that works
"for problem solving unless you understand the actual
"subject matter you are talking about.
"Processes work in conjunction with knowledge
"of a subject matter, not in place of it."
It is not just the process standards as I identified
in the report I gave you in April,
the content standards also call out multiple methods
and use the word, 'including.'
This means these methods must be taught
and, as I demonstrated, these methodologies are showing
up on the STAAR Assessments.
As a reminder, I've included one example from my
April report,
where third grade content TEK calls for seven methods
to be taught for solving one-step and two-step
problems involving multiplication and division
within a hundred.
Note the seven methods are called out in the content
standard.
One could say that if each process standard
must be taught in conjunction with these content standards
you'd have to teach 49 things for this one TEK.
And I gave you the example.
The highlighted yellow is
where he calls out objects, pictorial models, rays,
area models equal groups, properties of operations,
and recall of facts.
That's in the content standards.
When you bring in your panel for September work session,
don't take the experts word for this reformed math
that this reformed math is better.
Make them produce research where it has been proven to work.
They should provide independent research that has
nothing to do with the people developing or writing
or selling this material.
This is where their argument falls apart.
There is no research this reformed mathematics pedagogy
works.
At least not to teach mathematics.
This reformed education pedagogy is an ideology
with its roots in social justice and equal outcomes
whether those that are implementing it in the classroom
understand that or not.
This is why the math academies for teachers...
I'm almost done.
Donna: Final thought.
-: Will not solve the problem, training in how to teach
bad math will not help the fact that it's still
bad math.
This is not an implementation problem.
The problems of falling test scores should not be
blamed on teachers.
I know I'm out of time but please take a look at the data
I've found on test scores and minimum passing scores
for the STAAR Mathematics.
Thank you.
-: Thank you, Mr. Houchins.
Is there a question?
I do want to clear up something that you said,
that it wasn't a public meeting,
it actually is a public meeting,
it's just that it's invited testimony only.
So, it will definitely be open to the public.
Mr. Houchins: Okay, I was under the impression
that it wasn't.
-: No, no, you can come,
it's just that we, were
specifically seeking input from invited testifiers
which are mostly centered around the folks who
worked on the original review teams, as I understand it.
Am I correct in that, members?
And so, anyway, that's what it is.
But no it's a public meeting.
Right now, it's scheduled for the morning of September 13th.
Mr. Houchins: All right, I look forward to it.
-: Okay, any other questions?
Yes, Ms. Miller?
Okay, Ms. Miller can you turn on your mic?
(laughs)
Ms. Miller: Trying to get used to this.
Could you go on an explain the bottom half of that (mumbles)
about Competency-Based Education, Collaborative Learning.
-: Yeah there was a lot of talk about Collaborative Learning
and it's also called Project-Based Learning,
or Competency-Based Education.
How that looks in the classroom,
it forces students that already know a concept
to teach the other children in the group
instead of moving on to another skill.
So, those students are held back, and this is how
they equalize the outcome,
Those kids that understand the material end up
in these group study sessions
teaching the other students.
The teachers not what they call t'he sage on the stage,'
it's the guide on the side.
I really think that's unfair for students
who have the potential to move ahead in a subject
or get farther ahead.
It's not allowed when you have this collaborative learning.
Just as Carol Hanes said in Tuesday's testimony,
"collaboration is a methodology for teaching."
I have big questions on how you measure that.
It's very subjective.
They talked about there being a rubric,
y'all should review that rubric,
who developed the rubric and is it
has it been proven to be accurate.
-: Any other questions?
Oh yes, Mr. Rowley.
-: Madame Chair, I'm not sure of the format
for our work study session coming up,
but I would invite Mr. Houchins to be there.
It might be that I would invite him to testify
and I need to think about that.
(laughs)
-: I know staff was working, will be working
and we're taking who you wanted to hear from list.
That's the email that I sent out in May to say
please let Renee know who
in addition to the work teams,
she was gonna look at the list and let us know
who were on the teams.
I know a couple of members submitted a couple of folks.
-: If you're able to be there Mr. Houchins
I would invite you to come.
We'll see about you getting on the list.
Donna: We want to make sure we get it done
in that morning.
-: Here's my point.
Mr. Houchins has done a tremendous amount of work.
-: Yeah he has.
-: And I haven't always agreed with your testimony, by the way
Mr. Houchins: Fair enough.
-: On the record,
but I am very appreciative as a parent and
that's your investment,
that's your--
Donna: Hours.
-: Yeah, your stake in this.
My understanding, you're not an educator
not a teacher necessarily but your a parent.
Mr. Houchins: Right, I stand to gain nothing financially
from... -: Precisely.
And you have spent a great deal of time educating me
and others about this issue.
And so I would appreciate
input from Mr. Houchins and other
folks like him whenever we have a work session because
Mr. Houchins is directly effected by this.
And has spent a great deal of time and effort on this topic.
-: In fact, it's cost me $42,000 with tutoring at Sylvan.
Mr. Rowley: Oh really?
-: Yeah I don't make anything from this, it's costing.
-: So you have a financial investment in this.
(laughs)
Thank you, Mr. Houchins, I appreciate that.
-: Yes, Ms. Cargill?
-: Well, Renee if you would add Dr. Milgram to the
invitation list, since he was one of the original
experts, I know, he withdrew at one point but
he might be willing to come and
that's one of the requests from Randy so I thought
it might be nice to honor that, if he can come.
-: Any other questions?
Thank you so much, Randy.
Really, we do appreciate,
you put a lot of effort into trying to help us to
look at this.
Mr. Houchins: I look forward to release of the
2016 STAAR.
-: Yeah that's coming in August.
That's coming in August, and that's why we did
the work session after the full test had been released
because the first time we've gotten a chance to look
at the full test based on the new standards.
We've had samples but not the full test.
Mr. Houchins: Why are they not releasing the 2015?
is it...
-: Because they need a bank, as I understand it now,
assessment's not here but, as I understand it,
they needed to build up a bank based on the new standards
and so it takes a while to do that,
and that's what I understand.
Mr. Houchins: That makes sense I just didn't know--
-: Maybe that's a question that we could ask when we have
the work session.
-: I wanted to see how many.
Donna: Okay, Ms. Hardy knows more than I do about it.
-: I wanted to see how many total questions were
process related because as you see
in the report here,
up to 30% of the questions are process related
on the 50% of the questions they released.
So, if the other half, you're talking close to
60% on process, not content--
Donna: That's why we wanted to wait until September
because we really wanted to have the full release on the
tests that we could really analyze,
all of it not just have a partial discussion.
-: Makes sense. All right, thank you.
-: Okay, thank you.
Voiceover: Amy Houchins followed by Matt Buener.
Amy Houchins.
-: Good morning, my name is Amy Houchins,
I'm the mother of two middle school students,
I'm also a pharmacist, and I use math everyday.
I've been involved in the Math TEKS and accountability
assessment and college career ready struggles,
for a while now, behind the scenes.
I've a pretty bad fear of public speaking
but I feel that I must speak up,
not only for my children,
but for all of the children in the
Texas public school system.
We have heard over and over how the new Math TEKS
were supposed to increase understanding and rigor
and lead to stellar assessment results.
Let's review some of the data.
So, in this handout from Randy,
I didn't print this up too because there's no sense in
reinventing the wheel.
On page four, we have NAEP trims and math scores
these are national scores
and as you can see over time,
they've been trending somewhat upward.
This is going through 2012.
There's not more results yet, done out.
But through 2012 things are trending upward,
age 17, kind of flat,
but by that time, you pretty much know what you know.
Eighth grade NAEP scores, Texas versus the nation.
On this, you'll notice positive progress until
the common core-esque things started creeping in
and now there is a dip
with the new standards.
So from 11 to 15 you start seeing the dip.
Also we were hearing that, "Oh Texas isn't doing as
"well as the nation,"
now granted this is fourth grade,
but you can see that Texas was trending above the nation
and now everybody is trending down.
Eighth grade NAEP scores,
this is national, this is showing how overall
in the advance proficient and basic even the last level,
the tenth percentile,
things starting in 13, they're starting to trend down.
Everyone is trending down.
Fourth grade NAEP scores from 1990, 2015
Texas versus nation.
What to take out of this is the nation is trending down
Texas is flat to a slight improvement,
there may be a possible answer to that.
They're again, fourth grade NAEP scores 1990 to 2015
by percentile flattening or trending downward.
On page 9, we have a chart from the TEA website,
this is how they convert raw scores to scale scores.
So when you see the,
when you get your review,
your report for you student,
this shows how many questions out of the total
they got right.
On the next page, page 10-14,
this is a chart of grades three through eight
basically the raw scores table,
what percent you had to have for a minimum passing score
on the math.
We have things just above 50%
35% you know,
not very high percent to pass,
this is a minimum passing score.
The 14-15 to 15-16 passing standards are so much
lower than before
for the majority except for eighth grade.
Donna: If you could kind of wrap up, that'd be great.
-: On page 11, you'll notice that for Algebra I,
this gives your higher math things,
for algebra one minimum passing score is 37%
what do kids really know if you can pass with just
a 37%?
There is a big difference, seems like a big difference in
the red line going from Algebra I in the fall
to the spring but that is one question,
the standard was one question more.
Some of these things aren't charted out
because there was no data available.
Randy referenced from page 12
this a chart that the number of questions testing process
so if about half of them are testing
process on the test, then you have to kind of double
that last column on the right.
Now, fourth grade, the other page I gave you all
was that TEA release
and they were all saying about how everything's trending up.
Donna: Go ahead and kind of wrap up that last thought.
-: This right here - so it looks like math is doing great
and there was all of this stuff about how,
how 13 of the 17 assessments showed gained,
when compared to the 2015 standard.
This is 2016 test and needs to be compared to
the 2016 standard.
They mention that down further at the higher passing
standard, passing rates were up on six assessments
and down or flat on 11.
So what's listed up at the top, you're thinking,
"Oh great, 76% were up on 76% of these,"
but when you actually apply the 2016 standards to
the 2016 test, only 35% of them are up.
So, that's a little misleading there.
-: Did you have questions?
Yes, Ms. Hardy?
And, then, Ms. Miller.
Ms. Miller, go ahead and turn on your mic.
-: On the TEA report,
if you look at this also you have all of these showing up
and things but when you look at when you're actually
comparing the 2016 versus 2016, using the 2016 standards
so many are actually down.
There is one where it's trending up,
there's several of them that are still trending up
but grade four math,
from that chart with percent process standard,
is the lowest percent, it's only 13% testing process.
I'm not seeing improvement,
yet, we were told we were gonna have improvement.
And now I cringe when I hear discussion of the English
Language Arts Reading TEKS,
instead of them being reviewed and streamlined
they're being rewritten and some things are expanded.
I'm worried, do you think that this will create some of
the same problems that we've seen with the Math TEKS
and I can tell you what my children have said about
Collaboration and Project-Based Learning,
of when they've listened to these meetings with us at home,
there is much groaning followed by, "Oh no, not more
"projects and working in groups,
"only one or two people do the work and the two or three
"other people in the group do nothing."
I congratulated my children on being career-ready, and I
thank you for your time and attention.
Donna: Ms. Hardy?
-: Thank you.
I will say, this is not what I want to say right now,
but will say in addressing that last comment,
is that is exactly why the English teachers feel like
that they should have a strain called collaboration
because it has been misused and done in exactly the
same way you're talking,
and if it were done correctly,
that would not be the outcome
that your children and talking about.
I think that that's very important to make people
understand that is not true collaboration,
that is the old Cooperative Learning, I believe, in my day.
What I would like is
we quite often have people say this and I've heard staff
explain this in the past,
we often times think that when you say 37,
you're thinking of 37 out of 100 in an old scoring
way that we would be in school.
Assessment is very good at explaining that that is not
the way you can look at that score of 37.
I don't know whether anyone is here from assessment
that could explain that again,
that that is a compilation of scale scores, and...
they're aren't here?
They're not behind the desk or anything, hiding?
(laughs)
We've had it explained before, and the only reason I was
saying to explain it again is obviously people don't
want to accept what the assessment has said
but I would think it would be worth hearing again
to understand that it is not on the basis of a score
of 100, and you're making a 37.
I don't understand it from my point of view.
I accept it because the psycho-matricians are a lot
smarter than I am,
and that's their field and
I've seen how the scale scores translate out
and all the different things they interject into
coming up with those scoring and how many you need to
have correct to make it
a passing score and so forth.
Again, it's very difficult to understand, we have people
who are experts in that field and that's when I have
to rely on their judgement.
Thank you.
-: In response to that,
the Algebra I raw score conversion table
it does show that you have to have
20 right out of the 54.
So, no, it's not 37 out of 100,
it's only 20 questions that you have to have right.
I've heard anecdotal experience that
there are people who have passed Algebra I
but did not pass the Algebra EOC.
There are people who have failed Algebra I class
but passed the Algebra EOC.
There are also people who when they took their Algebra
EOC, bubbled c down,
you're done in five minutes,
and they received a level three advance
because of luck of the draw,
they got enough questions right.
Just something to think about.
-: Any other questions, members?
Yes, Mr. Ratliff?
-: Thank you for your testimony,
I want to echo your concern, because what I just took away
from your last comment is
that the STAAR test is not the best or the only way to
measure that our kids are learning.
I think it is a flawed method,
I think it a method, but I think it's a flawed method.
And I much prefer and have much more faith and trust
in the other 179 days of the school year
with the teacher and the students and the curriculum
because not every kid does well
on a high pressure testing situation.
So I think that's why you see the kinds of things that
for 179 days that kid passed Algebra One or failed
Algebra One but then the test gives us something
completely different,
and I think this test, because of some interpretation,
or some in artful drafting in our TEKS,
has led to an unintended consequence of whether you
get the answer right, we want to make sure you got
the process.
Math is something that does have a right answer to it.
I think there's work to be done,
I appreciate your
dedication to this and I think
we can get there.
The question is how quickly can we turn this big boat
around and get it headed in the right direction.
Rest assured you have been heard and we are
dedicated to fixing it.
-: I do appreciate that y'all are working towards
this and things.
On the comment on the STAAR being flawed,
we are moving to next gen assessment,
we are following that and things.
You're not hearing as much on that right now,
you're hearing a lot of STAAR, people not being
not liking STAAR and things,
I do believe though with the next generation assessment,
we are going to be wishing that the STAAR was back.
Thank you for your time.
-: Ms. Cargill?
-: I just wanted to mention,
I know, you and Randy kind of did a joint document
but on Page 2 where
where one of you put that example of the math problem,
about the number 11,
the music teacher with the four boxes of recorders,
nine recorders in each box.
The teacher gave an equal number of recorders
to each of six classes.
How many recorders did each class receive?
That is a great example of the type of question
that I've been advocating, because it's a straight-up
math question,
but the student in their mind can choose the process
that made the most sense to them.
So if they want to draw a bar graph to get the problem
correct, fine.
If they want to draw a pictorial model,
whatever they want to draw
to get the question correct,
whatever process they want to use to get it correct
is fine and that's what we want.
We want them to use the process that made the most sense
to them.
And so thank you for putting in a great example
of what I've been trying to convey.
-: And this is a good example of the way a question
can be asked and they can choose which way
works best for them.
The problem is, that question could potentially
be asked in several
different other ways. Ms. Cargill: Yes I saw that
-: So this is a knowledge question versus a
process question.
Ms. Cargill: Right, thank you.
-: Thank you, Ms. Houchins.
Voiceover: Matt Buener followed by Pam Johnson.
Matt Buener.
-: Hello, my name's Matt Buener,
I teach STEM courses at the Lockheart ML Cisneros
Freshman Campus, in Lockheart, Texas.
STEM is the acronym for the pathway of Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics.
One of the courses that I teach is Concepts of Engineering
which is the first course in the STEM pathway,
which prepares our high school students who are interested
in pursuing continued education and a career path in
a similar field.
We know that science and technology is ever evolving,
increasing in complexity and that the skills developed
in engineering and mathematics
are key to ensuring that out students are prepared
to positively impact our future.
Our job is to prepare students for a future where
there is a high demand for innovation
in technology and science.
Learning activities in my classroom and dependent upon
students who have developed strong understanding
of safety, scientific investigation, and
application of mathematics in the real world.
In my classroom, students continue to develop these skills,
these students are required to communicate their ideas.
When I review the K-8 science and math
process standards, I can't imagine how difficult it would
be to teach my class to students who have not actively
and purposefully been taught the process standards
throughout their foundation years in elementary and
middle school.
The K-8 process standards in mathematics
and science help students prepare for the complex tasks
in the STEM courses that I teach in high school.
To give you one powerful word from the process standards.
Safety.
To give you additional ideas to consider in your decision
making, please know that included in the process standards
in math and science are real world application,
communication of ideas, conservation of resources,
and the requirement for our students to develop
as critical thinkers who ask questions
and investigate their world with the intention
of improving it.
Before I was a high school STEM teacher, I taught
middle school math for many years,
and know that the process standards are foundational
and require students to communicate their ideas
and apply mathematics to authentic real world
problem solving, and keep students from simply
learning procedures that they can only apply to an
already formulated problem situation.
We all know and can agree that real world problem
solving is messy,
and non-routine,
and requires a lot more than following some well-practiced
steps to an answer.
Problem solving, communication, safety, and investigation
and critically important and, if anything, should be
an increased requirement in our State curriculum.
I understand that consideration of streamlining of the TEKS
student expectations might possibly involving
tweaking the science and mathematics process standards.
As a classroom teacher who works daily with students
from a wide range of backgrounds,
I'm asking you to please consider the importance of
process standards, for our students to develop skills
that will take them into our future, their future.
Thank you.
-: Mr. Rowley?
-: There we go. Can you hear me now?
Thank you, Mr. Buener, for being here.
So help me to understand from a teacher's perspective
this idea of
teaching processes
and content, right?
We don't need to get too much in the weeds today
because we'll do this in September.
What I'm understanding and I think my,
the Member from the Woodlands was referencing earlier
is that
in my mind an ideal approach would be that we teach
the various processes that are necessary for students
to reach the correct answer
but then we allow the students to
choose which of those processes are most adaptable
to their own way of thinking.
Am I, is that accurate or not?
Mr. Buener: Can I focus on one of the
process standards for you?
-: However you want to answer that, you can answer that.
-: One of them in sixth grade mathematics,
that's one of my favorite classes that I've taught.
Apply mathematics to problem solving arising in
every day math, society, and the workplace.
Again, the world's messy,
problems are non-routine.
They're very different.
I teach students who are aspiring to pursue engineering
careers.
When our world changes all the time,
we have to adapt and we have to practice
in applying the content that we're learning,
to everyday situations.
Autonomous vehicles for example,
that's a very complex problem that we're still making
sense of it,
and if our students aren't haven't had a lot of practice
at applying mathematics to
our world, then it's
we're not as likely to just
solve those problems.
-: So what I hear in that is you're advocating we need to
learn all the different processes, right?
Mr. Buener: Yes.
-: Okay.
But the second part of my question is so then
once those students have mastered the different processes,
what's wrong with allowing them to select which process
they most prefer
in coming up with the correct content answer?
-: I think it would be great if they were able to select it.
So if they can have a lot of experience,
at utilizing all of those different processes then...
Mr. Rally: Then we're good?
-: Mm-hm.
Mr. Rally: Okay very good, thank you.
I appreciate that.
-: Yes, Ms. Cargill.
-: I'm not against the students learning all the process
standards,
and the teachers throughout the year testing them
as they teach them the process standards,
my problem is on the State test,
which is a one day thing,
then they need to have the choice of which one,
which process to use on the test itself.
I don't know how the other Board members feel about the
process standards, but I
certainly think the kids should be taught that
during the school year, so I agree with you.
Tested by their teacher, and practice, practice
et cetera but then I think when it boils down to
the one test on the one day
that's where I have trouble,
that's when I think that the kids should be allowed to use
whatever process makes sense to get the correct math answer.
But thank you for your prospective,
what grade do you teach?
Mr. Buener: I teach freshmen and sophomores.
Ms. Cargill: Oh, you're a brave man.
Thank you, thank you for working with our students.
-: I don't remember if Ms. Beltran, or Mr. Maynard
were first.
Ms. Beltran: I was actually before either one of them.
-: Oh, okay.
I should've known that, Ms. Hardy.
(laughs)
Voiceover: It's Mr. Hardy to you.
-: Mr. Hardy to me. I have been getting it right.
(laughs)
Voiceover: What in the Sam Hill?
Voiceover: I think there's something about this,
there must be a glare that you...
(laughter drowns out talking)
-: It's your aura.
Okay, Ms. Hardy since you were first,
I will let you go first.
-: Thank you.
Matt, I want to ask you this in regard to
something that staff here at agency presented to us
the other day,
they were talking about a math question and
they said the real question was
to ask this content question
but to ask that content question you had to have
use a process
I took it as a dual coded question,
the most important thing is that content
but the process, you're also testing that process.
What I find,
and everyone keeps talking about letting everyone
have whatever process they want to use to answer that,
but generally when there's a content question
and there that many pathways to get to that answer,
are there that many choices of
processes because it would seem that content lends
itself to certain processes each time.
Follow my thinking?
-: Yeah.
One of the,
we're frequently faced with multiplication problems
in daily life,
and that might seem like a very simple cut and dry
type of problem but there's actually,
when you give students the chance to model and discuss
and share how they solved such problem,
there's so many different ways.
So, yeah.
I think there's several different.
-: You when you're talking about multiplication,
that's a process?
-: No, that's thing that we do every day in life,
repeat your question. I am so sorry.
-: I'm just saying
when we had someone speaking on behalf of the test
they said the tests have a
the main thing is the content,
they're going for a content answer.
Or TEK is being covered in that question,
but with that goes a certain process standard
to get that TEK answered.
Are there really that many ways to answer a TEK
through so many different processes?
-: In other words are we multiplying the ways that
each standard can be assessed by the number of process
standards that we have listed.
Are we creating so many paths to a question,
that's the question that we're wondering about.
Or really,
there's a common sense way of looking at how they're asked.
Because we're not all math people here.
-: Okay, so I see the
the TEKS and each student expectation those are great
and that lets me know what to teach in class.
They're performance on a test is just an indicator
of how well they're prepared for the world, yes
that testing I think is constantly evolving,
what we test, how we test, how we report
student achievement from the test.
So, a multiple choice question where we only offer four
answer choices and they choose one, it's...
-: Because, what we see is representations of answers,
and then
often on the test instead of picking the right answer
you're doing representations of the answer and so do you
think it's really important for
students to be able to understand those representations
of thee answer which can be in various forms,
because they understand
Mr. Buener: Yes. -: so many different ways
of going about it.
Mr. Buener: Yes, that's important.
-: I am still kind of confused, because
I guess I just don't understand math well enough
to make this clarification,
but when you have a
student expectation, you're trying to teach a content,
thought or whatever,
are there actually that many pathways to get to
that answer?
When I was in school there was usually just one way to
get to the right answer.
And I know that they keep saying seven but like one
of the ones that you gave as an example wouldn't
ever be a process, that would be how we would write
the question to answer everyday questions,
that's not a process, that's just a
trying to help the test writers to have enough reason to
bring in you know, everyday questions to be answered.
-: Members, if you wanted to look at the back of
Mr. Houchins testimony, he actually lists the process
standards for you, if you just wanted to look at it,
while we're talking about this,
it was the last page, 14,
on his handout,
those are the process standards we're talking about.
Ms. Hardy: On what page?
-: It's the last page of his handout, the bigger handout
that Mr. Houchins gave us.
-: You see that first one apply mathematics to problems
arising in everyday life.
How would you use that to answer your question?
I just don't get it.
-: You use that standard throughout the year in practice.
It's good practice. Ms. Hardy: In everything
you do.
-: In everything you do, because we do it in real life.
Communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning in their
implications, I'm looking at D,
using multiple representations.
We're doing that now,
we're communicating about a project,
we're having to collaborate.
We're having to,
we're looking at different
data and we're sense making of it,
we expect our students to do the same things.
-: But is the test limiting, like the test has a question,
and it has a specific answer,
and the complaint is that you would use different
processes to get to that answer,
isn't the answer gonna be the same no matter what,
no matter what process you use?
Maybe you can help me, Erica. Thank you.
-: I don't know that I can directly answer your question,
my guess, and I'd be interested in your thoughts
as an educator, and I spent a few years in a classroom
as well but my guess is that
we want all of our kids to be able to master these skills
and these strategies of getting to answers to questions
and, perhaps, at every grade level, we also want to prove
that they've mastered a particular way of getting there
because by the time they get to ninth grade, and they're
doing advanced math or advanced science
then they have a toolkit of resources and skills
that they can reference, because they've been practicing
this skill and have also been assessed at the State level
that they have mastered a process skill to get there.
Does that make sense?
-: Yes it does, thank you.
-: I would imagine that and I'm sorry to...
My guess is that at the second grade,
there are specific processes that they've been practicing
that then are assessed at the State wide level to
then say, okay, well now we can raise the level of
sophistication of this process as we progress to
different grade levels again so that by the time,
I think of myself so many times, if I had
learned math in a different way, I'm sure that I
would've been better at math and science when
I got to high school and college,
because the reasoning skills that are required beyond
just the computation skills and kind of memorizing
or regurgitating information, if we're teaching kids
how to process and we're teaching them logic
and reasoning skills along the way,
that's better preparation overall, in my opinion.
-: Okay, members, just reminding you, we are gonna have
a robust discussion so is there a specific question
you want to talk to him about the practicality of
his teaching, I think that would be informative
because he's coming as a teacher talking about the
actual instances in the classroom, so instead of kind of
getting into a debate about the process versus
not doing the process and how we assess,
if we could move to that kind of question,
that would be helpful,
because we'll be talking about this in September.
Just to move the discussion along a little bit.
Yes, Mr. Maynard.
-: I know,
and by the way everybody's had their opportunity,
I'm gonna take mine and by the way I am a
being a
CTE background, and I'm a process guy.
I get that.
And because at the end of the day,
what do they know how to do?
Do they know how to do that?
But the way I kind of perceive this, in a lot of ways
is that
and tell me if I'm thinking about this in the wrong way,
but when you say,
and by the way the process standards are not new,
they've been there,
but when you embed them in the content
and so what it does is that when you say use the process
standards to do this,
it in essence creates almost additional essential
knowledge and skills because, in other words, it
requires you to learn all those processes as it
relates to that.
And I think that what I'm hearing from math teachers
is that it
it may have more to do with assessment than anything else
because people are kind of psyched out over how
it's gonna be assessed,
and what that's gonna look like on the STAAR.
Do you think that that would be a fair statement that maybe
it has more to do with how people are trying to
second guess and perceive how it's gonna be assessed
versus how we're trying to teach it?
-: That's a good question.
Hit that microphone one more time.
-: I don't have a perfect answer for you right now,
I feel like the TEKS would look grossly
short if they didn't have those process standards
in them.
There's some great meat and potatoes in those
process standards.
Yeah, that's it.
-: So, has it really changed your practice?
From the old standards to the new standards?
How long have you been teaching, that's a good question.
Mr. Buener: Excuse me?
-: How long have you been teaching?
-: In Texas, five years experience.
-: Okay so you did do some under the old standards,
right?
Before these passed or no?
-: No.
-: Okay so you've only taught the new standards,
did you teach elsewhere before that?
Mr. Buener: Yes, I've taught a little abroad.
-: Oh okay.
So, you haven't had the teaching under the old standards
and the new standards,
I was just gonna ask for a comparison.
Ms. Beltran, did you have another question?
Okay, thank you so much.
We really appreciate it. -: Thank you.
-: Appreciate a math teacher coming and talking to us about
his experience, we appreciate it.
Voiceover: Pam Johnson.
Pam Johnson.
-: Hi, I'm a Texan, I was born in Houston in 1961
and my father was a, I'm Pam Johnson,
my father was an engineer, a structural engineer and my
mom worked at Ellington Field during World War II
helping with the IRS and taxes,
I bring up my mathematical heritage, because I was a
child with that advantage.
My parents believed deeply in the beauty of math,
the application of math and so
we did math everyday and every way.
And what I found, and I didn't realize it then,
that was in the 60's and 70's,
and in Bay City, Texas at Cherry Elementary,
we didn't have process standards,
we learned math pretty, we call it bare naked,
it's just pretty numbers.
Donna: That's a good way to say it.
-: And it was the process, I think a lot of times,
we confuse process with steps.
Process standards are really more about real world
application, steps are procedures.
So, we learned just a lot of just procedures.
Well what I did, to help my classmates,
was use anything I could off Mrs. Franklin's desk,
whether it be a collection of seashells or paperclips
to bring those process standards into
Cherry Elementary in Bay City, Texas
so that my classmates could be successful,
that they could make sense of fractions,
that they weren't just numbers.
As somebody said earlier about,
if I'd have learned math differently,
it might have made sense.
So, I played that role for a really long time.
I think the best question that students ask
in math class is, "When am I going to use this?"
Because without the application,
we know that the true test of whether we learned
a math concept isn't whether or not we can pick
A, B, C, or D, we know that in here,
that's the best we do for assessment, with paper, pencil
but we know the true test is when you're out in your daily
life, are you able to access and use
the math that you've learned, and it's messy,
it is, it's non-routine.
Anybody that's ever remodeled a house knows how messy
math can be in the real world.
The State Board of Education makes a great deal of great
decisions, I appreciate you.
Yesterday, I spoke to a third grade math teacher who
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday had attended a math
academy and
his air conditioner had broke, on Monday,
but he told me, Dr. Johnson, I didn't want to miss
one day of the math academy,
so he didn't come on Thursday to our district event
where we were curriculum mapping,
because he didn't want to miss the academy so he's
gonna come on Monday and share out with us,
so thank you for the math academies
and I want you to continue to press on for excellence
in schools,
by insuring that all students have that equitable access
that they don't have to have an engineer for a parent
in order to have application of math in the real world.
I was very fortunate that I had parents who loved math,
encouraged me to use every day and every possible way.
Thank you.
-: Members, do you have a question?
So, what do you teach?
Pam: I'm the Director of Secondary Curriculum
in Lockhart.
-: Oh, in Lockhart?
So, you've been with the old standards and the new standards.
Pam: And even the older standards.
(laughter)
I remember the essentials when I actually
Donna: Wow.
-: Yes, I've been around for a while.
About 30 years, I taught
fifth grade and I've taught eighth grade, I've been a
curriculum coordinator, a math science coordinator,
my whole life has been math education.
One thing I'd like to say about the test,
if we had a farmer and we wanted to see if he could milk
a cow, we know what we would do is bring a cow to the farmer
and let him milk it,
and yeah we could see, and it'd be complex,
there's lots of variables that are involved.
Whether how the cow's feeling, maybe he's cantankerous,
that day.
We can't really do that in the schools, but we can in
mathematics and science.
We can create situations where kids really perform
in the problem based assessments.
Affirmative assessment, we do some
really cool activities in the classroom every day
where we're assessing kids and their knowledge
and we're giving them different...
So, the best we might be able to do is A, B, C, D
for a State-mandated test.
And that's great, I think we get a lot of data from it.
But teachers certainly do much more assessment
throughout the year.
-: Do you have any recommendations to us?
Regarding this.
-: If anything, strengthen and continue the process standards,
consider the world and how it's changing,
that we are a global world and that our kids will
have to collaborate,
like we're collaborating today
and that our kids will
do some very non-routine problem solving
and we've got to equip them, yes with how to multiply,
but more importantly what is the big idea behind
multiplication and how will we use it
and how will we implement it in ways that
solve some of those problems like cars that go by themselves
because those are some problems that we don't know,
we don't have answers as a society for,
so getting kids to be creative problem solvers,
is very powerful.
Donna: Thank you.
-: Thank you.
-: Okay, members, literally, I want to take...
That's it right?
Okay.
Five minutes,
because people have flights, and we need to move on.
When we come back, if it's alright,
some of the folks that are here for the Charter area
have a flight to catch so we would like to take that
up first if there's no objections to that.
And we'll do a consent first and then we'll take that up
next, if that's okay.
Okay, members, let's come back to order.
What we need to do is turn to page little romanette
nine in your agenda book, which lists the items
on the Consent Agenda.
I'm gonna read those through.
But I would make a notable exception for item number
six on there if you will go to page little romanette nine,
item number six, the Overview of the Permanent
School Fund Real Estate Policy,
has been pulled so it can be postponed to the
September meeting.
So with that notable exception, I'm gonna ready straight
through consent items.
So on the Consent Agenda, Item Number One,
Review of the report on the permanent school fund
percentage distribution rates under consideration
for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.
Number two, Review an adoption of the long term
strategic asset allocation plan of the permanent
school fund.
Item three, update on Texas commission on next generation
assessments and accountability and community conversations.
Number four, per capita apportionment rate for the 2015-2016
school year.
Number five, ratification of the purchases and sales of
the investment portfolio of the permanent school fund
for the months of March, April, and May 2016.
Item number seven, decision on real estate investments.
Item number eight, decision on absolute return investment
managers.
Item nine, recommendation for the appointment to Lackland
Independent School District Board of Trustees.
(distant talking)
There was a, I believe there was one, Mrs. Miller.
Decisional real estate investments, number seven. Yes.
(distant talking)
Okay, right.
You recuse yourself, thank you Mrs. Miller,
that'll be so noted in the minutes.
So the question before us is in approving the Consent
Agenda will be approving all the items listed except
for number six that we discussed a little earlier.
So, are members clear as to what we'll be approving
for the current agenda?
Any questions?
The question now,
hearing none that can...
if there's no objection, the Consent Agenda is approved.
Question now is on postponing item number six
that we pulled out earlier,
of the Permanent School Fund Real Estate Policy to the
September meeting.
All those in favor of postponing the overview to the
September meeting say, "Aye."
All: Aye.
-: All those opposed say no.
(silence)
The Aye's have it, and we'll take up the overview of the
Permanent School Fund Real Estate Policy in the
September meeting.
Thank you, members.
What we'd like to do, because we have some invited testimony,
testifiers to speak to us regarding the Charter,
Charters before us, so Mr. Rowley, if you will take up
that item from your Committee on School Initiative
Minutes.
-: Okay, so if you'll turn to the Committee on School
Initiative's Minutes, Page 3, Item 6.
Those were the minutes that were handed out to you today.
Board Agenda page
IV, or Roman Numeral 5 dash 73.
And these are the Commissioner's recommendations for
approval of Charter School Applications.
So, coming out of the Committee on School Initiatives.
There were three Charter
applicants that were recommended for approval
by the Commissioner.
The first was Athlos Academy,
the second was Compass Rose,
and the third was Goodwater Montessori School.
And so the motion of the,
the action taken by the Committee on School Initiatives
will start, I guess, with Athlos academy,
go with the first one.
-: Correct, I think what we're going to hear
from all of the proposals, first.
-: Speak to the Committee action first and then do that.
Or do you want, how do you want to do that?
Might as well bring the Committee recommendations up--
Donna: Go ahead and bring the Committee recommendation
and then we'll do--
-: Okay so then, with regard to Athlos Academy,
the Committee's recommendation was to take action
to veto the Commissioner's recommendation with regard
to Athlos Academy,
the Committee's recommendation was to take no action
on the Commissioner's recommendation with regard to
Compass Rose Academy,
and the Committee recommendation was to take no action
on the Commissioner's recommendation for
Goodwater Montessori School.
Mr. Bradley: Madame chair?
-: Yes.
Yes, Mr. Bradley.
-: Point of information, parliamentarian.
And this may be an exception and that's fine,
but typically our Board rules provide for public
testimony for an item that is in Committee
and the only testimony that is allowed at a regular
Board meeting would be for something unrelated to
what's in front of the Board.
So, my question is, is this testimony,
public testimony, or is this presentation by staff?
-: We have,
each of the last, what three generations maybe,
we have invited on the final day,
I think really since Senate Bill two changed,
we've invited the
different proposals that have been put forward by the
Commissioner to come and speak to us on the Friday
before we take a vote.
-: And that's fine, the will of the Board,
we can suspend our rules, but maybe going forward
we amend our operating rules to show this particular
exception,
that's fine.
-: I think that's...
Is there any objection to suspending the rules and
going on with what we planned?
Okay, hearing none, we'll go ahead and hear
from the testifiers.
-: Good morning, Madame Chair,
Members of the Board,
we appreciate the Members' willingness to accommodate the
movement of this item on the Board's Agenda.
At the request of the Board, all three of the proposed
Generation 21 Open Enrollment Charter Schools
that Commissioner Morath has proposed for award,
have been invited to provide an overview
of their Charter proposals.
The Charter schools' mission and vision,
as well as entertain questions from the Board,
if they so please.
So without further ado, I would like to invite
Ms. Tiffany O'Neil from Athlos Academy of Texas,
proposing to serve in the Denton, Dallas, Fort Worth area.
(distant talking)
Right now, we're just making sure that the handouts that
Ms. O'Neil brought have made it to the Board members hands.
-: I'm not sure if I've got the handout.
What does it look like?
-: It has two budgets on it.
Mr. Rowley's request for us to run those numbers.
Donna: Oh yes, that was a request from the Committee.
-: Hold on here.
-: Where they in a box, is that what it was?
Was it in the box?
Oh, you've got it,
Okay, thank you. Sorry.
So, this is something you're going to be referring to
right away on your testimony or do you have other stuff
because we'll wait if...
-: You can certainly have it,
and it'll be right at the beginning, yes.
Donna: Okay, so we'll wait til it's passed out to make
sure Members each have a copy.
Okay, Tiffany go ahead.
-: Thank you. Good morning, Chairman Bahorich and Members
of the Board,
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.
We're honored to be only one of three of the original
26 applicants to have risen through an extremely
rigorous process to be chosen for award of Charter
by Commissioner Morath.
Last year, when our application was advanced by Commissioner
Williams and subsequently vetoed by the SBOE,
you had very specific questions about our school
that we have remedied this cycle.
The Board wanted to know about how we would contract
for our facility construction.
We specifically address this concern by submitting
a legal affidavit in our application
as a tangible promise to follow State procurement law.
You asked us to clarify how our facility costs compare
to our peers.
We have projected our facility cost at approximately
18 percent of our revenue,
for a purpose built school.
The average range of Texas Charter spending on purpose
built facilities is between 15 to 20% of revenue.
We believe that 18% is a conservative estimate
and reflects a responsible budget.
TEA Finance Staff has reviewed out budget extensively
and has given us high marks on that portion of the
application.
Physical location is absolutely tied to community interest.
If parents can't envision the day to day life of their
student, it becomes very difficult to get excited in a
tangible way about attending a school.
We realized it was critical that we identify a more
specific location than the entirety of North Texas
or the Dallas County.
Denton rose to the top almost immediately.
There's relatively few schools of choice in the area,
with four hundred kids on the waiting list for those
schools and even more excitingly,
there's exponential growth, plus
a Denton-wide health initiative that's a natural
pairing for what we're doing with Athlos School.
After having two small community meetings, in addition
to a few other events,
we were highly encouraged by Chairman Bahorich,
and Member Beltran, to not only bolster our
community support, but to also purposefully reach out
to diverse communities.
This is the progress we've made so far.
Through our community meetings and events,
we've now received 292 personal signatures
from distinct families representing hundreds of students,
who all want our school to come to the Denton area.
Some of our outreach to this time
has included pretty much since our interview.
We have done a two-day Juneteenth celebration in Denton,
we've had parent information sessions,
we've met with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
I want to highlight the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
because it's the largest Hispanic Chamber in the State,
covering Dallas, Denton, and Collin counties.
It's particularly passionate about education
and they're introducing us to a number of local Latino
educators who are interested in bringing more
educational choice to Denton in a new model.
They're also working with us to schedule several events
and opportunities with their members this fall.
We've met with many reps, Myra Conover is one,
you have letters of support in our application from
others.
We've met with the Denton Chamber of Commerce
multiple occasions and attended multiple events
with them including a huge networking event,
where we met business leaders from all over the
Denton area, including the University of North Texas,
which was very informative for us.
We've had meetings with the mayor, with council members,
with the Lewisville Chamber of Commerce,
the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce,
all on top of the numerous phone calls and personal
one-on-one conversations we have had with parents and
families in Denton.
We've had also a lot of questions about why nine
hundred students.
And that goes to the paper that you have in front of you
right now.
You have two budgets that you're looking at.
You can see that at nine hundred students,
we have a net operating income of $835,000.
That's why nine hundred students.
It's about scalability and efficiency.
Yesterday, Committee Chair Rowley, asked us to run those
numbers to simulate what effect a lower enrollment
would have on our budget
and if you flip, there's another page that we've worked
with our finance team, to look at our budget at 600 kids.
If we can make it at 600 kids, and we can.
So, we can run the school with a lower enrollment,
that gives us a nice buffer to open our school
with good financial security.
I want to reiterate that we are a local Texas-governing
Board beholden only to the taxpayers and the children
of the State of Texas.
We are an in-State Texas Loyal Board separate
from Athlos Academies which is our curriculum provider
and each of our accomplished Board members
has put their good name, focus, and effort,
to bring this model to the students of Denton.
We recognize the high level of responsibility
and accountability that comes with this task,
and as a Board we feel ready and willing and
equipped for these challenges.
Thank you, I appreciate your support.
Mr. Rowley: Tiffany, thank you for being here,
and thank you for addressing the concerns that I think
have been raised in the past.
With regard to the issue of constructing a building,
Tiffany: Yes, sir.
-: I understand that you might speak to this as well,
the Athlos model,
has an essential component, the idea of a
multipurpose facility for athletic events
and that kind of thing, you might speak to that
number one,
but then the second thing is
you spoke yesterday at the Committee hearing
with regard to how this particular building will not
necessarily look like every other building,
that Athlos has, and that's been done,
and how that ties into the fact that
you would open up for bids
to any general contractor that is interested in
completing your building.
Speak to that.
-: Yes, we are absolutely focused on following Texas
State law with regard to procurement.
That's a key thing that our Board is thinking about,
obviously because of the questions of the SBOE
and the TEA frankly,
we want to make sure that process is clean.
Yes, Mr. Rally,
as we've explained before, Athlos is a three component
circular model,
our schools would be the only schools in Texas
using all three, the most critical component of course
being that academic component of the model.
That model, the academic portion requires a lot of
collaborative learning
and the space is going to look very different
than it does at some of the other campuses in Texas,
that use one or two of those curriculum components,
the athletic training, or character component.
Our schools really do need a different
physical structure to best accommodate that innovative
classroom strategy.
I as Board Chair Person and of course there's gonna be
a larger discussion at the Board but
we have no, in fact it would be counter-productive
to make our schools look exactly the same
as some of the other schools,
for circular reasons and just to differentiate
ourselves and let us stick out as a school.
The one component that would need to be very similar,
is that athletic facility itself,
which is the gym,
but it's not just a gym, it has turf space associated
with it, indoor turf,
and that ties specifically to the athletic curriculum
provided by Athlos, which is for example, ILT Texas
uses that athletic curriculum,
and they need that gym to be able to carry out the
curriculum, we, too, are going to use that same athletic
so our gym would look the same, but that doesn't effect
the outside of the building, the classrooms, the general
structure of how the building's laid out.
It would, in my estimation, be variant and I think it
has to be because of the model of our school, so, yes sir.
Mr. Maynard: Madame Chairman, you mentioned
a out of State curriculum provider,
and so, can you tell me a little bit about that,
so you will be teaching our TEKS and following our
graduation requirements?
-: Absolutely, yes.
Actually, Athlos curriculum has been really, really helpful
and informative,
they have worked very hard to ensure that the academic
component is aligned to Texas TEKS,
I have checked it, it is aligned to Texas TEKS.
Many of the additional curricular materials for example
Lucy Calkins for reading,
are already being used extensively in Texas schools
every single tool is aligned to Texas State standards
and should the Board request the documentation of that
alignment, we'd be happy to provide it to you,
but our number one goal as our Board,
we are teaching Texas kids, Texas standards,
so they can be prepared to lead the State of Texas.
We absolutely are committed to that and all of us
are residents of Texas and are very familiar
with what Texas schools require.
-: You already have campuses in Texas currently?
-: There are campuses in Texas that use components
of the same curriculum, just like
they're multiple schools that use Houghton-Mifflin
textbooks or something like that,
but no there are no other campuses from our Charter
that we've asked for in the State of Texas. No.
-: Any other questions?
Yes, Mr. Cortez.
-: What role,
if any it sounds like you're saying there's not gonna be
any but I just want to be I guess sure,
would the Charter fund play
if you're approved
in your new school, one, two, or three right?
Because you're asking for up to three schools,
up to 3,700, 3,400 students.
-: At this point in time, there is no designated role
for the Charter school fund,
I am sure that they will want to be
a builder or to manage construction projects for us
just like there are probably other entities
that want to do that for us.
To deny that they're gonna be interested
I think would be ridiculous,
but I don't know.
We absolutely have no agreements with anybody,
not with Charter school fund, not with any other group,
to be doing anything regarding construction of
facilities for our school, period.
-: I only ask because
it's my understanding that two of the principles with
the Charter fund in Idaho, are also
the principle owners of Athlos curriculum
or Athlos apparel, what you guys are gonna be using
in reference in your budgets of what the expenses
would be.
I'm just wondering,
you've got a lot of different entities that have
similar ownership that are trying to
work their way in to
I guess, this venture.
-: So, Athlos curriculum is part of a
social venture corporation that has one arm
that does construction, called the Charter school
fund and building management,
and then the other arm which is staffed with completely
different people, that does curriculum.
I've met the curriculum team at Athlos Academies,
they are well accomplished, very educated in terms
of Project-Based Learning.
The two owners, Ryan Van Alfen and Jason Kotter,
that started the organization, yes, are the same,
but that doesn't behold us to purchase anything
from the Charter school fund, at all. Period.
And that's our prerogative.
If they want to compete for our Board's business,
and the business of the taxpayers of Texas,
they certainly can but
just because we're using that curriculum
does not entitle that entity to do our school.
I think there are lots of different
businesses all over the world that have owners
that own multiple layers, but
in terms of what it means for us and our school,
I don't think that,
it's important to know, but I don't think it has any
relevancy to purchasing or some kind of predetermined
or agreement.
-: I appreciate you saying that,
I guess it's hard for me to,
really accept that answer since the name of the school
is gonna be Athlos Academies of Texas, right?
And, so, you're naming it after
a product that,
you haven't gone out for
proper bids on for curriculum
and you're saying that's what you're gonna use
and operate with, right?
-: You know I was thinking about this a lot because I was
trying to figure out
the best way I could explain this process so
in terms of, if you think about a Montessori school,
or an IB school,
lots of schools put Montessori in their name,
to reflect the teaching philosophy of that school.
That of course if you're gonna be in a credited Montessori
school, you have to purchase curriculum
from specific vendors, you have to belong to
a National Montessori Organization,
to make sure that what you're saying is Montessori
is really Montessori.
In the same way the Athlos name of our schools,
reflects the philosophy of teaching for Athlos.
We are making sure that
it is apparent what it is that we're doing.
Athlos is really more of a philosophy of school education
curriculum in the way that the Charter school fund,
is the Charter school fund, and that's a different name,
different organization,
we're not the Charter school fund school of Texas,
but I think that's the best parallel that I can raise
just to be a super explicit about it,
is it's informative.
Okay this is what you're getting when you go to this door,
it doesn't mean that we are now, part of this
curriculum entity.
Is that helpful at all?
Mr. Cortez?
-: It doesn't give the clarity that I'm hoping for,
and I guess part of it is that,
they went through the process in 14,
without you right?
Tiffany: Correct.
-: They didn't make it through,
then the went through it in 15 with you,
this body, or the majority of this body vetoed it.
So here we are again for some reason looking at this
application,
and I guess my concern is,
it seems that there haven't been really a lot of changes.
The principals that had the idea to bring this
are still those two heads of the Charter fund
who wanted to say let's create something in the
State of Texas, right?
And so they
came in and visited with some local groups
and sold their models
to a group that's here in Austin, San Antonio,
and South Texas
and then another group that's in North Texas and, they
I guess they sold some of their components
and some of their management opportunities and
brought in
the Charter fund, helped them do a lot of financing,
and I guess through that I'm assuming that they saw this
opportunity to come out
and create their own
Charter line in Texas, similar to what they have
in other states.
-: The way that I,
I wasn't here in the very beginning of the Board
the majority of our Board members are the same ones that
started with the Board,
but the story they've told me is
they heard about the athletic conditioning model
in particular,
as you know Todd Withthorn and Debbie Ray,
Dr. Debbie Ray's a professor of Kinesiology
at Texas Christian University,
and Mr. Withthorn is
the runner of ACAP Health,
very focused on physical health and preventative medicine.
They found out about some of the Athlos athletic
curricular components and said
this is the solution, we want to come together,
we want to create a Board.
Tim Church, who's Mr. Withthorn's colleague, also was part
of the Board at that time,
and they approached Athlos, and said
how do we bring this amazing athletic curriculum
to students in Texas.
We don't have our own school,
we're not already an operating Charter network
that wants to grow and multiply work,
we're a different set of people.
I was brought onto the Board
based on educational philosophy.
I took one look at the model, both in terms of the academic
model and in terms of the athletic model as well
as this whole student model and I was
really excited about it.
I know it's really easy to assume that everyone has
this nefarious purpose and we just want to funnel
money somewhere,
but I think that the times that you've met our Board,
and I hope that the times that you've met me,
it does come through that we are earnest people.
I am an educator with many years behind me
of working with different types of students,
different educational formats,
I'm super excited about what Athlos has to bring
to the kids of Denton,
particularly with their community interest
and physical health and wellness,
I think we offer something new and innovative
and I absolutely as a professional human being
would not want to be my name, put my efforts,
dedicate two years of my life to something that I thought
was unethical or just simply some kind of shell game
to create a building,
so I guess that's my earnest statement to you,
about what we're doing here,
but we're really in the business of helping kids
be healthier and smarter.
-: Madam Chair, I just have one more question and then
if anything else pops into mind maybe I'll do a
second round.
My last question would be, again, you weren't part of
the application process in '14,
you were in '15, and you are obviously now.
As I asked the question in Committee,
when you had your two public sessions in October,
you had a collective group of 15 interested parties
at that time.
I mean and so...
Tiffany: No, I do want to talk about that.
-: When you opened, you started talking about
you had 292 parents
or 270, whatever the number was today,
but at the time throughout this process,
and I raise the point because I know last year
I was able to sit through the interviews,
I wasn't this year because I had a conflict in my
schedule, and I remember listening to some of those
applicants tell us how they had
80, 100, 200,
in one instance we had a room full of people
in support with their shirts
and you saw this community outpouring of support, right?
I haven't seen that I see 15 that are noted on your
application and so I'm just wondering to what do you
highlight the lack of interest?
-: I actually left yesterday's Committee meeting kind of
you know, my head was down like, okay, wow.
That's a really good point that you've made Mr. Cortez
because, yikes,
so I understand that perspective
and I kept thinking about it and thinking about it
and one thing I realized that I hope helps at least
partially explain is
when we first came to you all in the last time,
the last application cycle, we were really looking at
Dallas county, we weren't really sure where we're gonna be,
we thought maybe North Dallas, but we weren't sure.
We heard you, we needed to identify an area to get people
to be excited, obviously, if you live in Highland Park,
you can't drive to Lewisville to take your kid to school.
I mean that's just not possible for families.
We narrowed in, where are we gonna go.
We picked Denton, because of what I said,
they have a health-minded community, very limited school
choice options are there,
but really it was like starting over in a brand new
community, Denton is not, I don't think at least,
it doesn't seem to me from driving there and going
through traffic and being in Denton like a Dentonite,
that it's connected to Dallas county.
It's not as though as the word got out from moms in Dallas
to Denton.
It was really like starting over again.
And as you know, the Charter application cycle was
significantly pushed up this year in terms of timing
normally I think you turn it in I think in the first
week of January, this time I think we turn in November,
I'm not quite sure.
But we are working on this abridged timeline in a
completely new area, but to your point,
we heard you, right, we needed to show that interest.
Since our interview, we have doubled down on those efforts,
we have pushed hard to get that community support
to find out for us, too.
Do we really want this, you know?
And, overwhelmingly, family after family,
they have told me,
I can talk about personal stories, where they're like,
where is it? Is it here now?
Can you open it next fall? Can you open it for the fall,
my kid would love that.
They need more activity in their school day,
they're just that kind of kid, they need to move to learn.
I guess that's kind of the explanation,
I don't see it as an excuse, but it's an explanation to
understand, why our numbers were the way they were,
particularly at the beginning of this process.
Mr. Cortez: Thank you.
Donna: Ms. Perez.
-: Thank you, Madame Chair,
thank you for being here, I know you had
to answer a lot of questions, I think.
To one of the points that Mr. Cortez was making,
and I know it's something that's very important
for the rest of this Board is that
we see individuals that know the community when you have
a Charter that's being established and you mentioned that
the Board members are from Texas or Texans,
I'm just curious that the members,
speaking to Mr. Cortez's point about the lack of interest
or the lack of proof that want or need for this school
in Denton,
I'm wondering, also, where are your Board members from
because prior to an application process Board members
if you already have people lined up, can help
drive that and can help educate individuals, so, if you
have local Board members,
that's where that work could've been done prior to the
application process but
so where are these Board members from?
-: To your point, absolutely,
we're working right now on identifying Denton
Board member, someone who lives in Denton proper,
that's part of the means we've had with the
Tri-Valley Hispanic Chamber,
part of my search at Juneteenth,
we have a number of interested people
and right now, we haven't yet met as a Board to
review their submissions to be a Board member
but we are screening for those people,
and I've personally met a few of them who really want
to be part of it, our other Board member Todd Withthron
also attended some events in Denton and gathered up a
few different people who were interested as well.
So we're making progress on getting that Denton
Board member, so Todd lives, I think he lives in
Carrollton, I could look up his address,
but he live in the North Dallas area.
He runs ACAP Health Consulting, which is a business
in North Dallas, they focus on proactive health benefits
to help reduce people's incidents of going to the hospital
later with a serious illness,
they're trying to make people healthier,
fantastic, if you've heard of their product, Naturally Slim,
it's a web series on education,
I was hoping it some kind of magical pill
but unfortunately for me, it's not,
but it's pretty cool, you can check them out.
They actually just signed a big contract with UT
to help their members become healthier at UT.
So, anyway, so he works there.
Dr. Debbie Ray is the Associate Dean of Kinesiology,
or Health Sciences, maybe, at Texas Christian University,
so she lives in Fort Worth.
You may have seen her
featured on the Today Show with Project Link which is
bringing more recess back into schools
and that's part of our Athlos model.
It absolutely decreases behaviors and increases
academic achievement and cognition,
which we know from multiple scientific studies,
she's a leader in the nation that,
so she's in TCU,
I'm in San Antonio,
so I live there in kind of the south part.
We also added a new Board member this year,
who is a procurement person,
also based on the Board's concerns about procurement
and finance, and he lives in San Antonio as well.
So, that is our Board, am I forgetting somebody?
I don't think I am.
That's where we are.
Ms. Lopez: Thank you.
Donna: So, how many members are on your Board right now?
-: Myself, Debbie Ray, Todd With... oh I forgot,
Martha Rocha she lives...
Thank you for reminding me,
she lives in Dallas, there's five.
Martha Rocha, she works as a consultant for a Dallas
Children's Hospital.
She's also an original Board member, so, Todd, Martha,
and Debbie are our top three trio there.
And then we have Mike Ashmore from San Antonio,
so five total are with us.
I knew I forgot somebody.
Donna: Yes, Mr. Maynard.
-: Thank you Madame Chairman,
I think that what I'm hearing is that one of the struggles
I think that some folks are having is trying to
characterize the relationship that
the Texas entity has with the branding
and so let me see if I can kind of explore that with you.
In commercial enterprises, we have franchising,
if I own a hotel chain,
I may own the property, I operate
and I have to meet certain benchmarks and things like that,
if I'm gonna flied that particular hotel property
in that sort of manner,
but I own it and I control it, right?
If I can draw that comparison is that so what you're saying
is that the Texas group operates independently
of the parent organization,
but it is in essence, a franchise, as that it is
branded a certain way, it is flagged a certain way,
it meets certain standards that the franchising
organization has,
in order for you to be able to flag it that way.
But it operates independently,
in other words all the decisions, the business decisions,
the academic decisions are made in Texas.
Is that a fair characterization?
-: Absolutely, yes.
I'm not a business person, I don't know if franchises
pay some kind of fees to their...
We don't do that part.
But in terms of standards, in terms of
our curriculum is absolutely reflected, that's part of the
development, we want to make sure we're
delivering that model appropriately
all of that is true but all of the power,
to operate the schools lies with the Texas Board. Period.
Donna: Mr. Rowley.
-: One final question, Tiffany.
My philosophy with regard to Charter Schools is that they're
appropriate in situations in which they're going to bring
an innovative approach or a different technique,
a different methodology, something different than
what is being offered by the local ISD,
or they're meeting a particular demographic group,
trying to reach that group that may not be
necessarily reached.
You've eluded to this somewhat but maybe not to the extent
that we could hear how different the Athlos model is to
what we're going to see in a typical traditional school.
Can you help us with that
just briefly?
-: Thank you sir.
What makes me super-excited about Athlos is
there's countless scientific research about the use of
cardiovascular exercise and physical health to really
engage student academic achievement.
Absolutely it helps kids in the classroom, not just behave
better but learn better, so, we have that.
We also have a vary large body of social science research
talking about character education and how it improves
outcomes for kids.
And some schools do implement character education,
but I think we all know from traditional school
environments that the amount of physical activity
and exercise is eroding in schools,
from recess to P.E., and we are really doing ourselves
a disservice.
Our innovation is that Athlos is using physical science,
medical science to help us inform learning in the classroom.
Cardio activity is like Miracle-Gro for the brain,
it makes the brain ready to receive information
and implement that information to long-term learning.
It's easily, it's not some kind of quack study,
this is the National Institution of Health,
there's countless evidence,
but we ignore it in traditional schools.
Athlos is an opportunity to bring that science to
actual practice for the academic benefit of our kids,
and we even have a, I don't want to say a pilot
quote unquote, because Debbie, our Board member,
she's running schools in Fort Worth,
and in the Texas area, actually in the Nation now
with extra recess and literally measuring,
increased scores in comprehension, particularly
in reading, she has a lot of really good data
and one thing that was really compelling to me was
she found that by giving kids extra recess,
which we think is a waste of time,
out of every hour, in the classroom her students
and she was observing, 15 minutes of that time,
the teacher was spending redirecting kids.
Like get back on task, focus, pay attention,
okay, look at me, Johnny.
But when given those extra recess time,
we saw an almost minute-for-minute correlation
on drop in terms of redirection.
So, the time that kids are spending actually learning
and focused on the teacher
remains about the same, and we know that the increase
in the physical capacity of their brain to receive
that information is heightened,
which is what she is thinking as learning to those
better outcomes she's seeing with data for kids.
It's really cool for us as a Board to have that expert
on our team,
because she's doing that research that is absolutely
impacting our practice, when we open our school
if we are approved this cycle
so, that's really our innovation,
I wish I could say it was, we're sending rockets to
the moon or something, but we're using what we already know
to inform what's happening in the classroom, and it's
very powerful for kids,
particularly those who are like really needing to move
to learn,
Thank you, Sir.
-: Mr. Cortez, oh I'm sorry, Mr. Bradley
hasn't spoken.
-: This will be a question for staff regarding the discussion,
if I might.
Or do you want to limit it?
I'm always into the number side of it,
to see if they can be financially successful,
but I know staff
watching y'all through the Charter selection process
you had 22 applicants, and only three were recommended
by the Commissioner.
That's a pretty small doorway to get past you isn't it?
Y'all made the same recommendation last year.
And the Board overturned in the interim between that
what changed in the application
and did your opinion improve or did it remain the same?
I want you to defend the Commissioner's decision.
-: Heather Mose.
What'll offer you is that with each iteration
of the Commissioner's application,
we take input from Board members, we take input
from the process itself
to improve that next application cycle.
Our focus has been on a
vetting applicants who have a propensity to offer
high quality Charter seats.
We have been very laser-focused on that.
To that end, we have taken steps to include both
quantitative and qualitative aspects
of the application.
We move the cut score that several years ago,
when I came on Board was at a 70% cut score
to an 85% cut score,
this approach to scoring allows the authorizer,
allows the Board to see with more granularity,
the strengths of the application and the weaknesses
of each application.
We have implemented a more robust
external reviewer training
so that we are really getting trainers who have
areas of expertise and then assigning applications
to those external reviewers.
we have altered our scoring rubric
to get down to that granularity and so instead of just
an overall education role section or category,
we look at mission and vision and a day in the life
and we score appropriately.
All of that to drill down to
an applicant who is going to offer quality seats to kids.
And so to that end, specific to Athlos,
they have applied in the past,
and I think Ms. O'Neil has addressed the fact that
they have taken the Board's comments,
they've taken the agency's comments and have
tried to address those
contingencies if you will.
-: And you've seen the copy of the revised budget
that showed being financial
stable even with a lower enrollment?
-: Yes, I just looked at that,
and that was one of the things that
was brought up in the interview.
I just received that as well.
We did communicate some concerns about those
numbers, I think that,
Ms. O'Neil and her team have addressed those in the
not only with the revised budget,
but in the interim also we've had quite a few folks
who have, as a result of her hard work,
sent in letters of support and so those initial
low support percentages that we were looking at
at the time of interview have been a little bit
more robust in the ensuing months.
-: Thank you, Madame Chair.
Donna: Ms. Cargill?
-: I don't want to see you walk out again with your
head down, I just want to commend you on
what have you have done,
I don't know when you're sleeping.
(laughs)
but you have really risen to the occasion
and what have you taught in your past?
Donna: Go ahead and push that button.
One more time.
-: Thank you.
I am an English teacher in Special Education
and Gifted Education, but my favorite thing to teach
is Future Problem Solving.
There are strong Future Problem Solving teams in Texas,
it's creative problem solving approach,
just it's really fun to be a teacher for sure.
-: Good, all right.
Well anyway, thank you, you've been
sitting in the hot seat for
I don't know, 45 minutes or so,
and I think you've been professional, you've maintained
your strength and stamina
and you still have a smile.
So, I commend you on that.
Tiffany: Thank you so much.
-: One thing, Ms. Mose.
That came up in our
Committee meeting yesterday,
was about the average construction cost,
you know that 18 we were
waiting to, staff was gonna look at that,
and I forgot to ask you.
-: I have not been into my office yet,
but last night I did ask staff in finance to
help us dig down into...
-: To those building a facility if that's...
-: So, we want to give you an
a more precise response than we have always
operated on around 20%,
so we're still working on that and
we will put that information in your boxes
as soon as we get that.
Donna: Okay, but we're talking about this right now,
so we kind of need to
get this before we get to...
Because that was an open question.
-: Okay, I will check via text,
see if we've got those.
Donna: Okay, so if you've got it just let us know.
Because we're in the middle of talking about this.
Any other questions?
Yes, Mr. Cortez?
-: Just to follow up on the
question that was asked earlier on the branding
and the franchising models or what have you,
and then to follow up on another question
that was asked about the uniqueness of your program
and you talked about all this scientific method
and study and relates to student progress and
student achievement,
your program would be different in that it
would use three components, you said?
And the current programs in Texas are only using
one or two of the models?
Tiffany: Correct.
-: Are those one or two models that athletic component?
Tiffany: Yes.
-: That you're referring to, in terms of being scientifically
research based or whatever,
have you seen
how those Charters are performing in Texas
and are they above the State average
as a result of that...
-: No, I have looked at them,
and no they're not above the State average,
I think, I want to be clear to say that,
the athletic component used in isolation,
is not going to lead to this tremendous academic
performance in the classroom.
It has to be coupled with
good academic teaching and a program that's good
for the school,
I am absolutely unwilling to comment on how those schools
to say they're good or bad academically,
I don't know,
I know that what they're doing academically
is not the same as what we're planning to do,
but really what's very exciting is that
in terms of integrating
physical movement into the classroom it's not just,
okay, you go on the turf, and you spend time doing cardio,
we are talking about significant movement breaks
in the classroom, so we're moving to learn
as part of instruction.
We're talking about increased amounts of recess,
which is part of kind of the academic component of
a school when you're letting out and so,
it's not like you go to P.E. for recess,
it's a way of scheduling in a culture
in the school that is dramatically different.
Those schools do not have that specific culture
that we want to implement in ours.
I think that does,
I just can't comment on
what they do or don't do in the classroom that leads them
to positive academic results.
I do know that
when I've looked at their turf performance,
their kids, and what they're doing athletically on
that turf, it's pretty fantastic,
and if you visit an Athlos school, go check it out.
But that's using the Athlos curriculum,
you'll see that really cool physical component,
(talking drowns each other out)
-: I have seen it, I have been on the turf.
Tiffany: Excuse me?
-: I've been on those fields, I've been on the turf,
I even did a run through with the kids.
Tiffany: Oh, did you? That's cool.
-: But I was just speaking to the point that you made,
that it was scientifically researched based
and increases student out puts,
and I'm just wondering, well why isn't that the case
with our two current existing Charters?
But you answered my question.
The other thing I wanted to ask,
are you currently employed at the moment?
Tiffany: No, I am not.
I am in the market for employment.
-: Okay, so you're not drawing income from
the Charter fund or any other organizations
paying a salary for you right now at the moment?
Tiffany: No, absolutely not.
-: Okay.
I guess that was really the question that I wanted to know
in terms of the other two components because as you
sighted scientifically-based and
research-based...
I just was curious to the correlation to
their inability to be above a State average.
-: It would be really interesting, and we're trying to
measure this in partnership with the Athlos team,
but of course that requires some release of data
on the school's part,
but I'm really interested to see in their growth
trajectory from before their Athlos conversion model,
how has converting to using some components
of the Athlos curriculum impacted either
positively or adversely their academic performance.
That's something that is very interesting to me,
but we don't have that data yet,
and I don't know if we can get it, to be honest,
because of privacy issues.
But it's definitely curiosity for me. Thank you, Sir.
Donna: Okay, thank you so much,
appreciate it.
-: Thank you.
-: At this time, I'd like to invite Mr. Paul Morrissey
from Compass Rose Academy,
proposing to serve in the San Antonio area,
and I believe he has Board members with him.
-: Good afternoon Madame Chair and Members of the
State Board of Education, it's our pleasure to be here
representing Compass Rose Academy today,
a proposed 6 through 12 Charter School
for the students of San Antonio, Texas,
my name is Paul Morrissey, I'm the lead founder
of Compass Rose Academy,
and this is Arturo Herrera, who is the Board Chair.
Compass Rose Academy, as I said, is a school based on the
mission to send
every student to college.
To prepare students for success in college,
and to prepare students for graduation from college.
Our vision is to fulfill our mission for every single
student by equipping them with the academic skills and
intellectual habits necessary to solve challenging problems.
We want to build within them the character traits
and sense of purpose to lead within their communities,
and we want to propel them towards a life of opportunity
for themselves and for their families.
We'll follow the road maps set out by high performing
urban Charter school both in Texas and across the country.
We will double math blocks, double ELA block
so that students have access to the education
that will form the foundation for
life-long learning.
We'll also provide opportunities in the schedule
every single day for interventions
so that students are closing gaps as they form
and not prior to a test at the end of the year.
On top of that strong foundation, I think in the meeting
I likened it to the way
the San Antonio Spurs have won Championships, right,
you get really good at the basics and then layer on top
of that,
some other special things,
We propose to include an innovative element that starts
in sixth grade.
It is a STEM program, a technology and engineering program,
starts with a Design Thinking course for all students in
sixth grade,
that will form the basis for a Computer Programming
and Coding course in seventh grade,
in eighth grade that will lead to
Robotics and Engineering, all students will take part in
long-term STEM projects,
based on Robotics and Engineering.
That'll lead into a high school program that allows
every student in the school to develop and grow
a small business over the four year period.
We believe that all students then will graduate
with a letter,
we are convinced and
will make sure that every student graduates then
from Compass Rose Academy with a letter of admission
to a college,
that the graduate with a suite of highly technical skills
that make them valuable commodities on the job market.
And that they will awaken their individual passions
that invest them in the fact that school is exciting,
fulfilling and worth while.
To this point, we have focused our attention on the
west side of San Antonio, on our application itself
we said that we were interested in serving students
in the highest areas of need in San Antonio.
Our community
data gathering, data collection
pointed to the west side as an area of very high need
in San Antonio, but it also surfaced other areas in
San Antonio that are equally high need.
Ultimately, our intention is to serve the students who need
the most support in San Antonio.
As we've said before in front of members of the Board,
in front of TEA, we intend to be good neighbors,
we crave feedback, we crave
connections to other schools, to districts.
To this point we've met with San Antonio ISD
and I would characterize those meetings as very positive
and we are as a group excited to be
in a city that has many forward thinkers,
who want to do the best for our students
and especially for our students in need.
So, while we're proposing to locate the inaugural
campus on San Antonio's west side, we realize that there
are many places in San Antonio where the need is high
and that's in our mind as well.
We're a slow growth campus, proposing to open
a sixth grade with 180 students next year,
and then grow by one grade level each year.
We wanted to prove that we are a successful school,
and we want to be able to serve our students to the
best of our abilities from the minute that we open
our first campus.
With that said, I want to take this time to thank
TEA Staff for the process,
we had the comment earlier that this was a difficult year,
26 schools started the application process
and only three of us remain.
It was a learning process, TEA held the bar high,
very high this year,
but they supported us along the way
and as a school that proposes to do that for students
to hold a very high bar,
and to support students to meet their goals,
I can appreciate what TEA did for us.
It's been a learning opportunity up until this very moment.
Although we have collected over 500 signatures
of support from families in San Antonio,
although we have close to 20 letters of support from
community members,
we know there's still more work to be done,
and we're excited to continue the process of
outreach, because ultimately we know that,
we want to be a school for the community of San Antonio,
we wanted to gather feedback, gather information,
ideas for how we run our school best for our students
in San Antonio from the community, so that we can reflect
our community's goals for its students.
In this process, I have been a school of one,
we are an independent organization,
a local 501(c)(3).
I have had the opportunity to grow as a leader
through the Building Excellent Schools Fellowship
but as we open this school, this school is our own
school built out of the ground in San Antonio
with no connection to a CMO or any MO anywhere else,
this is a local Texas school.
I've had the great pleasure of working with an entirely
local, not just to Texas, but entirely local to
San Antonio Board of Directors who I am extremely proud
to do this great work with.
This is a collection of diverse individuals and background
and in expertise who have to this point supported
the work that I'm doing, the work that we're doing,
and who will continue to do that in our community, so
without further ado, I want to introduce Mr. Herrera
who will talk on behalf of the Compass Rose Academy Board.
-: Thank you, Paul.
Good morning. Good afternoon, actually, I just saw the clock.
-: Green is on.
-: I'm color blind, I apologize.
My name is Arturo Herrera,
I am the Chairman of the Board, as Paul mentioned.
I want to reiterate Paul's discussion about the local Board
and what's driving us as a Board to actually help
establish this school.
I, myself, have a personal story, and I shared that during
the interview with a few folks,
I graduated from Edgewood ISD,
so I was born and raised in the west side, and I
still live in the west side.
For me this school provides a benefit,
it's an option to families who are literally
my neighbors so I am definitely invested in it
as are the Board members that are with me on this.
And we'd be happy to answer any questions you may have
and we truly look forward and are excited to actually
get out there and open the school in my neighborhood.
-: Thank you.
-: Thank you and congratulations on making it this far
in the process.
I thought that the presentation for the benefit
of the other Board members,
this was perhaps the most compelling case of the three
Charter schools that are up before us today.
Paul, I'm really interested in your experience and your
training with Building Excellent Schools
and the way you're approaching this Charter in particular
by opening with 180 students.
Can you talk about the benefits of slow growth
or kind of the philosophy behind that approach
and why it's important, in your eyes, to do that.
-: I would be happy to.
Yes, slow growth is important for ensuring quality
of the education services provided to students.
Ultimately, as a school, it's our job to educate every single
student who walks through
our doors and our goals are high.
Our expectations are high for our students,
we have lofty goals for them as they do for themselves.
By starting with just one grade level,
we're able to eliminate some of the stressors
that exist in a startup school.
The first is that we have one academic grade level,
one team and we're thinking about curriculum one step
at a time,
so sixth grade we can really focus on getting sixth
grade right, and then build toward seventh grade
and do the same the next year.
So starting with one grade level allows us to focus
our attention on the curriculum for that particular
grade level rather than spreading it across the
entire 6 through 12 spectrum,
which ensures that the quality of the work that happens
is high.
The next is operationally,
starting small,
starting anything smaller is
is a benefit, and it allows you the flexibility to be
agile to respond to problems quickly,
to foresee problems before they grow into,
I say, foresee pebbles before they grow into boulders.
Really to get some experience in dealing with the
day to day issues that pop up in a school
before the school becomes larger,
a larger entity, because as anything grows,
complications arise and if you can focus on
the way you problem solve as a team,
and I haven't mentioned this,
the way you build a team from a core small group,
the way I train teachers will be very important
to start small and to grow.
Some institutional memory from the first day moving forward.
All of those
ideas are part of the reason why we want a slow grow.
-: And it was that also something that the Building
Excellent Schools Fellowship,
is that considered a best practice in opening
Charter schools?
-: Yes thank you it is considered a best practice
in Charter schools, it is part of the Building Excellent
Schools' philosophy is that
slow growth is essential to building an excellent school.
Thanks.
-: Thank you, Madame Chair.
I just had one follow up.
Paul, you mentioned that you wanted to be good stewards
to the neighborhood, and I know that you mentioned
visiting with SAISD at one point.
Can you just elaborate a little bit on how that
conversation went, I believe that there was talk about
partnerships possibly and so if you could just explain
what that looks like,
I think it would just be really helpful knowing
that you all are looking to expand that area.
-: Great. I would love to.
We met with the Superintendent of SAISD
and walked into that conversation with the agreement that
we would talk about how we can partner together.
I think I said yesterday in the meeting that my
fundamental belief is that Charters and districts
should come together for the benefit of the students
rather than fight against each other and that's something
that is at the core of why I do the work and
who I am.
The discussion was about the future after we have grown
as a school, proven that we are serving students well,
which we fully expect to be doing.
San Antonio ISD, as you know, is thinking about
or taking the steps to become a district of innovation,
we talked a little bit about that but nothing all that
specific.
Except that in the future should we come to San Antonio
we could find lots of areas of connection
and the conversation really was about areas of connection.
It was philosophically how do we align with what San Antonio
ISD is trying to do
and my strong belief was that,
and I think it's been characterized by people in the
conversation, that it was an excellent conversation,
there are lots of areas of connection.
One in particular that I am thinking about
that I haven't spoken too much about in this arena
is a teacher residency, developing a teacher residency
at Compass Rose Academy that can
that will bring people in who want to get into the
field of teaching, would give them high quality
training, opportunities to be in the classroom
with students, and, then, we'll help them find opportunities
either at Compass Rose or elsewhere in the community
of like minded schools and that's something that
we talked about a little bit as well.
I feel like it was a very positive conversation.
As I said before this process, is fraught with
issues and I know now that despite our strong outreach,
despite being in a room with the Superintendent
of SAISD, I haven't yet spoken to one on one everyone
that we need to speak to
and I'm looking forward to speaking with Ms. Raydel
who was here yesterday and others about what
Compass Rose is because as Ms. Raydel and I talked about
yesterday, our beliefs align very, very well.
We both agree that what we're trying to do is
is good for students.
Donna: Yes, Mr. Bradley?
Mr. Bradley: You're gonna start out with sixth grade
though 12th, and then add a grade each year.
-: We're gonna start with sixth grade, and add a grade each
year.
-: You're gonna have a very rigorous program and very
high academic standards.
To try not to get into trouble because I have seen Charters
revicated because of the fact that they took in
new students at six, seven, eighth, ninth, tenth
who were under equipped to start at six, seven, eight,
ninth, tenth grade.
How are you going to assure that you're new sixth
graders are gonna be able to operate
at a sixth grade level?
-: That's a good question, and as I said in the
interview.
I would love years down the road, to come and talk to
you about a K-5 at some point,
but I'm not an elementary school person.
My experience is in middle school and high school
and so I couldn't stand in front of you and say
that I would be the right person to open up
a K-5 right now--
-: (mumbling) My question is, is you're gonna open with
a sixth grade, how are you going to assure that
you're sixth grader is reading and doing math
at a sixth grade level, so that they can be successful?
-: Short of opening that K-5, what we'll do
is we will a baseline test every student after
they're enrolled at the school to ensure we know
at what level the students are coming in at.
Then we'll have interim exams scheduled throughout the year,
we'll be using the NWEA MAP exam as our interim assessment
to show growth progress over the course of the year.
Daily, we'll include double blocks of reading, and double
blocks of math, so that students have more time in those
core classes along with a daily intervention block,
which is responsive to daily data.
So, students will be doing exit tickets as they're leaving
their ELA class, or as they're leaving their math class,
those exit tickets will be scored and these will all be
standards based, based on the TEKS,
headed toward the STAAR,
and our teachers will determine at what level
students need intervention each day and each week.
Mr. Bradley: Okay.
-: So, that we're closing gaps as it's going along.
That's a very good question.
-: It's gonna be a difficult challenge, especially if you're
intent is to work in undeserved difficult populations
because they're not all gonna come in at sixth grade level.
-: And we don't expect them to,
that's part of the reason. -: Okay.
-: That's a large part of the reason why we want to work
where we want to work. -: You've been warned.
(laughter)
-: Thank you.
(distant talking)
-: I do want to compliment you on your Board,
you do have quite a diverse Board and it seems like very
representative of the community there
which is great.
Paul: I'm very proud of this group.
-: Absolutely.
Thank you.
Paul: Thank you.
-: And, finally, I'd like to invite Ms. Nancy Gribbletay
and Ms. Kate McSpadden from Goodwater Montessori
proposing to serve
in the Georgetown area.
Donna: Oh, I'm sorry.
-: I wasn't sure...
(laughter)
Donna: Please go ahead.
-: Okay, thank you so much.
Good afternoon, we are thrilled to be here today.
Thank you to the Staff of the Charter school division
for their thoughtful review of our application
and you members of the State Board of Education
for your time and consideration.
My name is Nancy Gribbletay and I am head of
school of Goodwater Montessori School.
With me, is our Board President Kate McSpadden.
Along with our colleagues and supporters,
we have taken this public Montessori school
from a dream to almost a reality.
Let me confirm our commitments to you.
First, we are committed to student mastery of the TEKS
using the Montessori method.
We are passionate about this pedagogy that values the
development of the whole child physically, socially,
emotionally, and academically.
We're committed to professional educational leadership
and management.
We will bring highly skilled people to all areas of our
organization to establish stability and foster
continuous student success.
We are committed to a level of outreach and inclusion
in which Goodwater Montessori members experience
a sense of belonging and purpose.
And finally, we are committed to offering Williamson
County an innovative educational option.
We pledge to make Goodwater a school of choice
that meets the highest expectation of the Texas
accountability system.
This is what parents expect.
What students deserve.
And what our State and Nation require to ensure
prosperity, and opportunity and brotherhood.
To this end, we have made significant progress
since our presentation to you in May.
Our teacher recruitment plan utilizes 21st century
and traditional methods as well as personal connections
in a global Montessori community.
We have planted the seed
and expect to reap a rich harvest of talent.
-: We've made notable progress in securing a location.
We entered into a purchase agreement for an 11 acre
tract of land in Georgetown on June 14,
and we're designing an innovative facility with
an architectural firm.
We will review a preliminary design and floor plans
on August 23rd, we're very excited about that.
We're conducting parallel work on do diligence
with two companies to finance that facility,
and the final paperwork in this process is the completion
of our Charter contract.
Our Board of Directors continues it's deep involvement
in policy and process development in support
of school management.
We are intent upon establishing solid fiscal
and management tenants that will provide a firm
foundation for the school well into the future.
-: The tragic events that the world has experienced
in the recent months have weighed heavily on me
as an educator.
I'm sure they've done the same with you.
We are all responsible for instilling information
in our children,
but also shaping their character, making them visionaries
in the field of endeavor,
and peacemakers among their spheres of influence.
Today's children face extraordinary challenges.
Will they be ready to reshape their world?
Will they have the knowledge and the strength of character
to transform communities?
Will they be the generation that ends what we are
experiencing today?
Children educated in public Montessori schools
will be part of that solution.
Thank you for your time and your deliberation.
-: Any questions, Members?
Well, you didn't have any questions yesterday either.
(laughter)
Nancy: We didn't. We've been skating.
-: Lucky you.
Nancy: Well, thank you-- Donna: Thank you.
Nancy: Thank you so much.
Kate: Thank you very much.
-: Members, I just...
Before we get to the vote, I just want to thank all of
those who
who have
okay, hold on, just one second.
Late breaking news here.
It looks like we've got,
they don't collect the facility data so the 20%
is an anecdotal, just kind of knowing that.
Based on our reviews of applications review
but they're trying to get the...
If 18% is in the ballpark of new facilities.
Trying to get that data right now, but we don't have it
currently available.
Yes, Mr. Cortez?
-: Just to that point, the National Alliance for public
Charter schools,
says Charter schools spend on average 13%.
-: For buying,
for building facilities? Mr. Cortez: 13% of
their operating budget on facilities.
-: Well, that's because they do leasing mostly.
We were looking for the building,
like is 18% reasonable for--
-: That's what they have on here,
"Charter funds spend an average 13% on operating
budget on facilities,"
doesn't tell you if it's leased or owned,
Donna: It's usually leasing.
-: It just says facilities.
Donna: Mr. Rowley.
-: Madame Chair, I've received anecdotal evidence
that the other Charter schools that use Athlos curriculum
actually out-perform State averages
versus what we represented to us earlier.
That they...
Donna: Oh okay.
-: And Ms. Mose might have access to that information.
Putting her on the spot.
-: Heather Mose.
The two Charter schools that Ms. O'Neil referenced, that
Mr. Rally referenced,
are performing in both the 2015 accountability ratings
and mass standard but then when you dig into the indexes
obviously they've met all indexes,
and have earned distinctions as well.
That was our quick down and dirty comparison for you,
but the one Charter that was referenced
is a fairly new Charter
and their successes have been quite abundant.
The other Charter that was referenced that implements
the Athlos curricula
has been a smaller Charter in terms,
affectionate term of a mom and pop Charter,
but they have had an ability to grow
in these last couple of years as well.
Without losing sight of the high quality seats
that we really want to focus on.
Donna: Actually, this is a question, now that you're
talking about the others.
Do they have waiting lists, people like the model?
I'm curious on that, do we know?
We probably don't know that.
-: I wish I knew specific campus and Charter waiting lists
we don't have... Donna: We hear of waiting
lists for so many of the Charters,
that are more familiar to us. Heather: We don't have a
database to
collect that, I'm sorry Ms. Chairman.
-: Ms. Beltran.
-: Ms. Mose can you also tell us about the demographics
of the students enrolled in those schools,
racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic status?
-: I cannot quote you the exact demographics off the top
of my head, however, I will say that one of the Charter
schools is serving students in
San Antonio and the Valley and those demographics
mirror the demographics of those locales.
The demographics of the second Charter school referenced,
they run a program that is an immersion program,
and those demographics also represent or mirror
the area that they are in with an additional
demographic that is of Chinese persuasion.
Mr. Bradley: Madame Chair?
-: Yes, Mr. Bradley?
-: Do we have a motion on the floor to debate?
No, I just want to finish up with any questions.
Okay, so, the recommendation, pardon me?
(distant talking)
Yes, right.
Recommendation before us, right.
(distant talking)
Right.
So we were just trying to get some information
and answer two questions.
The motion before us is
moved to reject the proposed Charter for Athlos Academy
of Texas.
A motion to reject the proposed Charter requires
a majority vote of those present and voting.
Are you ready for the question?
(distant talking)
Yes, please speak to the issue, Mr. Rowley.
-: Having been a part of the Committee on School Initiatives
over the last three years,
I'm familiar with the process that's employed in order
to get to this point in terms of approval,
or recommended approval of Charter schools.
And, I am amazed, honestly,
at the level of rigor and the level of scrutiny
that is employed
in determining whether or not the Commissioner is going to
ultimately recommend a Charter for approval
and to bring it to this point.
The numbers to some extent bare that out as well
we started out with 26 Charters I think, maybe 23,
22 were deemed completed and then only three
have been recommended for approval by the Commissioner.
That does not say that we're not to exercise our
independent judgement here.
Certainly that's our right and prerogative
and, personally, I value that authority
and think we should do everything we can to maintain it.
But it does say that the three Charters that are currently
being considered including Athlos
have been vetted and rigorously scrutinized and analyzed.
It is anticipated that they'll be successful
obviously, or the Commissioner would not have brought them
to this point
and so I speak in favor of Athlos.
I was concerned last year about the same points that
have been brought up today.
I specifically,
I was in the interviews, I asked them very pointed questions
in the interview process.
And they have
satisfied me that they addressed those issues about which
the concern existed.
So I just speak in favor of their approval
and in opposition to the motion.
Donna: Ms. Beltran.
-: Thank you member, Rowlely, and thank you for the thorough
work that we've all done
especially on the School Initiatives Committee and
reviewing this process I would say
I would urge other members, I stand in support of this
motion,
not to discredit the work of the Commissioner,
not to discredit the work of the agency nor the entity
that is in question or that we're voting on.
I think that we do have some level of expertise
as representatives from the communities that we represent.
This happens to be a Charter school application
that has had multiple attempts,
it also happens to be a Charter school that proposes to
open in District 13 as well as 11 and 14.
I would highlight in addition to some of the concerns
that have also been raised which are of concern
to me as well,
but even more than that, my personal philosophy in
supporting Charter schools is to say,
will they serve a demographic that is in need?
Are they proposing an innovative approach and
will they adopt best practices that we know are effective
in opening Charter schools?
And I think in every instance, unfortunately,
regardless of the hard work that's been put into this
application and the multiple years and effort,
this particular application does not meet those three
components for me
and I will say that part of, I think it's my leading
questions at Compass Rose about their slow growth
is in stark contrast, in addition to Goodwater Montessori,
the fact that they are trying to open a campus with
almost 1,000 students in their first year
is probably my biggest concern
in this conversation.
I know what it takes to lead children through an
academic process, the rigorous economic process
and to think that we are willing to risk the academic
lives of children of almost 1,000 children in North
Texas is a risk that I'm personally not willing to take.
In addition, although the conversation has been
that this is an innovative approach that we already have
Athlos schools across Texas and in North Texas
and while they're not integrating the three components
they do have the physical fitness component of the model
and so that strikes me as not as innovative.
And serving the population understanding
they don't have a Denton representative on their Board,
their lead of the school lives in San Antonio
and while North Texas is a rather tight knit community
I believe that there should be a stronger sense of
really understanding the community,
knowing what the community needs and it's
striking to me too that the letters of support
have mostly come from legislators and while that's fine,
I'm concerned about the needs of kids and families
in North Texas
and so I would stand in support of this motion.
-: Just for your information, I asked about the waiting
list and according to Texas Charter Schools Association
for one of the models,
the ILT one that was mentioned there's 5,700 on the waiting
list and for Jubilee 1,100, just in answer to that question.
Mr. Maynard: Parliamentary inquiry.
-: Yes, Mr. Maynard.
Mr. Maynard: So to be clear,
the Committee motion is to reject?
-: The Committee motion is to reject.
-: So, a motion
and affirmative vote
is a vote in support of the motion to reject
a negative vote is to take no action, essentially?
Donna: Correct.
-: A negative vote actually would be a vote in favor
of Athlos?
Donna: Correct.
-: Alright.
-: Yes, we're rejecting the charter if you raise your hand
when I make the rejection motion, yes.
Mr. Ratliff. Mr. Ratliff: Some of you
know this, but just in case, some of you may not.
When I first got on the Board and we had votes on
Charter schools,
I mimicked my position on these issues after a
legislative concept known as a local bill,
and that's a bill that a member brings to the legislature
that only effects his or her district.
And the other members of the legislature out of deference
to that member's ability to represent his or her
district will simply defer to their vote or their position,
not always but more often than not.
And I adopted a similar attitude when it came to
Charter schools.
And I have appreciated the deference given to me
when Charters in my district have come up,
for members to say, you know this, you're on the ground,
you know this better than I do.
In speaking with the members in whose district
the Athlos will be proposed to be located,
I'm gonna follow their lead and vote in favor
of the motion to reject.
(distant talking)
-: It's been moved to reject the proposal for
Athlos Academy of Texas.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor of rejecting the Charter,
raise your hand.
All those in favor of rejecting.
All those opposed raise your hand.
So the motion carries.
Voiceover: Seven to six.
-: Seven to six.
(distant talking)
Okay the majority in the affirmative in the proposed
Charter for Athlos Academy of Texas is rejected.
Are there any further motions to reject?
There being no motion to reject the other proposed
Charters for Compass Rose Academy and Goodwater
Montessori School, no action is taken.
So they will be awarded Charters,
or are awarded Charters.
Okay, let's go back to the regular order of business.
Committee of the Full Board, I believe,
Mr. Ratliff, I think, believe you've got that.
-: Members, you actually have two sets of minutes from
the Committee of the Full Board at the bottom of the page,
one is dated 7/19/2016 and the other one is dated 7/20.
You can take the 7/19 and make a paper airplane
out of that because we have no action items on that.
Little enjoyment for the meeting for this afternoon.
On the 7/20/2016 minutes, on Page 4
is the one and only item, and I think
do we have a handout on this item, Monica?
Monica: Everything is in your minutes.
-: Oh okay.
-: Our attempt at crafting your recommendations are on
Pages 4 and 5 and then there was a request for
a specific attachment that was not included in
the study and so that is attachment A of your minutes.
I would note that we were going to attempt to reference
as attachments various documents from the study,
that would've required us to attach the study to
your minutes which would've made them very long.
However, once you take action to approve your recommendations
we can in the actual recommendations then go in
and attach any
relevant documents that reference the study at that time.
-: So, in light of that, Members,
the motion that I will make is I move that the
State Board of Education adopt recommendations
to the Texas Legislature, regarding the study of the
essential knowledge and skills of the required curriculum
and related State assessment instruments
and to instruct Staff to insert page references
where appropriate.
And you're gonna ask me if have it written down aren't you?
(laughter)
-: That'll be fine, you can say it one more time,
but let me just say one more thing,
a lot of discussion at the next generation commission,
can I speak to this?
Because I want to add something.
Is there any objection?
To recommendation.
A lot of the discussion at the generation commission
was asking the head to center it around,
would like the Commissioner to do a study,
looking at some different ways of doing assessments,
maybe expanding the way that we're looking at students
to get a more holistic picture if you will.
That sort of thing.
And I'm wondering if we might not want to include
a recommendation that would agree with that approach for
the Commissioner to
to look at the different options and things that might be
out there for next generation,
since that's what's being discussed is next
generation assessments.
Mr. Ratliff: Do you have that amendment written out?
-: I do not.
(laughter)
-: Turn about's fair play Madame Chairman.
Monica: Madame Chair?
Donna: Yeah, I'm sorry.
-: Are you looking at amending number eight?
Because, I think that has some of
(talking drowns each other out)
-: Supports pallet projects and other research efforts
to study the abilities to move away from standards
towards portfolio assessments and
other...
Mr. Ratliff: Alternatives?
-: Alternatives.
Maybe that's...
I think that would work.
Thank you for finding that, I appreciate it.
Mr. Ratliff: I second that motion for that amendment.
-: You second that?
Any objection to adding that, adding those three words?
Okay. Terrific.
Okay and other alternatives, so that would
change that particular recommendation.
Why don't you say that again and then I'll just
ask if...
-: And I'll do my best to say it the same way I said it
the first time.
I move that the State Board of Education
adopt recommendations to the Texas Legislature
regarding the study of the Essential Knowledge
and Skills of the required curriculum,
in related State assessment instruments,
and instruct staff to insert page references where
appropriate.
-: Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say Aye?
All: Aye.
-: All those opposed say, "no."
Motion carries, thank you very much.
Now, we're I believe Committee on Instruction.
-: In your minutes for the Committee on Instruction,
the first action item that we need to address
is at the bottom of Page 1.
On behalf of the Committee on Instruction,
I move that the State Board of Education
by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members
of the Board, approve for second reading and final
adoption the proposed amendments to 19TAC,
Chapter 89, Adaptations for Special Populations,
Subchapter C, Texas Certificate of High School
Equivalency with an effect date of 20 days after filing
as adopted with a Texas Registrar.
-: Members, it moved to approve by affirmative vote
of two-thirds of the members of the Board for second reading
and final adoption, the proposed amendments
to 19TAC, Chapter 89, Adaptations for Special Populations
Subchapter C, Texas Certificate of High School
Equivalency with an effective date of 20 days
after filing as adopted with the Texas Registrar.
Are you ready for the question?
To set an earlier effective date requires a vote
of two-thirds of the members which would be,
it's not,
those in attendance, or
Members?
Okay.
Which is 10 votes in the affirmative.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor raise your hand?
All those in favor raise your hand.
(laughter)
-: My ADD was kicking in.
(laughter)
Voiceover: Senioritis.
(laughter)
(distant talking)
-: I'm sorry, yes.
Is that all of them?
That's all?
Okay. So that's everyone.
All those opposed raise your hand.
Motion carries, there are 11 in the affirmative,
and none in the negative.
Ms. Malone: Item number 2, it's on the back of your page.
On behalf of the Committee on Instruction, I move
that the State Board of Education, suspend the Board
operating route procedures in accordance with
5.2A to allow consideration at first reading and
filing authorization and to approve for first reading
and filing authorization proposed amendment to
19TAC, Chapter 74 Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A
Required Curriculum 74.3 Description of a Required
Secondary Curriculum.
-: Sue, would you please speak to the suspension?
-: I'd be glad to.
This was just a
we left off the personal literacy,
personal financial literacy course on the list,
and we just need to put it back on.
(laughter)
-: Got to put it back on the list.
Okay. That's pretty clear then, thank you.
So, the first motion
I'll give you the first motion,
which is it's moved to suspend the Board operating
procedures in accordance with 5.2A, to allow
consideration at first reading and filing
authorization of the proposed amendments to
Chapter 74.
To suspend a rule parliamentary procedure
requires a two-thirds vote.
All those in favor of suspending the Board operating
procedures raise you hand.
(laughs)
You got it?
Those opposed raise your hand?
There are 11 in the affirmative and none to the negative.
That motion carries.
The second motion before us is the question
is now on the motion to approve for first reading
and filing authorization proposed amendments
to 19TAC, Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements
Subchapter A, Required Curriculum 74.3
Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say "Aye".
All: Aye.
-: All those opposed say, "No".
The "Ayes" have it, and the motion carries.
-: Alright, on to item number three.
On behalf of the Committee on Instruction,
I move that the State Board of Education
suspend the Board operating procedures in accordance
with 5.2A to allow consideration at first reading
and filing authorization and approve for first
reading and filing authorization proposed revisions
to 19TAC, Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
for Science, Subchapter D, Other Science Courses.
Madame Chair, would you like an explanation?
Donna: Yes, please explain that one as well.
-: Almost the same thing,
Monica, correct me if I'm wrong,
but the AP courses need to be ready by fall,
if at all possible,
we have the TEKS for them,
but they're not listed on the list.
Is that correct?
Monica: It's actually the other way around.
-: Oh I'm sorry.
-: So you approved some additional AP courses in your
graduation requirements,
but in the section where you reference AP courses,
we neglected to bring this to you at the same time,
and the request is because you've already made the decision
to add them in one place, to add them to Subchapter D
and we felt like if we moved forward with first
streeting at this meeting then you had an opportunity
to adopt in September which is as close as we could get to
the beginning of the school year
and this will help alleviate any confusion that
districts might have about those new courses.
-: Terrific.
So again, just like in the last one,
we're gonna take it in a two part vote.
It's moved to suspend the Board operating procedures
in accordance with 5.2A to allow consideration
at first reading and filing authorization at the proposed
amendments to Chapter 112,
all those in favor of suspending the Board operating
procedures, please raise your hand.
-: Those opposed,
did you get it?
Those opposed raise your hand?
There are ten votes in the affirmative, correct?
(distant talking)
So we're good.
And none in the negative so, with two-thirds in the
affirmative they're suspended.
The question now is on the motion to approve
for first reading and filing authorization
proposed revisions to 19TAC, Chapter 112
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science
Subchapter D, Other Science courses.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say "Aye".
All: Aye.
-: All those opposed say "No."
The Ayes have it, motion carries.
Thank you very much.
Ms. Malone: That concludes our minutes.
-: Thank you very much.
And then we're gonna go on to the Permanent School Fund.
Ms. Hardy.
(talking, no microphone use)
Oh please, do your microphone, start over again
Ms. Hardy.
-: Sorry about that.
How about that?
Donna: That's better.
-: On behalf of the Permanent School Fund Committee,
I move that State Board of Education
by two-thirds vote of members,
approve for second reading and final adoption
the proposed amendments to 19TSE, Chapter 129,
Student Attendance, Subchapter B,
Student Attendance Accounting 129.21,
Requirements for Student Attendance Accounting
for State Funding Purposes,
with an early effective date of 20 days after
filing as adopted by the Texas, with the Texas Registrar.
-: Very good to prove to,
it's a move to approve by affirmative vote of two-thirds
of the members of the Board for second reading,
and final adoption proposed amendment to 19TAC,
Chapter 129, Student Attendance, Subchapter B
Student Attendance Accounting 129.21 Require for Student
Attendance Accounting for State Funding Purposes,
with an effective date of 20 days after filing is
adopted with the Texas Registrar,
are you ready for the question?
To set an earlier effective date a vote of two-thirds
is required.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor, raise your hand?
All those opposed raise your hand.
Okay, motion carries.
With a two-thirds in the affirmative.
Next one.
-: Thank you Madame Chair, on behalf of the Permanent
School Fund Committee, I move that the State Board of
Education by two-thirds vote of its members
approve the proposed amendment 19TAC, Chapter 33
Statement of Investment Objectives Policies
and Guidelines of the Texas Permanent School Fund
Subchapter A.
State Board of Education rules for the second reading
and final adoption with an effective date 20 days
after filing as adopted with the Texas Registrar.
-: It's moved too approve by affirmative vote of
two-thirds of the members of the Board
for second reading, and final adoption
the proposed amendments to 19TAC Chapter 33,
Statement of Investment Objectives Policy and
Guidelines of the Texas Permanent School Funds
Subchapter A, State Board of Education rules
with an effective date of 20 days after filing
as adopted with the Texas Registrar.
Of course to set an earlier effective date,
requires a vote again of two-thirds of the members.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor raise your hand,
(mumbles)
all those opposed raise your hand.
Okay, zero.
So 11 in affirmative, motion carries.
The two-thirds adoption.
Next one,
the back to school, that's it for you.
Right, Ms. Hardy?
Ms. Hardy: Yes, thank you very much,
Madame Chair. -: Thank you very much
and just a couple more things, with the Committee
on School Initiatives, and then I think it's a wrap.
-: Okay, Committee on School Initiatives,
this is actually at top of Page 2,
of the minutes from the Committee on School Initiative,
the Committee recommends that the State Board of
Education take no action on the proposed amendment
to 19TAC, Chapter 230 Professional Educator Preparation
and Certification, Subchapter C, Assessment of
Educators.
-: Is there a motion to reject?
Hearing none, no action is taken and the proposed
amendments to 19 TAC, Chapter 230 Professional Educators
Preparation and Certification, Subchapter C,
Assessment of Educators will take effect.
-: Item 3 on that same page, page 2,
The Committee on School Initiative recommends State Board
of Education take no action on the proposed
amendments to 19TAC, Chapter 232 General Certification
Provisions.
-: Is there a motion to reject?
Hearing none, no action is taken and the proposed
revisions to 19TAC, Chapter 232 General Certification
Provisions will take effect.
-: Item 4, on the same page, CSI Committee recommends
State Board of Education take no action on proposed
new 19TAC, Chapter 234, Military Service Members,
Military Spouses, And Military Veterans.
-: Is there a motion to reject?
Hearing none, no action is taken and proposed new
TAC Chapter 234, Military Service Members, Military Spouses,
And Military Veterans will take effect.
-: Item 5 on the same page, CSI Committee recommends
State Board of Education take no action on the proposed
repeal of a new 19TAC, Chapter 241, Principal Certificate
Section 241.15, Standards Required For the Principal
Certificate.
-: Is there a motion to reject?
Hearing none, no action is taken, the proposed
repeal of new 19TAC, Chapter 241,
Principal Certificate 241.15, Standards Required for the
Principal Certificate will take effect.
And, I believe that's it.
Right?
Yes, Mr. Rowley?
-: I've had some inquiry from constituents in my district
with regard to
a clarification of our course of action with regard
to the ELAR Standards?
It's my understanding that where we are right now,
is it okay if we go ahead and
take that clarification as a point of information.
-: Is it okay to do that? Kind of talking about future
agenda basically, is what we're talking about?
-: Yeah, that'd cool.
-: Okay great.
Is that the TEA staff will work on the existing
ELAR Standards and SLAR I suppose as well.
To provide whatever clerical and administrative
and technical edits that need to take place
as per the discussion that
in addition the
the expert panel that has been nominated and approved
by this body will also look at that product after
TEA does their work,
to make a determination as to whether or not there
should be,
while not extensive substantive edits,
but more edits and modifications
particularly in terms of integration of the
Standards from each of the review committees
as they met and provided product,
and then my understand also is that Commissioner
Perez will provide us with feedback and information
from the Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Donna: And the forum.
We've got the forum feedback.
-: Right, and that will also be provided.
In addition to that there is the forum work
that's being done by,
I'm just gonna guess, TCT, TELA
Donna: TESEL.
-: There you go, those folks.
And that will also be integrated into the
experts consideration, all of which we anticipate
coming before us at this September meeting.
-: And the online feedback that we are gathering now
because people can do that just online.
Can look at the drafts as well.
Ms. Hardy?
Ms. Cargill.
-: He leaves that list of things, I would like the,
not just the TESEL, but the eight organizations
who have worked together, and provided--
-: Yeah whatever feedback, they're gonna have
access to all of it.
-: Right, but I just want to make sure that that group
was named, not left out of the list, litany of people.
-: Yeah. Everyone's at this point free to submit comments.
Including the
former review team members.
-: Yes. Mr. Rowley?
-: Might I add, that this is in accordance with our existing
operating rules and procedures with regard to
the Standards process.
Voiceover: Step 14.
Mr. Hardy: Step 14. Donna: Step 14.
-: Thank you very much, step 14 includes this process
it's in accordance, consistent with what we've laid
out in terms of our process.
-: Right, Ms. Cargill?
-: I would also like, we discussed this as well.
For the six experts to consider concerned from
Board members.
Donna: Oh yeah. We forgot. -: To help avoid
Donna: Of course
-: limiting amendments from the floor kind of a thing,
but we're,
the concerns I have are not from me, they're from
my constituents.
I'm just the conduit as we all are,
for concerns,
but I would like for them to concern those especially
content that has been deleted from the current TEKS
so, thank you.
-: Yes, Ms. Melton-Malone?
-: Also, I'd just like to ask my colleagues to,
contact as many of their Elementary teachers as possible,
and have them look through those new
Standards just to be real honest with you,
after having taught second grade, and then special ed,
there's some things in there that I'm not real comfortable
with because I don't think that they're developmentally
appropriate so if we could get feedback from all of the
Elementary teachers, as well as high school and middle
school, I think that would be very beneficial.
-: That sounds good,
would it be appropriate for any members who wanted to
send something, or talk to the experts about any concerns
for them to look at during the process,
it's fine to do that?
Express any concern?
-: I don't see that this is actually part of your
approved process,
we had already completed step 14 so
Donna: We're extending Monica: I guess it's up
Donna: Step 14. Monica: To you.
Donna: Yes, Ms. Beltran? Monica: What you want to do
-: I just had a question about
the role of the review committees to this point.
So we have had some discussion about including them
with the experts or maybe a sampling of them.
But at this point is it
have we,
I guess what's their--
Monica: According to your process, their work is done.
Donna: Their work's done, right.
-: So your process allows for getting additional
feedback from your
expert reviewers. Donna: And they're free to
give us additional comments too, I think that's important.
Voiceover: And feedback to the experts.
-: And feedback to the experts, yeah, absolutely.
-: Is there a process for them to follow or,
how would they know.
-: They can submit comments just like any other educator
or constituent can submit comments.
We do, as we move through the process, historically,
we have sent out information about when you're going to be
discussing, when documents are made available,
those sorts of things, but at this point, historically,
according to your process, if they want to continue to
comment, then they would do that as individuals,
just like anybody else.
-: But they should say that they want a review team,
that's what we'd recommend for sure.
I think that's totally fine.
Mr. Ratliff?
-: I want to express a concern about Board members
contacting or encouraging or lobbying the experts
to look at, or not look at certain things, I think we will
set ourselves up for the experts getting conflicting
direction from Board members,
when in fact we've appointed them because they are experts
and should know and have an idea of where this thing
should go and we're the recipients of that,
I don't think we should have an active role in guiding
what they do or don't do along the way.
They sat in the meeting, they heard our concerns
but for us to start sending a list of things for them to do,
I think,
gets the process disjointed and out of order.
I think we're at the, towards the end of the process,
and we should let the process work.
If members feel compelled to contact the experts, I think
then all of the other Board members should be copied
on that correspondence just so we can all
see what's being suggested to the experts.
-: That was my concern,
we've always had access to our own experts,
we've never shut that down
and it's to consider what we suggest.
It's not lobbying. Donna: We're not telling
them what to do.
-: Dogmatic.
Whatever we tell our experts will be discussed with the
other five.
That's part of the public process.
Donna: Ms. Hardy.
-: I would also like to say that I think
there needs to be a clarification and I think this is
been stated, but I want to make sure everyone that's
in the audience listens to this.
And that is that the bulk of the work has already
been completed.
We had some different concerns about
the verbs, whether it were the third grade
was harder than the sixth grade,
or where there were things in the vertical alignment
that had been left out and needed to be in there,
or a little bit more clarification on some different
issues,
we're not looking to change dramatically anything
in this, it is a refining process to what the
teams have already submitted.
This should be a,
it is just what it is, a refining of it,
where there were things that just didn't
align and so forth that that be--
-: Here's the only thing I just want to make sure that
we set out is that September, we are not gonna be ready
for first reading, because we'll hear feedback
by that time we hope, from the experts.
Will be able to meet that headline?
That deadline or whatever.
When do you think Staff could have this ready?
Monica: I can't give you an estimate right now.
-: Okay.
-: But we're talking about Staff doing the technical
corrections Donna: And then getting it
to the exerts. Ms. Hardy: But not worried
about putting it on the Texas Registrar or anything
like that, so that shouldn't be quite as involved as
what it would've been involved if this were trying to
get ready for first reading.
Donna: Right.
Anticipated discussion in September on that.
-: But, still, my understanding is, it's basically
what it is, it is what it is.
And then with adjustments. Donna: I think that's why
they have access to all the feedback,
they've heard us. Ms. Hardy: But our feedback
had been minimal in the sense that whoa you left out
this or that.
-: Yeah.
(distant talking)
Right. No, no, no.
-: Just to clarify though, as you've heard,
one of my concerns is that
identical nature of the High school and so adding back in
the distinction for American and British Literature
for example.
If we shut it down to just,
small little tiny,
I don't know what is considered a small edit or
what you really mean but there might be,
I hope there is consideration for some
actual content being added back in,
but not huge
things (microphone turns off)
Voiceover: Madame Chair?
Voiceover: My concern is--
Donna: Hold on. Von would like to interrupt
for just a second.
-: Madame Chair, if I could make two comments.
First, there was a mention earlier about copying each
member on any type of communication,
I would like to urge you not to have those
direct and just remind you, you don't want to create
an open meetings violation,
between meetings and we have a process set up,
so just remind you to use that.
The second is the discussions now still contemplating
what is happening at the next meeting?
-: At the next meeting because I want to make sure that
we understand, we won't be at first reading at the
next meeting, we wanted to make that clear,
that's what I'm trying--
(distant talking)
-: We're not posted for a discussion so all discussion
needs to be limited towards whether or not we should
post an item at the next meeting.
(distant talking)
-: The intention is to post a discussion again at the next
Board meeting in September.
Yes, Ms. Perez?
-: Madame Chair, just as a reminder, I'm not sure if it's
already been done but
a possible agenda item on the Committee on Initiatives
for the T-test, or meeting for the Committee of the Full
Board? That might be helpful.
I don't know it anybody would be opposed to that.
Donna: That's a really good--
-: It came up several times in the meeting.
Donna: It did.
-: Maybe a quick briefing. Donna: Thank you for
reminding us about that.
Ms. Hardy.
-: And along with that, at the same time with the T-test,
I would like to see an update on some of the things
that SBEC is doing in regard to CPE hours and that
sort of thing, they've got some
new things that they're doing
and so I'd like to see maybe Tim come and do a
presentation along with that.
(laughter)
Donna: Now, wait a minute.
-: Collaboration.
Training.
We seem to not be clear on the collaboration training
since we are a Board,
maybe we need to acquire, or learn about those skills.
-: Let me think about that one,
let's talk because I'm not quite sure what you're looking
for there but let's talk about that one.
Ms. Dominguez: Sure.
-: Okay, yes Ms. Miller?
Ms. Miller, can you turn on your mic?
-: Remember when someone brought up about that Monica,
T-Systems?
Is that the...
-: Just to try to keep you from getting into another
discussion that you shouldn't,
it was I station, we did provide a document in your box,
that summarizes the program,
we put that in your boxes.
Ms. Miller: When?
-: Day before yesterday, I believe.
I'm happy to show you the document and have a
conversation offline.
Ms. Miller: Okay, thank you.
-: Great.
So, just as a reminder,
September 12th is the Poverty Round Table.
That's an all day session.
Expecting again, National speakers, State speakers,
State experts, State practitioners,
so we're working on that schedule right now,
that's gonna take a while, it's a joint Round Table
with a Commissioner.
Anticipating that that will probably be...
What is the name of the location, Erika remind me?
Ms. Beltran: It's the American Institute for Research.
-: Right, on that day.
Not here, or at the Capital,
because we could get bumped if we try to set up
at the Capital, as it turns out
and we don't want to have that problem.
So it's a great facility that the next gen commission
has been using,
and so that that's the anticipated spot for that.
A.M. of September 13th will be our half day discussion,
on the math work session,
and if you have any particular people that you would like
to invite, please tell Renee today.
So that we don't
cause we need to set the schedule ad make sure we've
got time for everyone and all of that.
And we can get through it for that half day.
If you have questions that you would like for consideration
did I give you that sheet?
You handed it out?
That sheet, where is it?
Here it is.
That sheet that you just got handed was just
giving you the email again that I had sent out, in May
about this,
talking about the schedule and asking for your input.
You will see at the bottom, math questions to get us started
I just literally threw those out, we don't have to ask
those questions but I think it would be helpful
to kind of send a few questions that you have that
you would like the folks who testify to us to address.
Again, please give that to Renee so that we can have a
good list of questions.
They can answer or testify how they would like to us,
but if they're specific things we'd like them to focus in,
that's all this list of questions would be.
(distant talking)
September is an incredibly full schedule for us.
Very, very full schedule.
The whole week that week.
-: Will the Full Board meet in the afternoon?
Donna: The regular Full Board in the afternoon.
-: Of Tuesday?
-: Of Tuesday, we'll start our regular 1:00 meeting
at that time.
Or, most likely it'll be one, I haven't got schedule yet.
Yeah, maybe earlier.
Members, I do want to also draw your attention to the 2017
SBOE meeting dates on page
5-45 in your agenda.
We're meeting January 31st through February 3rd,
April 18th through 21st,
June 20th through 23rd,
September 12th through 15th,
and November 7th through 10th.
Just making sure that you guys saw that list
and didn't miss that in an email.
Tinsy Miller was honored on April 30th,
this year, as one of Dallas' living legends.
This is amazing.
By the Verna's HELP Foundation in Dallas, Texas,
Congratulations.
Very impressive.
And Ruben Cortez, Jr.
Received the Mexican-American School Board
Members Association,
is it MASBA?
2016 Dedicated to Education Award presented
at the Annual TASBE Summer Institute North.
(applause)
Always very proud of our Members when they achieve
recognition, that's wonderful.
Anything else that we're forgetting?
Yes. Mr. Ratliff?
-: If you've noticed that I've been more well-behaved
this week, I give full credit to my bride
who has been here for the bulk if the meetings this week.
(laughter)
She's been texting me, telling me to straighten up
and fly right.
Donna: Thank you so much.
(laughter)
We love you.
-: It only took her five and a half years to get here.
(laughter)
Yes, we can vote for her to come back.
Mr. Maynard?
Yeah, what are you doing in September?
Mr. Maynard?
-: It's always
positive when we can point out what's right with
education in Texas and what's right with our students.
Many of you know, and if you watched a lot of the
social media and email updates,
we held a convention last week on the heels of
a tragedy in Downtown Dallas,
and so we were certainly all effected by that,
what was certainly there was lots of media and lots
of reporting, but I will tell you a couple things
that were not reported, and that's kind of typical.
Is that, there's a group in Dallas called the Community
Partners of Dallas that services and gives new school
supplies to a lot of children in the CPS system.
That particular organization lost about $12,000
worth of materials in a flood.
Some of our students in Texas, through our FFA
members and Agriculture students, found out about that
and launched a drive to help
replace some of that.
I'm just trying to tell you that our students and teachers
showed up in Dallas with 1,400 backpacks
filled with school supplies,
which is the largest single donation every received
by that particular organization.
That doesn't get reported.
I will also tell you that the students, also
during that week, raised a little over $13,000
to support the families of the five fallen officers
in Dallas.
Not reported.
But those things do happen, and those are the kind of things
that we need to hear about, and the people need to know
that what's right.
Donna: Absolutely.
-: So I just wanted to kind of make note of that.
-: Absolutely. (applause)
Appreciate that.
Also, I forgot to tell you that I talked to Monica
since right now, the English Language Arts
is scheduled to do 2018 proclamation
that we would need to update the website just to make sure
we've notified folks.
We had this discussion really, really late on Tuesday night.
That it looks like the adoption would end up
being pushed to 2019, 2020, and so
we just wanted to
say that again, that'll be updated on the website,
because right now it looks the Proclamation 2018,
and we need to kind of
fix that, even though we haven't really set-set
the schedule, per say.
We wanted not to leave it at Proclamation 2018,
because that won't
be happening.
So anyway, thank you very much, Members.
Meeting is adjourned.
I'm sorry what?
Voiceover: Good job.
-: Thank you, meeting adjourned.
(gavel slams)