(murmuring)
(gavel thumps)
-: Members, I'm going to call the meeting to order.
If everybody can come in from the back room back there.
Really excited this morning.
I've visited the program that's in my area
from Spring Branch Independent School District.
I've visited the work-based learning program
that's under the direction of Brittney Harris
who's the lead work-based learning teacher
and Anne Conkling, special education coordinator,
and they're here this morning
and they brought some of the students as well,
and so we'll get to meet them.
But Anne, I'm going to have you come up,
or Brittney, whichever would like to kinda talk to us,
then we're going to see a short video
so you can get a better idea
about the breadth of the program
and the children that they serve.
Or in this case they're young adults, aren't they?
-: Yes, hi, I'm Anne Conkling, the special ed coordinator.
Brittney Harris our TOPS teacher
which is Transitioning Onward Promotes Success.
We have a full continuum of services actually
in Spring Branch starting with 9th grade
with vocational training.
And the kids that we feel like could gain paid employment
are in our 18 to 21-year-old program with Brittney.
As you'll see on the video we've gotten
a lot of students employed since 2011,
we've already got like 37 of our students employed,
and we have five of them today
that you will get to tell their story.
So basically we're here to celebrate
our students with their paid employment
and then when they come up they'll introduce themselves.
And when you see the video you'll see
the video highlights the students at actual job site,
actually it's at Eagle's Trace in Houston,
and also there's glimpses of our work-based learning center.
A lot of times we go into the work-based learning center
and preload the skills,
you have anything else to say?
-: Terrific, let's just see the video then
and that'll give us feel and then you can come back up,
Anne, soon as that's done.
Anne: Okay, very good.
(pleasant music)
-: My name is George Jones,
I'm the assistant dining services manager at Eagle's Trace.
I enjoy it. It's a challenge in itself.
The students are great.
It's chance for me to develop my management style
and the skills and also develop them and help them
move forward in their development.
-: This year we're proudly serving 127 students
in all of our work-based learning programs,
and since 2011 we now have 37 students
that have obtained and maintained employment.
We have teachers that are actually,
that go to the four high school campuses
that offer work-based learning on the campus.
Typically 9th and 10th grade.
In 11th grade we also have another program
where we start the students that are ready
in the community for training at job sties.
We've had a couple of districts come visit our program,
and again, one of the biggest things that I tell them
is if you can find a location
for your work-based learning program and centralize it,
then your training, your delivery of services
is going to be so much better.
-: Other districts, some have a program similar to this
but a lot districts just keep the students
on their high school campuses
after the child's turned 18
and they try and replicate job sites
and go off to job sites,
but it's not a centralized program like this one.
-: Typically the students learn here the skills
that would need to obtain and then maintain employment.
So each day, when the kids arrive,
we fill out our personal information,
we talk about our day, put on our uniforms,
do whatever it is we need to do to get ready to go to work.
And then the students go out to different job sites
twice a day, so they're out from nine to eleven
and then again from twelve to two.
-: One of our roles as a job coach is to go to the site
and see what needs to be done
and familiarize yourself to the student and their abilities
and find the best fit for that student
and help them achieve.
You expose them to what needs to be done
and explain to them and be there to offer support.
Sometimes we have to work side-by-side to maintain pace
lead by example, teach by example.
-: Every child, even though they may be in a program,
it still has to be an individualized education plan.
If for some of our students, when we go out to a job site,
we may be involving vision specialist,
an auditory specialist,
we could need our physical therapist,
our occupational therapist,
our speech therapist for the communications piece.
We are all on the same team.
-: There's a lot of things I contribute to success here.
Quality training from our job coaches and myself,
business partners that allow us to go into their businesses
and practice and develop skill sets.
And then also the parents being on board
and wanting to see their student
be a contributing member of their community.
-: Children are coming to a new environment.
They've finished with that chapter in their lives
and now they're moving on to the workforce
so this training for them is just very, very, very great.
-: About three years ago I got a student employed
and his dad, big guy, 6'3, 260,
and the company called and said
the student's going to get their first paycheck,
would you like to come out and be here
when we give it to him?
So I jumped in my car of course, went out there, was there,
and I just happened to see dad shopping in the store,
and I grabbed him and we went to the back
and his son got his first paycheck
and the business made a big deal about it.
I just kind of looked over and this big man
who I'd known for years is just sobbing,
just never really thought the day would come
that his son would be able to stand on his own two feet
and have a workplace, so yeah, don't use that please.
-: People have a chance to obtain employment
and we develop them, we invest in them,
letting them feel good about themselves,
a sense of pride, a sense of ownership,
a sense of responsibility.
-: There's a lot of collaboration that goes on
between our teachers, our students,
our community members, and our families.
They work very closely together
to transition those students into a job
and they've been very successful at that.
-: It's rewarding, very rewarding.
(upbeat music)
-: That was great, thank you so much.
I think that gives us a better idea.
(clapping)
So, Anne and Brittney, would you like
to introduce the kids?
Or the young adults, I keep saying kids.
(chuckles) It's young adults.
-: So, we've brought along today five of our students
who have actually gone through the TOPS program
and now have paid employment.
So they're each going to share with us
where they work, what they do,
and some of their goals for the future.
So this is Denzel, take it away.
-: Okay.
My name is Denzel, I'm 19 years old.
I started my job at Toyota Center in November.
I also take METROLift to and from work.
When I'm at work, my job is to restack all the items
on the convention bar like ketchup, mustards, and napkins.
I also get to see some of the Rocket games
and concerts when I'm at work.
(laughing)
It's true.
(laughing)
The best part about having a job is getting a paycheck.
Now that I have my own money
I'm able to help buy the things I need.
This makes me feel like a real adult
and I hope to always have a job, and I love my job,
it's the best thing that's ever happened to me.
Donna: Oh wow.
-: Which is true.
(clapping)
Donna: Can you help her with that mic there?
make sure we can all hear.
Brittney: You got it? Voiceover: Yes.
Brittney: All right, you gotta talk loud, nice and clear.
Voiceover: Hi.
(clears throat)
Hi.
Audience: Hi.
-: My name is Allie. I am 22 years old.
This is my last year in school.
I am so excited
at that I work, at PDQ.
My job is bus tables and serve the customers.
I have made new friends at work.
I also received my first paycheck
and I am did it buy new backpack.
I love my job.
(clapping)
-: Hi.
My name is Melissa. and I am 19 years old.
This is my first year in the TOPS program.
Since I started training at job sites
I have learned how to be responsible,
organize my assigned tasks.
I started working at the Cici's Pizza two weeks ago.
My job is to make sure the dining room
is ready for customers.
I make sure that the tables are clean,
floors are swept, and everything looks good.
I also have applied to the Texas A&M PATHS program.
If I get into PATHS I will spend four weeks
at Texas A&M learning to be independent.
I am so excited about my future. Thank you.
(clapping)
-: Good morning.
Brittney: I know you're kind of tall.
(chuckles)
-: Good morning.
Audience: Good morning.
-: My name is Alexa, and I turned 21.
I work in the dining room at a retirement community
called Eagle's Trace.
At work I bus tables, vacuum,
restock condiments, and drink stations and other tasks.
I work 20 hours per week,
Monday through Friday, 3:30 to 7:30.
I also take METROLift to and from work.
I began my job in May of 2014.
In the mornings before, I go to work
I attend nonPareil institute.
nonPareil is a school where people with autism
learn computer programs to make apps and video games.
Because I have a job, I'm able to buy things I need
like supplies for school and clothes for work.
In five years, I want to still be working
and helping others learn computer programs at nonPareil.
(clapping)
-: Good morning.
My name is Cassidy, I am 22 years old.
I work at Goodwill as a floor worker.
I began my job in October 2015.
I work 20 to 22 hours per week.
Part of my job is to keep all the items neat and organized.
I also put new merchandise out on the racks.
I have made some new friends at work, too.
Each holiday, I bake a cake to share with them.
When I'm not working I enjoy making jewelry and cooking.
I love going to work.
Working allows me to have a purpose and make my own money.
Thank you for having me here today.
(clapping)
-: That concludes our presentation,
did you have anything else you needed?
-: I just want to give you this certification.
Special recognition for the program--
-: Oh, thank you.
-: Thank you guys so much.
And I just want to say to each of you
who are working so hard and contributing,
we're so proud of each of you young adults.
And we look forward to all that you're going to contribute
to your communities, so thank you all very, very much.
(clapping)
Thank you.
(murmuring)
Let me get in the middle.
(laughing)
(murmuring)
Ms. Cargill, why don't you get up?
-: Okay.
Saw a lot of Kleenex moving around the room.
It's amazing.
Mr. Bradly had to get back to, where is he from?
Somewhere, East Texas, Beaumont.
(laughing)
I'm kinda fighting the lump thing
in my throat, too, Mrs. Bahorich.
So I am the last-minute recruit to give our invocation
but I'm always very happy to do that.
I think today is just a really great reminder
of why we work so hard to prepare our children
from preschool and up
and just to see those young adults and what they're doing
and for them to speak in public to a room like this,
oh my goodness, so impressive.
If the teachers were still here
I would say thank you to them.
I also want to acknowledge our Blue Ribbon School winners,
just wave, I know you'll be recognized
in a little bit, but great job.
(clapping)
And so for that reason and many other reasons
I wanted to just say a prayer for our teachers
and I'll clump administrators into that group
and just all the adults in Texas
who nurture these children because those students
wouldn't be where they are today
without the adults who are here.
And so we thank you from the bottom of our hearts
for being educators, working in the schools,
doin' everything from wiping noses, to giving hugs,
to sweeping floors, to dealing with hormonal teenagers,
we thank you, we thank you.
Especially if you're a junior high, we thank you.
But before we do that, as much as we love our students,
no matter if they're from out of state or from here,
I'd like first to take a moment
and just have a moment of silence for the young lady
at UT who lost her life,
and that's very emotional for me since
my son just graduated from there and a lot of his friends
are still just right there.
It just breaks my heart so if we could take a moment
for Haruka Weiser,
and let's just think about her.
So Father we come before You
and we just ask your blessing on the Weiser family
as they deal with this situation
with their precious daughter.
And we pray for Your hand of protection
over all of the students at our college campuses
and our school campuses.
God, just cloak them with safety
and post Your angels on all of these campuses
to protect our students.
Lord we're very, very sad and we're very sorrowful
and I pray a special blessing on the students at UT,
and for the adults that will be helping
to guide them through this difficult time.
So, Father, we want to also thank you for our teachers,
and I just thank You for all of our teachers
and the way they give up themselves
every day in the classroom.
They serve, they instruct the next generation,
and we thank you for them.
Would you fill their hearts with courage
by Your Spirit with strength so that they
could rise to challenges and not grow weary.
For Your wisdom, that they would make good judgement
when guiding and helping our students.
Give them peace, God, so when stress and anxiety comes
they would not be overwhelmed.
And fill our teachers and administrators with joy
so their passion that they have becomes infectious
to their students and just spreads without.
And we ask this all in Your wonderful name. Amen.
So if you'll stand for the pledges.
I pledge allegiance to the flag
All: 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.
-: Now the Texas flag.
All: Honor the Texas flag,
I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas,
one state, under God, one and indivisible.
Ms. Cargill: Thank you.
-: Miss Jackson will call the roll.
-: Mr. Allen.
Voiceover: Present.
-: Mrs. Bahorich.
-: Present.
-: Mrs. Beltran.
Voiceover: Present.
-: Mr. Bradley.
Mrs. Cargill.
Mr. Cortez.
-: Present.
-: Dr. Dominguez.
-: Here.
-: Mrs. Hardy.
Voiceover: Here.
-: Mr. Maynard.
-: Here.
-: Mrs. Melton Malone.
Voiceover: Here.
-: Mr. Mercer.
Voiceover: Present.
-: Mrs. Miller.
Voiceover: Here.
-: Miss Perez.
Voiceover: Present.
-: Mr. Ratliff.
Mr. Rowley.
Voiceover: Here.
-: The first item of business is approval of Minutes
of the January 29th 2016 meeting,
are there any corrections to the Minutes?
Hearing then the Minutes are approved.
And now for a special presentation
for our wonderful National Blue Ribbon Schools,
our Board Secretary, Ruben Cortez,
will be giving the presentation.
Reading the resolution to all of us.
-: Yes, good morning, so we've got a lot of outstanding
schools being represented today
and so that we can properly recognize everybody
we're going to take them in sections.
So if I can get the members.
SBOE members 4, 15, 5, 11, and 14
into the circle with your recipients.
We're going to have to break this down
because we've, 15, yes.
Both, yes.
So, Member Allen, Member Rowley, Member Mercer,
Member Hardy, and Member Malone.
So, we're going to take 'em in sections
and then, at the conclusion,
those members who've not taken photographs
with their honorees,
I understand we're going to be taking a five-minute break
so that we can come out to this side
and take photographs for those of you
that have not taken photographs with your members.
We're going to go through and do them all,
approve the resolution, and then we'll take
a small little break for the photographs.
So having said that I'll begin, Madame Chair.
Whereas the National Blue Ribbon Schools program
recognizes elementary, middle, and high schools,
where students perform at very high levels.
Whereas a National Blue Ribbon School flag overhead
is a mark of excellence in education.
Whereas in 2015 Texas nominated 25 schools
to be recognized for their students' achievement.
And whereas these 25 schools were then named
2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools
by the United States Department of Education.
Therefore be it resolved
that the state Board of Education does hereby extend
its congratulations to Victory Early College High School
in the Aldine Independent School District,
to South Lawn Elementary School
in the Amarillo School District,
to Blackshear Elementary School
in the Austin Independent School District,
to Canyon Intermediate School
in the Canyon Independent School District,
to the Country Place Elementary School
and Kent Elementary School
in the Carrolton-Farmers Branch Independent School District,
and to Crawford Elementary School
in the Crawford Independent School District
for being nominated by Texas and being named
by the United States Department of Education
as National Blue Ribbon Schools.
Congratulations.
(clapping)
If we can get the second group of schools to come on up.
And if we can get members Beltran,
Member Perez, Member Miller, and Member Malone.
I know that on this group we have one school
that is unable to attend,
Lamar Elementary School in El Paso.
They're definitely goingn to be recognized
and I know that Member Dominguez will be doing
a presentation for them back in the El Paso area.
Whereas the National Blue Ribbon Schools program
recognizes elementary, middle, and high schools
where students perform at very high levels.
Whereas a National Blue Ribbon School flag overhead
is a mark of excellence in education.
Whereas in 2015 Texas nominated 25 schools
to be recognized for their students' achievements.
And whereas these 25 schools were then named
2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools
by the United States Department of Education.
Now therefore be it resolved
that the State Board of Education does hereby
extend its congratulations
to Harry Stone Montessori Academy
and Trinidad Garza Early College High School
and Mountain View College
in the Dallas Independent School District,
to Lamar Elementary School
in the El Paso Independent School District,
to Falls City Elementary School
in Falls City Independent School District,
to Kimberlin Academy for Excellence
in the Garland Independent School Districts,
and to Grandview Elementary School
in the Grandview Independent School District
for being nominated by Texas and named
by the United States Department of Education
as National Blue Ribbon Schools.
And also if I can add, with us today we have the namesake
of Trinidad Garza Early College High School
in Mountain View, Mr. Trinidad Garza,
I believe he's out in the audience.
It's not every day we get a namesake joining us.
(clapping)
So thank you, sir, for being here
and congratulations to all of our Blue Ribbon winners.
(clapping)
If I can get Member Mercer, Member Rowley, Member Allen,
and Mrs. Cargill, I don't know if you want to
do Member Ratliff's for him?
Donna: Mr. Rowley's doing,
-: Oh, I'm sorry.
Donna: Mr. Rowley's got him.
-: Mr. Rowley's got it covered.
And I'm supposed to be in the circle also
and I've asked Member Dominguez to handle mine.
White pants.
Whereas the National Blue Ribbon Schools program
recognizes elementary, middle, and high schools
where students perform at very high levels.
Whereas a National Blue Ribbon Schools' flag
is a mark of excellence in education.
Whereas in 2015 Texas nominated 25 schools
to be recognized for their students' achievements.
And whereas these 25 schools were then named
2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools
by the United States Department of Education.
Now, therefore, be it resolved
that the State Board of Education does hereby extend
its congratulations to Harper Middle School
in the Harper Independent School District,
to Highland School
in the Highland Independent School District,
to North Houston Early College High School
in the Houston Independent School District,
to Klondike Independent School District
in the Klondike Independent School District,
to Olmito Elementary School
in the Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District,
and to Malakoff Elementary
in the Malakoff Independent School District
for being nominated by Texas and named
by the United States Department of Education
as National Blue Ribbon Schools.
Congratulations.
(clapping)
If I can get the members for the remaining six campuses
that are being recognized.
Member Dominguez, if you can come in
and cover for mine,
I've got Achieve Early College High School
and South Texas Preparatory.
And then we need Member Ratliff,
Mr. Rowley, will you be covering those as well?
Thank you, sir.
And Member Perez and Member Rowley.
We've got a full load.
Donna: He's busy today.
-: He's busy today.
All right.
Whereas the National Blue Ribbon Schools program
recognizes elementary, middle, and high schools
where students perform at very high levels.
Whereas a National Blue Ribbon School flag overhead
is a mark of excellence in education.
Whereas in 2015 Texas nominated 25 schools
to be recognized for their students' achievements.
And whereas these 25 schools were then named
2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools
by the United States Department of Education.
Now, therefore, be it resolved
that the State Board of Education does hereby extend
its congratulations to Achieve Early College High School
in the McAllen Independent School District,
to Mount Vernon Intermediate School
in the Mount Vernon Independent School District,
to F J Scott Elementary School
in the Roma Independent School District,
to Young Women's Leadership Academy
in the San Antonio Independent School District,
to South Texas Preparatory Academy
in the South Texas Independent School District,
and to Vega Elementary School
in the Vega Independent School District
for being nominated by Texas and being named
by the United States Department of Education
as National Blue Ribbon Schools.
And be it further resolved
that this resolution be presented to the principals
in the aforementioned schools
for being recognized for excellence
throughout National Blue Ribbon School's program,
and that a copy be included in the permanent records
of the State Board of Education.
Witness our signature this 8th day of April, 2016
in Austin, Texas Chair Donna Bahorich,
Secretary Ruben Cortez Jr.
Congratulations, now we can get all the other winners
to please stand and be recognized as well.
Congratulations to all 25 of our Blue Ribbon schools.
Thank you for what you're doing for our students in Texas
and congratulations for representing our state well.
God bless you.
(clapping)
Madame Chair, if we can get a motion
to approve the resolution.
Donna: I think you just made the motion,
you make the motion (chuckles).
-: I move that we approve this resolution.
Donna: Absolutely, so the question is
on the adoption of the resolution,
all those in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
-: The resolution is adopted.
Now were there a few more pictures?
So five minute break.
But I just want to say congratulations so much
to each one of you.
I think what was such a privilege this morning
was to see both the achievement
of our best of the best
and the heart of our best of the best.
We are so, so privileged to be here.
Ms. Beltran, did you want to say something?
-: I did.
We had two schools from the Dallas Independent
School District recognized today.
I haven't had the pleasure of visiting
Harry Stone Montessori
but I am a product of Montessori education
and so I'm looking forward to visiting,
but I did have the honor and privilege
to be principal for a day at Trini Garza
Early College High School in the fall
and was just blown away.
And I just want to acknowledge them again,
they have an entire team here
(chuckles) sitting in the back.
And if you guys are ever in Dallas,
come see them, they are absolutely phenomenal.
They're doing amazing things
and Dr. Lombardy who's also
here is a phenomenal leader and I just wanted
to recognize and acknowledge their hard work.
-: It's been a high privilege today
to get to see each one of you and thank you,
thank you, thank you, for your service to our children.
Couldn't do it without each and every one of you
and we're so, so grateful, just want you to know,
from the bottom of our hearts.
And so let's take that five-minute break
for the finish up the photos, thank you for coming.
Members, I'm going to go ahead, if there are those in the back
who would like to come out.
We're going to start our public testimony part of the day,
and we've got eight testifiers,
or nine testifiers, I believe, this morning.
Voiceover: John Pendergraff
followed by Kimberley Belcher.
John Pendergraff.
Kimberley Belcher.
-: If all the testifiers, it would really be very helpful
if you'll go ahead and bring up your presentations,
the handouts that you want to hand out to us now
so that we're ready to do that and there's no time delay.
That would be very helpful.
So, of all the testifiers, if you will bring your handouts
up now for the staff and then we can kind of
more quickly move through that,
that would be extremely helpful for us.
Is that good, yeah.
I want to make sure you got all of them.
Yeah, okay, so no further handouts
for the board from testifiers?
Thank you.
So I believe John, you're up.
I don't think it's on, John, or is it?
It should light up.
Yeah, there you go.
-: Testing, there we go.
Thank you for allowing me to speak today.
Here once again to talk about math
and the handout will be very helpful 'cause there's,
even the limited subject matter I have,
can't fit it into three minutes.
Comments somebody recently made to me
was our TEKS right now are a mile wide and inch deep,
and my point today is to please urge this committee
to consider reviewing the Math TEKS
before the end of the cycle.
I just don't think we have time to wait.
I brought my daughter with me today here.
As you can see, she's not a guinea pig,
she's a human being
and right now I just noticed something,
she's been doing fractions lately
and I went this morning and last night
all through the K through 8 TEKS,
I cannot find anywhere in the Math TEKS
where it actually says add, subtract,
multiply, and divide fractions,
mixed fractions, improper fractions.
All it's got is K through 8
at various times it says use pictorial models,
find it on a number line. It never says learn fractions.
And an example I brought with today
is a couple of her tests at the back of my packet.
The teachers and the school districts
are taking your TEKS extremely literally.
They are testing exactly to the TEKS,
they are not doing one thing more
than what the TEKS say because like I said,
they're a mile wide.
There is many, many subjects in every grade
and they cover every one of them
and none of them say actually learn to add
one-third and one-fourth, they dunno how to do that.
The denominators don't match, oh God,
what do we do, draw a picture, you know.
It's nowhere, nowhere in K through 8 can I find that,
that's a deficiency I just noticed.
I didn't even really call that out.
Couple things I pointed out on my second page here,
the state law says the board may not adopt rules
that designate methodology,
these TEKS are nothing but methodology.
Draw pictures, use a number line, use a strip diagram.
I think that alone could be legal reason
to open these up for review.
I'd really like this to get on the agenda
so this board could vote on
bringing these up to get them fixed.
Something I've also noticed - K through 8,
there's a ton of financial literacy
and I checked the state law,
somebody said state law requires that.
Yes, it does,
and it requires about two different things,
it does not require five subjects per grade.
K through 5 you could skip a lot of this stuff
and focus in on math and then wait
'til they actually understand decimals and fractions
to start talking about interest rates in loans.
And I actually marked up the 4th grade TEKS
just as an example of things I think should come out,
things that should go in.
Anyway, appreciate it, thank you.
Donna: I think you got, you got time.
-: Oh, okay, I thought that was time.
Donna: That was your first bell,
I'm sorry and I apologize.
-: For a little more in depth of my markups.
So I use the word 'function' to,
if you delete it, it crosses out,
if I added it, it underlined it.
And basically I just tried to get rid
of a lot of the thing about use manipulatives,
draw pictures, draw this, draw that.
And especially in the fractions section,
I added in a lot of stuff.
I remember in 3rd and 4th grade, we did everything
there was to do with fractions, 3rd and 4th grade.
By 5th grade we were kinda done with that.
3rd grade Missouri, little small town mid-Missouri,
we knew everything there was to do about fractions,
we were doing long division in 3rd and 4th grade.
They're just barely touching fractions right now
and I don't see it in 5th grade,
I don't see it in 6th grade,
I don't see it in 7th, I don't see it in 8th.
I'd like to know when the kids
are supposed to master fractions.
One of the things they been trying to do with fractions
lately is unit conversion,
and I give her teacher a lot of credit,
he's tryin' to use dimensional analysis
where if you multiply anything by one it's still one.
If one pound per 2.2 kilograms, that's a unit.
One to one.
And if you know your fractions
and you know how fractions work,
unit conversion's very easy.
When you don't understand that it's very difficult
and they don't know their fractions yet
but they're tryin' to convert units.
Now I guess my time's up, huh?
Donna: Absolutely.
Yeah, and I apologize, John, for not mentioning
it's a three minutes and you'll hear an initial bell
at the two minute time and you'll hear another bell.
So just for future, all the testifiers.
Ms. Cargill.
Ms. Cargill: Hi, John. John: Hello.
Ms. Cargill: Would you have your daughter
introduce herself, I know you did,
but her too, tell us where she goes to school
and how old she is.
-: Tell them about yourself, please.
-: Hi, I'm Katelyn, and I'm in 4th grade
and the math stinks.
(laughing)
Ms. Cargill: And what school?
-: Tell them what school you go to.
-: I go to Williams.
-: Okay, good.
I'm glad you're on a field trip with your dad today.
It's what I would call a very informative field trip.
So, John, thank you for coming back out
and taking off from work and traveling and all that stuff.
I guess my question might be for legal, so Von,
you don't have to answer me now but at some point...
I know we've talked about this before
but I keep getting messages from my constituents,
what is the difference between a process skill
and methodology, and did the law about methodology
come before we first started process skills in the TEKS
or after? Or, that's what I really like to know
is which came first (chuckles).
I've read the law several times
and there's really no definition of methodology
but it does kinda stand to reason
that maybe some of these process skills are method.
But as long as I been on the board
we've had process skills, maybe they've been
in the TEKS longer than the law.
I'm just having trouble figuring out
the difference between them.
-: I haven't done the research as far as the timing
with cross-referencing when that provision came in
compared to the process skills.
What the statute does read is
it provides you the power to adopt rules for implemation
of the subchapter but you may not adopt rules
that designate methodology use by a teacher
or the time spent by a teacher or a student
on a particular task or subject.
You're correct, I have been unable to find
throughout the code a definition of what methodology is.
Case law does not provide a crisp definition either,
so in those instances what you really do
is you turn to, really, a definition
and a kind of relying on common sense in your experts
as you have this dialogue about what is a methodology.
Not being an education expert I would use a prism of,
and I believe this was mentioned a couple days ago,
are you answering the question, 'What?'
or are you answering the question, 'How?'
Ms. Cargill: Right.
-: And if you feel like you're getting too close
to answering the question, 'How?'
you need to dive into a deeper analysis.
Now some things, it's just how you write it.
It's not necessarily that something
couldn't be written that it's a 'What?'
and you just kind of have to curb a little bit
on discussing too much the methodology that,
or the process that you go through in doing that.
But on those questions, I think you really have to rely on
experts which unfortunately it's not a legal expert,
it's more of an educational expert and asking folks that.
And asking yourself what is the line
that the board wants to draw.
In your past discussions there are some things
folks have suggested to put in that you have rejected
as methodology, for instance,
requiring a partnership to be formed
with the Private Security Bureau
to teach a security officer course,
you've rejected that in the past as being methodology.
You've rejected in the past designating time
that a teacher or student should spend
on a subject because someone wanted you to mandate
at least an hour a day of math and science instruction.
So you've rejected that in the past.
Someone had suggested that you provide
additional learning opportunities to quickly earn credits
and prepare for STAAR exam,
and you've rejected that based upon
that being a methodology,
kind of telling teachers how to do their jobs.
You've rejected, and I don't know what this is
but you've rejected putting in authentic tasks?
And I'm not sure what that is, but.
You've rejected explaining how to hold a public official
to their word while it was a standard people had asked,
"Well, how do you do that?"
"How do you teach that?"
And you were, "Well, we're forbidden from telling you
how to do it, that's just the standard."
So, those are from a quick review
trying to go back in the past
how the board had dealt with that,
and unfortunately I can't provide you any greater clarity
except that this is something you all need to struggle with,
what does it mean to be methodology?
And for that you have experts you can rely on
both internal and those here at the agency.
-: So, the board would have the authority
to determine the definition and the difference
as opposed to the attorney general.
Are you saying that we do have that authority to define?
-: Well, you have the duty to implement the law
and that law tells you to not adopt a methodology.
Ms. Cargill: Okay.
-: So you're going to have to struggle with what that means
and what the parameters are.
Ms. Cargill: Okay.
What I would do to help advise you
is when I get a question and it sounds too much like
'how' you do something instead of 'what' you should do,
then you all should have a discussion
and have a clear reasoning why you think
that's not methodology if you were to pursue that.
Ms. Cargill: Clear as mud, right?
Thank you for giving examples, too.
John: TEK 4.3 E, represent and solve
addition and subtraction of fractions, stop.
What it actually says, continuing on,
with equal denominators using objects
and pictorial models that build of the number line
and properties of operations.
If that's not methodology, I don't know what is.
Ms. Cargill: What was the number? Grade four?
-: Grade four dot three, subletter E,
Represent and Solve Addition and Subtraction
of Fractions of Equal Denominators
using objects and pictorial models
that build of the number line
and properties of operations.
It does not say they need to know
how to add and subtract them,
it says they need to use objects and pictorial models,
and that's why her homework and her quizzes
you see in here, she's not asked to add
two fractions to get the right answer.
There's a couple equations that you can pick the one
that has the right answer.
They are not tested if they could add fractions,
they're shown pictures and asked which one's which.
Ms. Cargill: That actually is a good example
of what we're talking about. -: So this is a prime example.
You, nowhere say they have to learn how to add fractions,
you say you have to use pictorial models.
If my boss catches me drawing models
to add fractions, I'm fired.
But this is all you're requiring is them to draw pictures,
you're not requiring them to learn
to add and subtract fractions,
so by putting the methology in here,
you're actually precluding the teacher.
Not precluding it, but like I said,
they don't have time with all these TEKS,
it's a mile wide, they don't have time
to do anything that's not in here.
And what's not in here is actually learn to do fractions.
They draw pictorial models
and put 'em on a number line, that's it.
I mean we have a key thing missing here.
I'm sure when this was written you assumed
that the same stuff that was taught for years
would still be taught and if this was in addition to,
okay, great, but it's being used in addition to
what we all thought kids were going to learn.
Just like the multiplication tables,
yeah it's mentioned once
but when it's one of 52 things they're supposed
to learn in 3rd grade, there's no depth.
There's width but there's no depth in any of these subjects.
Ms. Cargill: All right, thank you, John.
Madame Chair, I think something Von said
we have to struggle through.
I think we do need to address this,
because it's confusing to all of us.
-: Well, it is difficult because the standards should be
what they should know and be able to do.
But then, how far over into the 'how,'
and I think you just have to take it on,
I don't know that there's any clear line
that you could do because you would cut off.
Because obviously helping them in the young grades
to understand the concepts
before they just do rote things with numbers
is something you would want, right?
-: And I don't disagree, but by 4th grade,
she's done drawing pictures to do math.
We didn't draw pictures in 4th grade to do math.
Donna: For fractions though you were specifically.
-: Maybe, but I mean if the teacher--
Donna: Because fractions are a difficult subject.
I think they're hard when kids are young.
-: And I'm sure every good teacher would draw
a circle on the board and cut it in half,
but that's teaching methodology
and that should be left to the teacher
depending on her students or his students
and what they know and don't know.
I mean the teacher's going to do that.
I have no doubt the teacher would use pictorial models
to begin with half, quarter, third.
But by 3rd and 4th grade, I got that,
that shoulda been 1st, 2nd grade.
By 3rd and 4th grade you should be able to
take two fractions with different denominators
or mixed fractions, add, subtract,
multiple, and divide them, and not draw a picture.
I don't disagree, a teacher drawing pictures, that's great,
but you're saying to draw pictures
and that's all you're saying to do,
you're not saying to learn how to do the math.
-: That's where the 'be able to do' versus the 'how,'
it's difficult to figure out what the difference is.
-: But nowhere in the TEK does it say
they have to be able to add fractions.
It says they have to draw a picture,
so we aren't requiring them to know that.
So, we've left out something very important
but we're describing methodology, that's my concern here.
Donna: Monica, could you tell us
because that would be of concern if we didn't have
something very straightforward in that one.
-: Yes, ma'am.
In grade five students are required to add and subtract
positive rational numbers fluently
and then in grade six it's got the multiply and divide.
So those skills do--
Donna: Without further qualifications,
it's just straight.
-: That's the student expectation.
With fluency in grade five.
Donna: In grade five so that would be readiness
at that point and then 6th grade, you said?
-: Is multiply and divide.
Donna: But we don't have anything in the 4th or 3rd--
-: That just says rational numbers,
it doesn't say mixed fractions and fractions.
How would the teacher know that they're supposed to--
Monica: It's the rational numbers.
Donna: Okay.
-: Sorta, kinda almost covers it (chuckles).
Donna: Yeah, absolutely.
Yes, members, did you have any further questions for John?
Yes, Mr. Mercer.
Mr. Mercer: I just know you gave us a packet
of 22 examples, I don't want to hear all 22,
but are there one or two
that you might give us to look at?
-: Well on the last two or three pages here.
Mr. Mercer: The watermelon picture kinda interests me.
-: So, 4.3 E, on top of the page
there's a couple measuring cups
and it gives four equations,
and how did you solve this, Katelyn?
Did you know how to do a mixed fraction,
did you know how to add one and three-eighths
minus five, or subtraction?
-: Nope, I guessed.
-: You guessed.
Right, so she got that right, rah rah.
She's got that TEK mastered.
She guessed, she does not know how to take
one and three-eighths minus five-eighths.
Have they taught you how to convert this
to an improper fraction?
You don't even know what that is, do you?
Right.
I was looking at the fourth from the last page.
It shows a couple measuring cups.
Mr. Mercer: Measuring cups?
-: Right.
These answers aren't necessarily right,
I don't know which ones are right and wrong at this point.
So 4.3 E, this is their subtract, excuse me,
adding and subtracting fractions quiz
and you can see here that,
I mean I don't know there's any one of these
where you by yourself have to actually do the math
and come up with the right answer.
Some of them are multiple choice
where eight-eighths minus seven-eighths equals one-eighth
but everything is a picture and a number line,
a picture and a number line, a picture and a number line.
When I was in 4th grade we had a page full of fractions
to add and subtract and there'd be a couple word problems
at the end but the fact there were 20 or 30 math problems
and three or four word problems,
you had the depth, you had the mastery,
you went through 20 or 30 of them
and then you worked the word problems.
Something Katelyn might want to tell you about later
if she's called up is that,
there's what, seven or eight kids out of your class
of 20 something that the teacher has to keep
reading the problems and explaining to them.
The kids that also have a more difficult time
with English, or reading, or whatever, at comprehension,
the teachers in math is having to take so much time
explaining and reading all the questions to them
that takes away from his time to actually work on the math.
So, if all the homework and all the quizzes and all textbooks,
everything is pictures and words, pictures and words,
they're not really drilling the math itself.
I mean, I'm not opposed to more depth and rigor
but you gotta get the basics first,
and that's where the TEKS kinda slide by that
and we're going right to word problems
without the taking the time to do one-third plus two-thirds
and one-fourth plus three-fourths and all that stuff
that is your basis for knowing how to do this.
And if they don't know a mixed fraction yet
and there's a mixed fraction problem on here,
like I said, she guessed.
She guessed.
And you got it right, lucky you.
This is a fine example of this is what
they're doing for fractions,
you don't see here
just do more of fractions,
you see a bunch of words and a bunch of pictures.
What about the watermelons?
Donna: Is there any other comments?
Yes, Ms. Miller.
Ms. Miller: I guess as I sit here
I don't know about anybody else
but I want to solve a problem, I want to solve this.
-: Thank you.
-: I'm very frustrated to hear this.
Yesterday, we looked at some of the STAAR tests
just to see
their accuracy and so forth.
We were assured that they were very accurate and all that.
I wonder if we could have
someone in the Math Department here,
or the Assessment Department or something,
to respond to this, Chairman,
to get their point of view
or if there's another point of view we need to look
or another rationale why they did this,
and any suggestion on how we can correct it.
-: I do know yesterday I stayed for a long time
and talked to these Assessment staff
trying to understand why isn't there a section
that just is,
in addition to the more complex critical thinking,
Why isn't there just a simple section
that you would go through to prove fluency, basically,
with simple, straightforward math.
I'm kinda speaking for them,
so you're hearing this third-hand, okay (chuckles),
because they're not here right this moment.
What they explained to me when I asked about that
was that the assumption is
that the teachers are teaching this,
and so when you're getting to the state assessment
it's more on the critical thinking side
of them having to use what they've learned
by knowing how to add, subtract,
multiply, divide fractions, as an example,
into more complex problems, basically.
And that's why there's the multiple steps.
-: That's not happening.
There's just no classroom time for that.
Would you agree, this is what you do all day every day?
Stuff that looks like this?
I mean basically they were told
go learn fast facts at home.
When I was in 3rd grade you didn't get outta 3rd grade
'til you got that timed test done in under five minutes.
Here, they took it once or twice, and they're done with it.
I'm sorry but I can tell her one thing,
"Okay, Dad, Okay, Dad."
If your teacher says you gotta pass this test or else,
she's on it.
The schools have more influence than the parents,
unfortunately in a lot of cases.
The school kinda advocated a lot of this to the parents
and I think somebody here testified last time
that she had to help a kid
that didn't know his multiplication,
and once he learned that, all this stuff get a lot easier.
Well, absolutely.
But the TEKS don't really emphasize it.
The TEKS mention it one time out of 52 things,
the teacher's not spending five weeks
at the beginning of the year
poundin' that math into their heads,
they're gettin' right into the measuring cups
and the watermelons
and the strip diagrams and the number lines.
You can call it critical thinking
but it's really pattern recognition,
it's not necessarily math.
Donna: Dr. Dominguez.
Voiceover: Thank you, Madame Chair.
Mr. Pendergraff, thank you for being here.
-: Thank you.
-: But I'm just curious,
I don't know if I heard you say
that you've spoken to your child's teacher
and spoken to your child's principal
and what their responses had been?
Maybe you didn't because of the time factor.
-: Right, and when this started in 3rd grade
they actually had to have a meeting
because there were a lot of irate parents like myself.
And basically they said, it's all good,
give it time, we have to try this,
and then I researched it, and what these TEKS are
is very similar to Common Core,
it's very similar to what has been tried
and failed in California.
There was recently a write-up in the Houston Chronicle
saying that Texas gets an because our passing standards
aren't high enough on our standard tests.
Dr. Dominguez: Excuse me, what about the principal?
-: The principal?
She, the teacher, and the instructional coordinator
were all basically like, we gotta give this time,
this is new, it's difficult for everyone.
They're saying, she was in 3rd grade when it happened
so she didn't get the K, 1, and 2 version of this.
So, the theory was, if you started in Kindergarten
this would all work better for you,
but I've looked back at the TEKS
and I don't agree with that.
But anyway, there was this article saying
Texas gets an F because our standards
for passing aren't high enough.
Well I dug into the article,
it was unfair to give us an F for that.
Our national scores on math are actually quite good.
-: Okay, if I may interrupt.
So, the principal said, "just give it time?"
John: Basically, yes.
-: Okay, thank you for that response.
-: Thank you.
Anyway, when I dug into the data behind these people
saying we got an F, they showed,
we're not as rigorous as the Common Core states
but then they graft the national scores.
For the first time ever
in as long as they were grafting,
they took a dip nationwide.
They took a dip nationwide because of Common Core.
Our TEKS are basically 68% Common Core
according to ESC 1, I believe.
So if our TEKS are 68% Common Core nationwide,
scores are dipping because of Common Core.
Donna: All right, thank you.
-: Thank you.
Voiceover: Kimberley Belcher followed by Lori Heinz.
John: Kim did not make it today, unfortunately.
Voiceover: Lori Heinz followed by Katherine Brief.
Lori Heinz followed by Katherine Brief.
-: You guys ready?
Donna: Yes.
-: I didn't mean to wear flip-flops today,
I just ran out of the house really fast.
Donna: No problem.
(chuckling)
Go ahead, Dr. Hines.
-: So thank you for taking my testimony today.
Since i gave you guys this book
on Wednesday or whatever day that was,
and there's two more chapters here on math, so.
Today, I'm going to review the history of math education
as presented by a brief history of math,
which I gave you last year I think,
so I'm plagiarizing a lot.
So there's nothing new about the disagreements
over the best ways to educate the nation's school children.
In fact, it would be a mistake to think
that the major conflicts in education
as disagreements over the most effective ways to teach.
As early as 1915, and still today,
committees assigned to improve mathematics rarely,
if at all, consist of mathematicians.
In the 1920s, influenced by Kilpatrick,
math was thought to be of little value
for mental discipline, and harmful rather than helpful,
to the kind of thinking necessary for ordinary living.
In response, the 1923 report was published
but was overshadowed by World War I.
The 1930s were no better with the beginning
of we teach children, not subject matter philosophy.
A decade later, World War II started
and many new recruits had to take
remedial math classes provided by the army.
The 1950s brought the first mention of new math,
a collision between skills, instruction, and understanding.
So, that's kind of what we're discussing now.
One one hand, the increased emphasis on math instruction
brought calculus to high school during this time,
but on the other, there were instances in which abstractness
for its own sake, was overemphasized
to the point of absurdity.
Sound familiar?
The open-education movement was all the rage of the 1960s
and, like the Beatles, came from England.
This movement was based on the theory
that children must decide completely what they would learn.
Kind of like in our lower grades
where they're kind of taught to
create math by themselves.
Tried for four years in a row
in a low-income school in California,
the entire student body was illiterate
and student-centered mathematics program was in shambles.
Attached is the forward, Johnny Can't Add on the New Math
of the 1960s, another failure of reform math.
And I actually found this on Amazon,
it's Why Johnny Can't Add: The Failure of New Math.
This is the book.
And there's actually, it was printed in 1973
and there's an entire chapter on rigor (laughs).
I want to ban the word rigor (chuckles).
So anyways, I implore you, I beg you
to seek an attorney general opinion
on whether the current TEKS are in violation
of TEC chapter 28, section 28.002.
So in California in the 1990s
when they put in their new math,
they actually didn't wait for the new round
to update their math standards.
They knew it was a failure,
and they went to whatever process and redid their math
before they had several generations of math illiterates.
I think we can do that in Texas,
we're better than California, even though I'm from there.
I can say that Texas is better.
-: Any questions?
Thank you, Laurie, appreciate it.
Voiceover: Kathleen Brief
followed by Katelyn Pendergraff.
-: Hello.
I represent a group of students out of Bryan
at College Station, and we came together
and tried to think about what the issues are
that are holding back students from getting into college
and succeeding in college.
And we came up with three different
flaws we believe are in the system.
We believe that classrooms are not conducive to learning.
We believe that students aren't properly retaining
the information they learn in class
and that the State exams and curriculum
aren't meeting college expectations.
We know for a fact that the Southern Regional
Education Board's rapport beyond the rhetoric.
They claim that 60% of college freshman
are not ready for post-secondary education
and that 75% of students enrolled at community college
are taking remedial courses.
And so we were wondering why,
why is this a fact that's come up?
And we thought that the issue was
that classroom sizes are currently not limited,
there's no maximum from middle school and high school.
In Kindergarten through the 4th grade
there's a maximum class size of 22
and schools can have waivers or whatever if they need to,
but in middle school and high school
where you learn most of the skills in math
and language that need for applying into college,
there's no maximum size and this could harm
especially lower-income and minority students.
Considering that we've looked at some of the reports
from the Tennessee's Project STAR
and they say that the minority students
and the lower-income students benefit greatly
in math and language arts.
And we think that honestly
making some kind of incentive
to lower the class sizes again might help students
from areas that don't do so well
and don't have a higher college readiness level.
Sorry.
Donna: You're doing great.
Keep going.
-: As for our second point, we think that students
aren't retaining information they learn in classes.
We think that the issue mostly stems from the fact
that our school year is 180 days
which is about half of the year, but a lot of that time
that we get off is in the summer.
Most high school students and middle school students
and elementary school students have a large gap
in the summer break where a lot of that information
that they've learned sort of just fades from their mind.
We have the issues of how do you retain that information.
When there was the National Summer Learning Association
interviewed 500 teachers
and 24% claimed that they had to review over things
they should've remembered in the previous grade.
They had to review for about five to six weeks
and two-thirds said that they needed three to four.
Donna: You can wrap it up with your punchline.
Let's make sure we get your bottom line there,
we don't miss anything.
-: All right.
Donna: Since we don't have a handout.
-: We also think that, the third point was that
state exams should follow more of the guidelines
of the SAT and ACT or at least provide curriculum
that prepares students to take those kinds of SAT
and entrance exams because students aren't prepared
sides of specialized seminars or classes
the high schools might give out before the exams are taken.
There's just not any in the class
that prepare for students to take these kinds of exams.
-: Remind us exactly, because I'm not familiar
with your group here or what this is exactly.
Texas EduCorp, could you?
Katherine: We just started up this spring.
-: Oh, okay.
And who are you exactly?
Katherine: I'm Katherine Brief.
-: Not you, but I mean the group,
the Texas EduCorp, like what is that exactly?
You said college students so that's how
I want to make sure we understood.
-: We formed this spring, and it's got students
from a local community college, Blinn.
We have dual-credit students from Hearne School
in Bryan and Brazos County.
And we have A&M students as well.
And we're trying to understand more local government
and to understand how to improve test scores and everything.
One of the issues that came up is
that we noticed people not being prepared for high school
and college, sorry, got this mixed up.
Is that we do have dual-credit students
and they were the ones who kinda came up to us
and then were saying we're noticing these issues,
and so the college students.
-: So you guys just formed a group amongst yourselves
of concerned students, basically.
-: We noticed that there's not any real interest groups
for students at all in government,
and so we're trying to form something that--
-: That's pretty cool.
That's pretty neat, I'm pretty impressed actually.
I want to make sure that you give your contact information
to Ms. Terry here at the end, if you don't mind,
because we've been working and traveling around the state
to gather input for the commission
that Ms. Beltran is serving on
on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability.
And Ms. Beltran, you might want to go ahead.
-: Yeah, Katherine,
I just want to thank you for your leadership
on behalf of so many kids across the state.
I was jotting down notes and what you're saying
it really is spot-on.
We see the data in our own communities,
we see it across the state,
there are definitely challenges with kids
being prepared for college-level work.
I wanted to also mention that
the commission we have a Texas Commission
on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability.
We have a meeting coming up April 20th
and we'll be taking public testimony.
I think it would another opportunity if you have time,
or someone in your group, to talk specifically
about the challenges you all see
with the standardized testing,
our systems of accountability.
So, I just wanted to extend that invitation to you as well.
-: That would be terrific, so let's make sure,
we'll get you hooked up with that.
Mr. Maynard, and then Mr. Mercer.
Ms. Hardy, did you have your hand up?
Voiceover: I did not.
-: Oh, okay.
-: Thank you Madame Chairman, and Katherine
let me just congratulate you and your group, first of all
because, when we think about public education,
and we think about that in terms
of it being a real partnership with the State
and with community, the community's stakeholders,
I think that that's been a real struggle
for everybody around this circle
in terms of really trying to get local stakeholders
to engage and to reflect and begin to have
these kinds of discussions.
But I would just tell you,
or maybe I should ask is that
as you move forward, conceptually with this group
and some of the discussions that you're having,
have you thought really about maybe having
some sort of maybe a leadership conference here in Austin
where you have an opportunity to interact
with some of the policymakers
and staff and things like that.
And that way that you have a direct interface
with what's happening here from this standpoint.
Because a lot of times I think
that there's a lot of things that we can do here in Austin
but there's an assumption that
there's a level of execution at the local level,
and trying to say how do we connect those things together?
How do we improve execution?
How do we improve best practices?
But is that something that maybe moving forward
that you all thought about, maybe,
and spending some time here and having that interface?
-: I do know that one of my fellow members,
she's on multiple groups,
she's on another group called VOICE
and they're actually working together
to become a nonprofit, like I think it was fourth.
They can collect in stuff and research
and form an organization that was student-based as well
but it was more for, she had an accident in the car,
her car got hit in the parking lot,
and she wanted to make sure that that was just a local thing
like why students aren't being represented
and getting more
cameras out and stuff like that.
So, I mean, she's actually more organized on that group
than our group, unfortunately,
because education is a very big thing for us to tackle.
But I do think that it would be nice for us to get
not only more students involved in different campuses
but to have a sort of centralized program as well.
Yeah, I think that I would like to see more of us--
Donna: Absolutely.
-: Just drop me an email or call me
or something like that
and I have a little experience
with those types of things
and so would be happy to visit with you about that.
-: Mr. Maynard is the FFA executive director?
And so he's very used to organizing students
(laughs) and helping them with that kind of work
and to learn those skills.
Mr. Mercer.
-: Thank you, Katherine, for being here.
Just had two questions, one about the math
and one about the retention.
Oh, members, I forgot to mention, too,
Mr. Ratliff and Mr. Bradley are gone, but before they left
they verbally gave their proxy to vote for them.
(laughing)
And it's going to be great,
it's going to be so big, so huge,
that's someone else, I'm sorry.
Katherine, I have a coffee once a month
with some professors at the junior college
and hearing the things we had about handwriting
and papers and on mathematics,
and again, I've heard it before where 50%
of all college kids overall
who wind up going to a junior college program.
That's why the junior college has 70%,
are taking a semester or a year,
I always call it, 'remedial,'
I know it's not the political correct term anymore,
but a semester a year remedial math,
reading, English, whatever.
And the result is, because my question of how many
of those graduates, like 3 to 4%
may finally obtain a degree.
So that's very concerning if you take a semester or year
of classes that do not count
the chance of you not going further.
But you're hearing those same numbers, I guess.
Katherine: Mm-hmm.
-: In your group?
-: I did notice, I didn't have a specific number
but very few did go on to complete a degree
and I think that the issue is that
once you're taking these remedial classes,
how do you really compete and make sure that you're going to
keep going forward whenever you're so far behind already.
-: Well, my college professors are complaining
about the kids are bringing exams, I'll use their example,
they don't seem to be studying for the exam,
they walk in and they want a do-over.
Have you heard that topic?
You take a test, you get a 60, whatever,
and you want a do-over, are you familiar with that concept?
-: I haven't had any do-overs be even a possibility
where in A&M classes that I'm in.
Donna: I imagine you don't get many 60s.
(laughing)
-: Well the concept was that the kids are saying
okay, I got a 60 but where's my do-over
and do-over means you get the test back
and you figure out whatever you missed
and you answer them right and
now you get an 80 all of a sudden.
This is college, it doesn't happen.
-: That's specifically high school and middle school thing
where you're supposed to learn
from your mistakes at that point.
But in college you're supposed to
do that on your own,
get your study buddies together and make your own test
out of questions from the book, et cetera.
I don't expect colleges to become more like high school.
I expect high schools to just make sure
that students are aware of how to properly study.
Maybe even just getting some high school courses
to say you need to learn how to make notes properly.
You need to learn how to organize your time properly.
-: By the way we have note taking
as one of the specific things we have
in English language arts team that I'm pushing
to put back in as being more,
unrelated to your, because you mentioned note taking.
What they're saying is, and you tell me if you heard this,
they're saying we got kids that show up,
they've had high school calculus
and they walk in to the college
and they cannot pass the college algebra exam.
Have you heard those examples before?
Katherine: I'm sorry, I couldn't--
-: They've had students who walk in on college saying
they take what's called,
we used to call it the ACCUPLACER,
Katherine: Mm-hmm.
-: And to place them in math
and they cannot pass the basic pre-algebra algebra test
and yet it shows in their transcript
they've had high school calculus.
Have you seen that before happen?
-: I haven't really looked too much
into the AccuScore averages or anything like that.
I do know that it's a big,
you have to take them in order to get
to any major university in Texas, really.
I've seen issues where students have actually
chosen a lower score in order to get into an easier class
because they not sure if they'll be able
to handle a college-level calculus.
But I do know that it also might just be a retention thing,
it might be the fact that they just don't think that,
you know, this is just one test, whatever.
Students have been known to be lackadaisical
in some methods.
(Donna laughing)
Mr. Mercer: Thank you, Katherine.
Donna: Absolutely.
Mr. Mercer: I look forward to hearing
what you have to share in the future, too.
I would ask you to ask your group about,
I want to hear, not now, but in the future,
talk to them about handwriting.
What they've seen about handwriting
because we had experts yesterday who talked about,
especially in the second language,
how important handwriting was
because you mentioned about retaining knowledge.
And they said that people who did handwriting
and kept doing it through later,
especially second-language learners,
English-language learners, could retain more.
I'm catching you off guard on that
but maybe in the future I'd like to see some feedback
from your group what do they hearing about handwriting,
the importance of that or, maybe,
the lack of importance of that,
I would be interested in that in the future, please.
Donna: Thank you so much, we really appreciate
your coming today and we're glad to know about you.
It was really great of you coming, you did a great job,
and so make sure you give us your information.
Thank you.
Voiceover: Katelyn Pendergraff
followed by Randy Houchins.
-: Yes, yes, Ms. Perez.
Voiceover: I just wanted to ask the board
to please keep Lackland ISD in your prayers.
I caught word this morning that there was
and active shooter on the base and so--
Donna: Oh my goodness.
-: I don't know if they've been able
to maintain or catch whoever's been shooting.
(exhale) Sorry, I'm running.
But Lackland ISD is on lockdown as is the rest of the base.
Gail Siller superintendent of the district was here,
I'm not sure if she's still here,
she may have had to go back.
Just if the board would please keep the district
in your prayers and the families
of all of the students that are there.
Donna: Thank you for letting us know.
We put that out to the members that are listening in.
Mr. Mercer: They've already announced that two
have been killed already.
Donna: Ooh.
Voiceover: We need a tremendous prayer for Lackland.
-: On the base the campus is on lockdown
so it's on a separate part of the base, thank God, but.
Donna: Wow, so Lord be them, my goodness.
Okay, Katelyn.
-: Hi, my name is Katelyn.
I'm in 4th grade, and ever since last year in 3rd grade
the math has been really confusing,
and it's not even about getting the answer
as much as just simply drawing pictures
and number lines and other stuff like that.
They don't even want you to get the answer.
And if they're not making you draw pictures
they're making you figure out which formula
to use to get the answer.
Lately, they've been having kids sit down on the floor
and have the teacher read it to them
because they aren't super-good in English,
and reading and math.
So it's like, okay, if you want to teach us word problems
in math then you need to get down to the fast facts
then you can try teaching us word problems.
So, I don't really understand that.
I mean they just give us this math
that is in a book where there's some 500 some odd pages
filled with pre-algebra that 4th graders shouldn't be doing.
They never just covered the TEKS that we need to learn.
Like sometimes I'm doing elapsed time
or something like that and it will say
to draw a number line and then I'm like the last one done
because I have to draw all my pretty pictures
and stuff like that, and that's annoying.
I mean, the questions are dumb, too.
Sometimes they will ask, "here are the ages
of the people that come into the library
from six o'clock to eight o'clock." Who cares?
And, one time we were doing multiplication
and the multiplication was of boxes and windows
and then you have to multiply this and this.
I mean the math simply teaches us nothing,
they don't even teach us math, it's reading comprehension.
Because in the questions they have stuff in there
that they don't want you to actually use.
They're like, 'find the information that you don't need.'
It's like, well okay, we're not trying
to figure out what we don't want,
we're trying to figure out what we do want.
If you want to get the right answer then stop making us
figure out which answer to not get.
Which answer is the incorrect answer?
Donna: You have one more minute.
-: Some of the questions you literally have to go
backwards in the question and you have to read it
like five times and it's like - what the heck? -
this is what 8th graders should be doing, not 4th graders.
I used to like math, and now I think
it's confusing and boring ever since last year
because they're now doing Common Core.
My two questions are: Why is there Common Core?
and How do we get rid of it?
And we're also filling in, like instead of just
writing down the answer we have multiple choice answers,
so you literally have a one-in-a-four chance
of getting the answer right.
You just choose your answer, and you can simply guess
because that's what you have to do
for almost all of them is just guess.
And then they just look at your paper
and they can't help you, and they can't go back
and actually look at your paper and help you.
Donna: You can give us your last thought.
What you want to leave us with, Katelyn?
-: Why do we have Common Core, and how do we get rid of it?
Donna: Okay (chuckles), good summary statement.
(laughing) (clapping)
Okay, terrific.
Anybody have any questions?
Katelyn, thank you.
Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Maynard had something to say.
Mr. Maynard: Katelyn,
How old are you, and what grade are you in?
Katelyn: I am 10 years old and I'm in 4th grade.
Mr. Maynard: 4th grade, thank you.
-: Great job on your presentation there.
You really did, you did a good job walking through.
You did a lot less hesitations that I would've.
(chuckles) I wouldn't of gotten up there
at ten years old, I don't think.
Thank you so much.
-: Randy Houchins followed by Sherryl Gray
Randy Houchins, Sherryl Gray.
Voiceover: Now, how do I follow that?
-: Yeah, that's pretty hard, Randy.
-: All right, I didn't really prepare anything today,
but I've got a handout for you all.
I think you all know me, I've been here enough times.
I'm Randy Houchins, and I've got two kids in middle school.
(drowned out by background noise)
What's that?
Voiceover: You're not going to shave
until Common Core's gone.
-: That's right, I'm not shaving
untill Common Core is gone.
That's why I've grown the beard.
And I'm tryin' to figure out how to make my YouTube channel
a nonprofit so I can benefit from that.
YouTube channel is ROTTEN, Republic of Texas
Tackling Education Nonsense,
so I post all my videos there (chuckles).
And I'll post Katelyn's as well.
Katelyn, thank you for your testimony, that was great.
So, in November I gave you all examples
from these STAAR tests, grades 3 through 8.
I didn't tie the wording in the TEKS
to what creates the need for the question,
so today's handout actually ties the questions
to the actual wording in the TEKS that creates the issue.
That's what I wanted you to look at today.
You heard from teachers in Wimberley earlier this week,
Jamie Thibodeaux.
This is not a assessment issue,
this is actually a standards issue.
The questions that we see in the STAAR test
are because of the wording in the TEKS.
So, we really want you all to take a look
at the wording in the TEKS and what we need to do
to correct that so that we don't see these problems.
One of the best examples of,
trying to find it here,
on page 11 of my handout
is testing TEK 3.4 K.
In the content standard itself, it calls for
solve one-step and two-step problems
involving multiplication and division with a hundred
using strategies based on objects, pictorial models,
including arrays, area models, equal groups,
properties of operation, and recall of facts.
That's seven different methods that have to be tested.
So, that's what creates some of this issue.
The teachers have to teach all of these methods
because they don't know which one's going to be tested.
We've heard from some of the math experts that say
they intentionally put this wording in the TEKS
so that it would be taught,
they knew if they put it in the TEKS it would be tested,
and if it was tested, it would be taught.
We really need to get this reform math out of the TEKS.
I truly believe that the TEKS are in violation of Statute
Chapter 28, Section 002 I,
we shouldn't be teaching methodology.
These methods that are in the TEKS,
they're methodology,
you're dictating methodology that needs to be taught.
It's clear from these examples,
it's showing up on the assessments.
This is a 65-page document, these are just what I found,
and there could be more
because the 2015 questions, we didn't get all of them.
This is just the samples they released.
So, anyway, I thank you for your time.
I hope you all get a chance to review the packet.
-: Randy, once again, lot of detail.
We really appreciate you providing us examples
instead of just coming and talking.
It really helps us to visualize what's going on.
And then yesterday we had an opportunity
as members to go up and actually look at the exams
that have not been released
so we can kind of see, now that we've seen several examples
of issues that we could actually go through,
so that was a good opportunity
for the board members as well, yesterday.
Randy: I'm looking forward to reviewing
those tests as well (chuckles).
-: Yeah, I think the next release is August, I think?
I think August is going to be
the most current one,
it'll be released in August, I believe.
So, you'll have to look for it then.
(Randy chuckles)
Oh, yes, Mr. Allen.
-: Randy, how you doing?
I was speaking with you earlier,
you talked about something and I talked to you about
maybe some simple things that occur.
You say that maybe some removal of some of this language
or replacing of some of this language,
so if you had the magic wand and these things
that you've highlighted were removed,
what do you think would then happen
with the curriculum as it pertains
to the standard zone for our children?
-: Well, I think we're moving,
we heard talk of removing the such as statements
from the TEKS and I'm not so sure that
that will solve all of the problem.
But removing wordings that says "represent,"
that's what creates the drawing the pictures
that Katelyn talked about.
When you just have to represent
a function dealing with fractions, they draw pictures.
They're not actually asking them to solve or calculate.
Being very particular in the wording,
removing that 'represent,' and it shows up quiet a bit,
most of the problems I've highlighted here
are because of the wording of 'represent.'
Here, 3.5 says represent one and two-step problems
involving addition and subtraction of whole numbers.
That's what creates the need for pictures
and not actual calculation.
To me, if the student has to actually calculate
and come up with a solution,
it demonstrates understanding of the concept.
Drawing a picture doesn't really mean
that they understand how to actually perform
the calculation, and that's part of the problem that we see.
You've got students who can recognize models and pictures
but they can't actually do the math.
You hear the people are turning up in college
not prepared for the college work
and it's because of this.
It's because they're not getting the foundation they need.
This battle of conceptual understanding
versus knowledge and skills
has been going on for a long time.
I recommend two articles in my summary here at the front.
Dr. H. Wu's Bogus Dichotomy,
Basic Skills versus Conceptual Understanding,
that's a great article.
Another one is, Dr. Hines mentioned,
A Brief History of Mathematics.
The battle of which way to teach kids
has been going on for a hundred years.
It's not something new.
Common Core isn't new,
these reform math methods have been tried.
And there's no evidence that they have ever worked.
That's why we get so frustrated.
As professionals who deal with math every day
we have lots of evidence that says
this method does not work, it fails students
every time it's been tried.
And, why are we doing it again?
Donna: Mr. Rowley.
-: Yes, Madame Chair,
I thank you, Mr. Houchins, for coming.
Dr. Hines and Mr. Pendergraff and others.
I'm ready to hear and to study
and to look at this issue, officially.
Every time these folks have come
and they appreciate it very much,
but I guess I'm enough of a lawyer
that I want to hear the other side (chuckles), you know.
And I don't ever hear anybody stepping up
and defending these standards.
I wasn't on the board, by the way, at the time that they were,
(chuckles) make that clear.
Not that I'm throwing my colleagues under the bus,
but I wasn't here.
(Donna laughs)
Donna: Except for you just did (laughing).
-: I'm sorry, I don't mean that.
Donna: I'm sorry (chuckles).
-: I know, that's okay.
But it may be that they're the best standards in the country
but I never hear the other side, I never hear it defended.
So I guess, I don't know if I need
to officially request an agenda item?
If so, I guess I am,
because I would like to look at this issue
in something other than the context
of having testifiers come and point out,
which they have very adequately, competently done,
the various issues that exist within these standards.
Do you agree, Mr. Houchins?
I have a question for Mr. Houchins, do you agree with that?
-: I do agree.
I tried to give you all an out,
saying you're in violation of Statute
Chapter 28, Section 002 I,
that gives you a reason to reopen these.
Because I do believe we're teaching methodology,
or we're dictating methodology in these standards.
Donna: Ms. Perez.
-: Thank you, Madame Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Houchins, for coming and to Dr. Hines.
I have to agree with Mr. Rowley,
I would like the opportunity to hear from other individuals.
I appreciate the time that you all take
to come up here and to testify,
I know that you're very passionate
about what you see going on.
But I do have to say, over the last several meetings,
I've never had representation from my district
with these concerns.
I've never heard from parents, I haven't heard from teachers
and although the math standards, we understand,
you know, are challenging, they're not perfect.
I would very much like to hear and give other districts
an opportunity to come and represent
because it's just a little baffling to me
that I haven't heard from my district
when I represent 1.5 million
and that there haven't been individuals
that have come up to testify.
If we can have just a fair understanding of what's going on,
I would appreciate that.
-: I will get some people that have reached out to me
on Facebook to address you.
We're not all 50 miles from the capital
as you stated in previous times
I've been up here to testify.
As you see, Mr. Pendergraff came from Houston.
There's quite a few that will reach out to you.
-: So it seems that perhaps the question could be,
perhaps, that we might put an agenda item.
Ms. Martinez, you can correct me if I'm wrong,
that might have to do with whether we should
streamline the math standards that we've got.
That perhaps that's the approach that we look at this.
Voiceover: If you wanted to have such a discussion item
you certainly could post that at a future meeting.
-: Dr. Dominguez.
-: One of the things that crosses my mind all the time,
number one, it's the same folks.
And then number two is that where are the educators
that wrote these standards on the review team?
Have we ever approached them, do we ever?
Have we ever made it a point?
I don't think--
Donna: We've never done invited testimony
about it, that's true.
Ms. Perez: Invited -- Madame Chair.
Donna: Invited, oh, oh,
on the instruction committee, that's true.
-: It's the same, it's the same.
It's not, I mean, on the review teams,
how many people do we bring in by grade level and so forth?
So, that's my question.
-: So you have had some representatives
from the review committees come in and provide testimony
in the committee on instruction.
-: Yeah, I'd forgotten.
Because I went to one of those hearings. I remembered, yeah.
That's true, but that was really
at the early stages, honestly.
For me, this was newly introduced at that point for me.
So, now we've had a lot more information
is what I'm trying to say.
And Ms. Beltran.
-: Thank you, Madame Chair,
and thank you, Randy, for your extensive research
and commentary, and others who have testified,
and for your passion on this work.
I would just want to echo (chuckles) what has been mentioned
in the past, these are standards that this board approved.
I also always kinda find that striking that,
if so many people are so unsatisfied,
and this is the same body that approved it,
it's a little bit confusing to me.
But Madame Chair,
I don't want to recommend that we move
directly to streamlining,
because I don't know that there's consensus
that that's the answer to the question.
So, I would hesitate this board to move so quickly
to streamlining if we haven't necessarily
identified that that's the issue.
And in my kind of thinking about this,
I think that perhaps some of the confusion,
and I've actually talked to the Commissioner
about this just yesterday,
is the process standards, and I happen
to believe that they're helpful.
I think perhaps some of the confusion
is that teachers feel like they have to teach
every single one of the process standards
for every single one of the standards.
Donna: So it multiplies, yeah.
-: Yeah, there's disconnect there in terms of,
again, we've had conversations about
what this looks like in terms of implementation.
Again, my recommendation as we walk out of here
is not to say let's go streamline these
because I don't think that's where we are.
I think it's more about having a conversation.
How did these standards get created?
What was the thought process behind it?
And then moving on from there.
Donna: Yeah, I think what I would say
is the agenda item ought to be more round...
you might've had a question for Randy,
he's just standing up there, so (chuckles).
-: I wanted to comment on what she just said.
Ms. Beltran, I encourage you to read the handout I gave you.
I'm not saying it's just the process standards.
In every single one of these examples I've given
it's tied to wording in the content standard
that creates the issue of representations,
pictorial models, objects, number lines,
and not actual calculations.
I don't want to give the impression
that it's just the process standards.
-: Right, we got that.
Thank you, Randy, we really appreciate it.
I guess the agenda item I would envision
is that should we revisit the streamline,
not that we will, it more of a 'should we.'
I'm up to the members as to what
you would like to put on the agenda with that.
I dont know where, Monica.
I want to make sure a 'should we' could be put in,
could that be put correctly?
It could be?
Okay, great.
Shelly's representin' over there.
Okay, Mr. Mercer.
-: I want to support my friend from Amarillo who said,
we definitely need to at least discuss it,
at least look at it and see what's going on,
But I want to caution the board
because we have our own process.
If we decide this is not an agenda item to streamline,
but our own standards say streamlining
is not a rewrite, not a revision,
in fact, we even say in there
we use the foundation document
which the current standards and nothing will be added.
So, if we decide that in the future
that we're going to go streamline math,
and again, Madame Chair properly mentioned,
this is not a agenda item to streamline,
there's discuss it should we look at that.
But I would caution the board this time strongly
that if we look at it, it's not a rewrite or revision.
Our own standards say that a streamlining,
we take the current document which is our foundation
and nothing's added, just streamlined.
Thank you.
-: Right.
Mr. Maynard.
-: I think I understand how Ben Carson feels now
when I get in the debate like,
had my hand up a long time.
(laughing)
Donna: Mr. Maynard, I been totally neglecting you
this meeting, I really apologize (laughs).
-: It's getting a little personal here like that.
(Donna laughing)
Randy: I wore a tie, too... just so--
-: I know, I know.
Donna: You need to put a red cloth in the front
of your computer or something so that I can--
-: I do, I do.
I'm just going to make a comment,
and Randy is a constituent of mine.
I've had a number of conversations
and I think, though, that,
and while this board did adopt these
is that I think that this board also needs
to understand, too, is that when,
when policy or rules, or whatever we do,
have unintended consequences,
that the board should have the courage
to at least have the conversation and to examine
that while the intent of a particular language of a rule
was as such, how that is executed
when it actually goes out there in that environment.
And the environment of a standardized testing
and in all of those different moving parts
that are out there, this board should have the courage
to at least have an honest discussion
about those unintended consequences.
And I would support that and Randy,
thank you for coming down.
Donna: Yes, Mr. Rowley.
-: I was being a little bit tongue-in-cheek, by the way,
whenever I mention that I wasn't on the board at the time,
and I do wanna apologize to my colleagues.
I have been supportive of these standards
and I'm sure had I been on the board
that I would've certainly listened to the experts
that you all did and made a similar decision.
Just wanna let you all know that (chuckles).
I feel bad about that; I was a little bit tongue-in-cheek.
But having said that, I still want to reiterate,
as sounds like my colleagues as well,
that I think it's certainly worth a discussion
and the conversation needs to take place.
Because, again, I'd like to hear both sides of the issue,
and I don't know that we've heard that.
Donna: Yeah, Ms. Perez.
Ms. Perez: And Madame Chair, if we do make this
an agenda item, I'd really like to request
that a formal invitation be sent to the members
that were part of the review process.
-: I think that's really important
because that'll help walk us through,
especially for those of us who weren't on the board,
exactly the rationale and thinking through.
Yes, Dr. Dominguez.
Dr. Ming, put that on there.
Dr. Dominguez: For some folks coming to Austin
is within a day, they can come in in two hours,
three hours, but those that are from far aways--
-: Let's prioritize and make sure we've got them
at the front so that they can get,
or whenever the timing works out.
-: Once again, we could go to Skype
for some of these folks who I don't know what all--
Donna: Is that allowed for us to do that?
I'm not sure if what's allowed.
-: Or, do we have funds to bring them in as well?
Monica: We don't have funds.
We're trying to scrape every penny that we can
to continue your English Language Arts
and Spanish Language Arts and reading work moving forward.
We don't have the travel funds right now
to try to bring those folks in.
We can certainly try to explore the--
Donna: The Skype.
-: The remote participation.
But the other thing is that there's nothing
that would preclude those individuals
from sending in written testimony.
They can send in written testimony in advance
and provide that to all you
and that has been, often times, a way that
individuals who cannot be at a meeting
can still provide the information
that they'd like to provide,
so that would be another option.
Mr. Rowley: And I'd prefer that.
-: Yeah, and while that's true,
When they're standing here, it makes more of an impact.
Donna: Yeah, it does.
-: And so no one can deny that piece.
Donna: Yeah, that's true.
Ms. Cargill: May I ask for clarification?
Donna: Yes, Ms. Cargill.
-: Do you mean Skyping the six or seven experts
or do you mean all the review panel members?
-: Just some representatives, I think's what you were--
-: Representatives who may want to
but don't have the funds
or the means or the time. Donna: Review committee.
-: The review committees, yeah, to come here.
Ms. Cargill: I mean there are probably
a hundred and something review panel members.
We just have to careful of presedent.
-: That's correct.
Ms. Cargill: But the public doesn't think
that all people who can't come can Skype with us,
or that's why I was asking for the clarification.
Donna: Well, that's true because we do
have to be a little careful.
-: And so definitely we're setting the presedent
just by revisiting or bringing it as a discussion item.
So we're going to do that,
then everybody that was there should have
an opportunity to be invited to at least participate.
So, we need to think about that.
-: Yes, Ms. Miller.
Ms. Miller: I agree with Martha and Tom
and so forth, and Barbara,
and granted, I wasn't here either, Marty,
but the thing is is these parents and children
have come to us, and this is about children, you all.
This isn't about politics, it's about our children,
and their future and their learning.
And it just breaks my heart to realize that maybe
that little 4th grader missed out
on something wonderful at 3rd grade.
What I want us to show the people that we represent,
that we have a heart, and we're listening,
we're not ignoring you, okay?
I think the worse thing in the world
is, 'thank you very much, bye.' Okay?
Turn your paper in, then we go on down the road.
And I think that's what I'm hearing Martha kind of indicate.
We need to respond and we need to do what we can,
as Marty has brought up,
and I applaud you, Marty, for going there
and doing whatever we need to do.
And Chairman, not a please. Donna: Absolutely.
I think we're in general agreement here
that it is time to revisit whether we should be streamlining
and that's general consensus here.
I will just warn you, that July meeting
is going to be (chuckles) a really long meeting
if we put it in July.
So we may want to do that in July
but I will just tell you because we've got
the English language Arts reading,
that will be after our final review.
And there was something else that's really big
in July, and I was trying to think what,
the science, will be discussing the science?
Sorry, the Proclamation 2017,
I can't remember.
I know, this is way ahead of the agenda, so.
Randy, you don't need to stand there.
(laughs) I'm sorry, I thought I'd kind of -
told you to go ahead, so thank you very much.
-: I can't off the top of my head
think of what else we would have.
I think some of it's going to depend on
whether it's further discussion of the standards
in July or first reading.
If it's first reading then we would, I believe,
have an item related to the Proclamation,
but if it continues to be discussion
then it wouldn't yet be time to discuss the Proclamation.
So, I think there's still a few decisions
that need to be made before we have a good sense
of what you have to have on your agenda.
-: Members, if you'll allow me the opportunity to visit
with staff about what's going to be on the July agenda.
Kind of looking ahead, and the timing of when we do this,
because even if we agreed that, yes, it's time to streamline,
it would be down the road, correct?
Because we've already got science scheduled,
social studies, so it's not like it's super,
we have to get this done right this second.
Because we've already got streamlining scheduled.
I don't think it's going to make a difference
in the actual execution, should we decide to move forward
if we had it on the agenda to have that discussion,
not necessarily in July but maybe September.
Yes, Mr. Rowley.
Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Allen.
Mr. Allen: I was just trying to put on the table
a possible workshop, an opportunity to have
some development and understanding for the board.
When we're talking about things historical
it's not necessarily a item for the agenda
but a time for workshop.
-: That's a great idea, actually.
I would rather do it in that format.
Voiceover: What's the difference,
how would you define the difference?
-: So workshop's usually around,
could be around a meeting or a separate meeting.
-: In this case, because I was sitting here
and I understand that when we were facing
the approval of these standards we all came
unanimously believing they were the best standards
in the United States at that time.
Donna: Right, right.
-: What the questions are coming up now
is historical in nature and so that means
there needs to be some understanding of what took place,
why, and the processes,
and I think that's more of a workshop
versus coming and having the expectation
of a discussion item and somebody wants you
to move to an action item.
And I think what we need is some clarification
and some professional development around the subject first
before we go forward in terms
of giving some hope that we're getting ready
to make amazing change overnight.
Donna: I would be in complete agreement with that.
Ms. Hardy.
-: I would agree with that, too, because I think that
even at this point a lot of people,
I was there when they were doing this,
and they would've like to have had
another time, another meeting,
and we just ran out of time, we rushed them at the end.
And one of the things I've heard them say
in retrospect the would like to do, da-dah da-dah da-dah.
That's the math people.
But, I think it's very important that we don't put math
in front of social studies and in science,
that it gets in the lineup with everything else.
-: Yeah, that's why I'm saying,
if you'll give me some flexibility to schedule that timing,
and I think the workshop is a better idea
around a board meeting, like an extra day,
we'll come just for the workshop,
around a board meeting.
Yes, Mr. Rowley.
-: I think that's part of the conversation, actually,
as to whether or not you did move it ahead of science
or you did move it ahead of social studies.
I'm not advocating that but I'm saying
that's part of the conversation.
But I agree with my colleague--
Donna: To do a work session?
-: Yeah, that's what I started the conversation with,
I'd like to be more fully informed.
Better educated than just based upon
the testimony and the handouts that I've received.
Donna: Absolutely, Ms. Beltran.
-: At the risk of beating a dead horse here (chuckles).
I think there's general (chuckles) consensus,
but I did also just wanna note that, you know,
I am appreciative of the parents who have testified
and I know it's a lot of time.
I'm very interested in hearing from teachers as well.
so part of the review committee, I think,
obviously those include educators,
but I'd also like to hear from educators
who are implementing the standards across the state
and just kind of hear their thoughts.
We have plenty of teachers representatives
and teacher groups here in Austin
and they are not here talking about it,
and so I'd like that perspective.
-: So, is it okay if we -- let me work with staff
and figure out when that work session might take place,
and then we'll move forward from there?
Okay, thank you, members,
let's move on from that, if that's all right.
Yes, Dr. Dominguez.
Dr. Dominguez: One more comment.
Maybe an online survey?
When she said reach out to educators, principals.
-: Yeah, we will put together how that's going to look
if that's all right with you guys, and any suggestions.
I'm sure Monica's writing that down.
Yeah, Ms. Cargill.
-: I do wanna remind everybody though,
at a workshop there's no public testimony.
It is the board working with--
Donna: It's still invited testimony.
-: Well, it's not really testimony though.
Monica, do you wanna explain how that works?
Donna: Yeah, that's a good question.
Monica: It really is, you're working with staff.
Donna: But you can invite people to speak
like we did with the publishers.
-: But it wouldn't be, you would have to be very clear
on who it is and why it would not be
a time for members of the public to come and testify.
Donna: But that's why, I guess,
because what we're saying is we want to hear from
the teachers, we want to hear from the review members.
Can we not ask them to invite
and then maybe have a survey as part of this?
Yes, Ms. Hardy.
-: In the past when we've done a workshop,
I believe Ms. Cargill was the Chair of that workshop,
we brought in the panel members who
were on the writing team to address
what their intent was.
Donna: Right, so we can extend invitations
is what I'm trying to say.
Yes, Monica.
-: I can think of two instances
where you had individuals other than staff at a workshop.
One was actually the last time that we reviewed
and revised English Language Arts and Reading
And you invited a panel of reading
and language arts experts,
so they were part of the conversation.
And then as was previously mentioned
you invited publishers when there was a conversation
related to the instructional materials.
Again, I think you would need to be clear on
who you were inviting and the reason for that testimony
because it wouldn't be an invitation
to members of the public at that point.
-: Yes, Ms. Melton-Malone, you haven't spoken yet.
-: That might be a good time to send it out
to the service centers and get them to send it out
to their region and maybe have the written testimony.
Can we do that, Monica?
Can they write us something and send it in
and for us to read during that workshop?
-: You can always ask for written testimony.
I don't think it would be testimony that you would
read as part of the meeting.
It would be information for you to read
on your own and to be aware of.
-: Well I was thinking that way
we could get input from teachers
to do that with the teachers to get some
input from them on how things are working.
-: And Madame Chair, it seems like now you're getting
into more of a discussion about some of these processes?
I don't know that you're posted to have
this level of detailed conversation,
I guess is the point I'm trying' to make.
Donna: Yes, Ms. Perez.
-: Thank you, Monica, for the guidance,
but I think in support of what Mr. Allen was saying earlier
I think that the first step is having this workshop,
and the purpose of the workshop
is to get that historical context.
So I think at that point the people that we invite
to come speak should be the individuals
that served on the panels at the time
who made those decisions so that we understand
where they came from and only them.
That way we're going into this with a clear understanding
of where we first started.
At that point I think the written, you know,
if we want written testimony we can take that
and then eventually we can work into an agenda item,
and then we can invite public testimony.
But I think that we need to be very careful of how--
Donna: We need to get some baseline.
-: Yes.
Donna: Yeah, gotcha.
Mr. Mercer, because we'd like to move on, Mr. Mercer.
-: A humble two-part thing is one of the conversations
I had with the Commissioner, we had Wednesday,
and this is my business mine, but I gotta make sure.
I think in a two-step process, I need we need to have one,
as Ms. Perez mentioned the historical context
of what happened, but after that the people who wrote it,
that not going to help me solve the problem.
I want a second thing later on we have,
what I call this, is the end-user.
The classroom educator and the parents.
Donna: Right.
-: I want to hear, I mean the other stuff about,
because if wrote them, I have certain body in there.
This is what I wrote with what I wanted
but we should get a historical context what was meant,
but we're going to solve the problem, I want to talk --
we move on to a second session to solve a problem.
I want to talk to those end-users without any
kind of bias whatsoever.
I want to talk to the classroom educator and to the parents,
maybe even kids, too, who are doing this.
Because if I don't focus on them,
if I focus on a problem, Mr. Rowley reminded me earlier
this week about all this complaints,
we hear all the complaints
but how we going to solve the problem.
I think if we listen to a classroom educator
and the parents we can solve the problem.
So, what I'm saying is a two-step process.
One, let's get historical contents
just to make sure we have our information right,
to be fair, we hear both sides.
But to solve the problem, I think we need to, then, focus
say thank you, I don't need to hear personally
from any more organizations after I get my contents.
When I want solve the problem
I want to yield to that classroom educator
and to that parent, thank you.
-: Yeah, okay.
All right, members, we will move on,
and I think there's general agreement around that.
Von: Chair Bahorich.
-: Yes.
-: There was a question asked earlier
about how long the prohibition to methodology
had been in statute, and I've been able
to trace it back to at least 1990,
so for the past 26 years of the SBOE operating
that has been in place, somewhat have applied to
all of the standards that you've adopted in that time.
-: Yes, members, it is 11:30,
can we take a ten-minute break here?
I know we've got three more testimonies
but I'd really like to take a quick
(chuckles) restroom break, if that's all right.
So, yeah, we got three more.
Yeah, we have three more.
So, ten minutes.
I just want to get everybody back together.
We've got three more testifiers
and we've got people who have to catch planes and go.
Yeah, because, and we've got how many items to go through?
Mr. Mercer: 19.
-: 19 items.
So members, on our questions to testifiers
can we clip those or let's not repeat things
that we been saying over and over numerous times.
We've got to move on through here.
Voiceover: Arlinda Lawson followed by Sherryl Gray.
Arlinda Lawson.
Sherryl Gray.
-: The staff crossed them.
-: Okay.
Voiceover: Alicia Rivera-Palomino.
Okay.
-: Almost afternoon,
So, Good Morning. Good Afternoon, Committee.
While it is yet a pleasure for me to be here today
it is also appalling that I am here today.
I am looking for a revision
in regards to your education code surrounding homelessness
and special education, while yet I am also seeking
a resolution for my two daughters,
Aziana Lawson and Asia Lawson.
I have been dealing with the matter for over a year now
in regards to her receiving the necessary SPED
that she should have been receiving
and upon leaving AISD district and filing a complaint
and visiting with your now long gone Cindy Swang
and Darrell McKnight in regards to these issues,
nothing were done by your agency.
So I am here to seek something to be done by your agency
in regards to these issues and this complaint
that I have filed with the office
of the Civil Rights Investigation Office down in Dallas.
My daughter who is in special education, she is autistic,
she has a disruptive mood disorder
as well as ADHD,
who received SPED education
in the Round Rock Independent School District
after us transitioning into that district.
Upon doing that, we also transitioned from that district
because of some things that happened to her
while in that district.
She was arrested and other things took place.
I was denied access into the school.
We then moved into Killeen Independent School District.
For a year now I have spoken with Dr. Flores,
I have spoken with Dr. Cruz,
Superintendent of Killeen ISD and AISD.
I have also spoken with no longer, your Chief of Staff,
for AISD, Mel Waxler and Dr. Presley.
I have also spoken to the Director of Student Services
for Killeen, Mr. Welch.
And from reviewing some of your legislation rules
and policies under Chapter 25, Section 25.036,
Section 25.007, Section 25.32,
Section 25.0342, there has been nothing
in those rules, regulations, policies,
and procedures that states why she has been denied
her out-of-district transfer.
And so I am here to hope in hopes that we can get
a resolution on my daughter because she has received
some more retaliatory action while we are now back
into the Austin Independent School District
with a current lawsuit still pending for over a year now,
as of to this date, where we had a school nurse who refused
to administer her medications per a doctor's instructions.
So I'm hoping that on today we can get a proper resolution
as well as revision for your policies
and your procedures regarding homelessness
and regarding special education students
because that's the battle that I have been facing
and the advocacy approach that I have taken as a parent,
while yet seeking help from COPAA and other advocates.
-: Thank you, Ms. Lawson,
and I really appreciate your passion for your child here.
I know you're trying to get the best services
that she's entitled to and that she deserves.
Unfortunately, this particular issue is not something
that is under our jurisdiction.
Is there a staff person that
is available?
Breath?
I'm sorry.
Ruffelin Anderson, oh, okay.
Ruffelin Anderson.
I want to make sure that you connect with her
to discuss this issue, because, honestly,
this is not something that we have
under our jurisdiction at all.
And I understand and I appreciate
and I want you to get some help,
but we're not the persons to ask
for this particular part of the education law
which would've been put in place by our legislators.
Arlinda: Correct.
-: So, anyway, would you be able to meet with her?
-: Can I just say something
to your comment in regards to that?
Donna: Absolutely.
-: And I know Ms. Perez would like to say something as well.
But I've already spoken with Ms. Anderson.
I was actually here on Wednesday of this week
to speak with Darrell McKnight.
I actually spoke with a supervisor with OCR
who stated their jurisdiction over TEA
and to speak with Mr. Darrell McKnight again
in regards to this so that he did initiate
a complaint through your agency.
He did not do that.
Upon speaking to Ms. Anderson, she stated that once
the email that I sent him in regards
to the most current issue which is dealing with the nurse
being back into AISD district.
Once that email was generated over to her
the complaint process would begin.
Upon Wednesday of this week when I came in,
Mr. McKnight had not done so.
I questioned him about the reason
as to why he had not done so,
and that was still not a clear reason as to why.
So she and I have spoken again since then.
We spoke on yesterday.
That particular complaint has been initiated.
But what I am asking for according to what I was advised
through OCR is that we begin a thorough investigation
through your agency dating back to April of last year,
and the end of March, when I spoke to Cindy Swang
in regards to these issues, Darrell McKnight,
and there were others at the time that we had a meeting
in regards to these issues.
And from my understanding at this point now a year later,
there should have been, immediately, a complaint initiated
within your agency and there was not.
Several of the individuals that I named
are no longer working within AISD district
but they are working in surrounding districts.
So I would definitely like for those individuals
to be scrutinized for their behavior
in regards to the things
that have happened with my daughter.
Donna: Ms. Perez.
-: Thank you, Madame Chair,
and thank you ma'am for being here today.
I know Ms. Bahorich mentioned that we don't have
any authority, unfortunately we can't help in that sense,
but there are different avenues.
You said that you're in the middle of a lawsuit right now
and I imagine that there have been grievances filed
with the district in and of itself?
Arlinda: Mm-hmm.
-: One of the most important things is documentation.
So, as long as you have that documentation
hopefully we can get somebody here within the agency
that can initiate what needs to happen
so we can address these issues
because I understand how important that is.
And in the meantime your child is losing out
on their education
despite everything else what they're going through.
One of the other things I wanted to ask is,
and just out of curiosity, was there ever a report filed
with the Texas Department of Family Protective Services
against that nurse?
-: No, this just happened this week.
I went to go and register the children
after several failed attempts to get them
into private schools in the surrounding area
because of the out-of-district transfer denial.
There was a lot of miscommunication with Killeen ISD
in regards to that I had explained the nature of the issue
that was still pending and requested in writing
with these particular reasons that the children
not be denied once we're out of the district.
And so upon doing so, I began seeking
private academies to get them in to.
I'm also a full-time student, I've had to drop out of school
because of these issues still existing as well.
But nonetheless, several of the private schools
have denied access to my youngest daughter
who has the disability because of the disability
and not having IEPs in private academies
and things of that nature.
I just went in to re-enroll them
at the beginning of this week
and that's what took place during the registration.
So I felt retaliated against, of course,
by what's taking place right now.
It was very uncomfortable,
it was a very uncomfortable process.
By it being that we are now no longer a family
in transition with being homelessness
and now we're stable and we have a actual place to live,
this is the only school in our district.
I do not want my children in the school
so that's why I'm here to figure out
what we can do to put them back on the path.
The issues that we face is been some of what I've heard
in regards to the math, the TEKS,
things like that, of that nature.
She's high intelligent.
She's high-functioning,
which are some things you guys are already aware of.
And so she's been placed on levels here, levels there,
and it has affected her education a lot.
I am aware of your special circumstances,
but none of these special circumstances and rules
are being applied to my children or for my children.
That's what I'm here to hopefully get resolved
on today even though we're at the end of school year.
Hopefully going into the new school year,
these will not be things that I have
to have a concern for my children
in regards to where they're going to school,
what type of level is this school,
and so forth and so on.
-: Right, right.
And I'm sorry so that we can move on.
I mentioned the Texas Department of Family
Protective Services because as a medical professional,
if you have documentation indicating that this child
needs to have medication, and they've neglected that,
that's definitely grounds for reporting.
So just to let you know that's a step you can take
and in the meantime the agency will help to work through
the educational process for your child.
Donna: Absolutely, thank you so much.
Arlinda: Thank you.
Donna: Thank you, Ms. Lawson.
Voiceover: Cheryl Grey followed by
Alicia Rivera-Palomino.
-: Members of the Texas State Board of Education,
forgive me for reading this,
I just don't want to miss any points.
Everybody else has said it out loud,
I'm going to read mine, okay?
Donna: Absolutely, go for it.
You've got a time limit, so go for it.
-: My name is Sherryl Gray, I'm the president
of Cosmetology Instructors of Public Schools called CIPS.
I presently represent over 130 secondary
cosmetology programs throughout the state of Texas.
I've been an instructor for 26 years in the high school
as well as a board member of TIVA
and a teacher advisor for SkillsUSA.
This is our past president Alicia Ramero.
-: Yes, Good Morning, well, almost Good Afternoon.
I am Alicia Rivera-Palomino,
I have been past CIPS president.
I currently sit on the Texas Department of Licensing
and Regulation Board for Cosmetology
and recently just became a subject matter expert
in cosmetology, and I'm here today,
along with our current president
to bring forth the issues that are concerning us.
-: I am requesting that this Texas State Board of Education
reconsider the proposal of reduction of the credits
for the cosmetology program from three to two per year.
A secondary high school cosmetology program
is designed to enable a student
to gain the Texas cosmetology operator's license
upon graduation from high school.
For this process to succeed, the students are required
to earn a thousand clock hours, or seat time,
along with the Texas Department of Licensing
and Regulations operator curriculum in theory and lab.
In addition our program utilizes the TEKS Chapter 130
and the Texas Essential Knowledge Technical Education
Subchapter J for human services.
These TEKS show a range right now
of two to three per course.
In a recent survey conducted by CIPS,
which I've attached for you,
over three-fourths of our cosmetology programs
manage their curriculum using three credits time table.
Some schools offer block scheduling
and show a two-credit course,
however the actual seat time the students are in the class
equals the same as the three-credit course.
We also have a small sign petition, which I attached,
that gave the teachers a chance to comment
on the reduction of the credits
and how it would affect our programs.
There are several arguments as to why the credits
are being reduced and why they should remain the same.
One is to increase the amount of content to our program.
I disagree with this, right now we have to do
400 hours of hair cutting,
150 hours of hair coloring,
hundred hours of cold waving, hundred of manicuring,
75 hours of orientations, 75 hours of shampoo,
50 hours of chemical services, 25 hours of facial,
and 25 hours of hair and scalp treatment.
If you add the hours and look at the seat time
the students are in the class daily now,
which I've attached for you,
you'll see that there's just barely enough
adequate time to accomplish the goal.
In addition, even though the basic language of the content
is the same, it hasn't been for years.
We have to keep current with what we're doing
so this takes time for the ever-changing techniques.
Second, most schools are moving to the calendar.
(bell chimes)
Is that my warning?
Donna: Yeah, finish up with your final thought there.
-: Secondly, most schools are moving their calendars
to include minutes instead of days,
this is going to shorten the time the students
are in our class, too.
Lastly, innovative courses.
Innovative courses are designed to work with TDLR.
Nevertheless, they do not take the place of the law
that is set forth by TDLR
and the required curriculum clock hours.
An example of this would be principles
of color and design and color theory.
In our programs now we, teach 150 hours of hair color.
With this innovative course we will teaching
an additional 175 hours.
The majority of the schools will need to rewrite
our curriculums and have them approved through TDLR
before we can do this.
Another consideration of the innovative courses
is that when the course is scheduled to be taught,
that's the period we have to teach them.
And in some cases the time restraint does not allow us
to do a chemical application,
therefore not allowing the student to learn
the application and process
that they would actually do in the industry.
In conclusion, CIPS is requesting the State Board
of Education to reconsider reducing the number
of credits per year from three to two.
As you can see, our programs would not be able
to work efficiently with this plan
and would be in danger of extinction.
Without trades and industrial courses
students do not fit into the higher education realm
are at the risk of not becoming productive citizens
in the State of Texas.
And I personally, I can tell you of three to five
students of mine who make over $150,000 a year doing hair.
So the money is there, these kids need this education.
I invite you to visit any of our high school
cosmetology programs and talk to the teachers
who are in the classroom every day.
I believe you'd be impressed with the diversified teaching.
Donna: Is that your final thought there?
Beause we'll go ahead and let the second,
I understand you're talking on the same subject, correct?
-: I've got a recommendation for you.
Donna: Okay, how about we'll move on to the next person
and then we'll be able to talk to both of you.
So, why don't you give us what you were going to say?
-: The only thing that I really wanted to say
is everything that she's saying is what I agree with.
What I came here today is to support her
and be here and bring forth all the evidence with her.
I am a high school teacher.
I have been a cosmetology teacher for 11 years.
I actually teach in Mount Pleasant High School.
And this has been a great passion of ours.
I will actually tell you some experiences
because I better relate like that,
is I actually had students have come through my program
who have been the poverty level,
who would not be able to go to college.
They would actually come through my program,
finish my program in the high school,
went on, paid for the college.
I actually have a student that is now an attorney,
she's an immigration attorney
for the attorney general in San Antonio.
I also have students that have come through my program
that are now -- they own their own salons,
students that have
slipped through the system
as far as the Core system is what we would call it.
These are the students that need this.
If we go to two credits, these students
are not going to be able to complete.
It is very important that each student
be able to complete with a certification
and be allowed to go on to work.
If we go back to two credits,
this is not going to be able to happen.
And then they are going to have to go to a private school
or to a post-secondary school,
and that is not what House Bill 5 is.
With House Bill 5, that is the direction that we're going
is to get them through certifications
and be able to get them certified
to be productive parts of society by the time they graduate.
Go ahead and make your recommendation.
Donna: Yeah, go ahead and make your recommendation.
-: The recommendation is that we do an innovate course
of lab, so we'd have a credit of lab
to go along with those two credits.
Donna: Mr. Maynard.
-: Yeah, Madame Chair, I think that,
that Mark and I have kind of over time
have had a little bit of this discussion
as it relates to,
we we talk about essential knowledge
and skills and credits,
there's a philosophy that we have here
that that's not necessarily tied to seat time.
But in the industry and how certifications operate,
in fact, time on task and hours, that sort of thing,
are very commonly a part of that
because there's a recognition that
having that experience, developing that experience
in those kind of industry skills
do require repetition to gain a proficiency.
So that is a little bit where some of the disconnect is,
that's a fair statement?
Sherryl: Right.
-: If I could just elaborate just real quick,
I would like to take you through a daily,
just a daily day of what we do
with three hours, or we call it three credits.
The students come in with the first hour,
we do theory that hour.
That whole hour is dedicated to theory.
The next two hours we go out, we have to demo,
we have to make sure that they're able
to carry out sanitation precautions.
They have to know how to do all these things
that the State regulates us on.
It's not just cutting hair and putting on make up
like some people believe.
We go through chemistry,
we go through geometry,
we go through medical terminology.
There's so many things that we go through
and I would invite each and every one of you
to come and visit our classroom anytime
and see what we do.
You have anything?
-: Madame Chair, and just as a follow up,
I'm pretty familiar with a lot
of what's being discussed here
and to the extent that is needed or desired
I would be willing to work with staff
and to help to kind of resolve this
as kind of the point person for the board
if that would be permissible.
-: I think that's an excellent suggestion.
Anybody have any problem with that?
If you would kind of work with staff on that.
Yes, Ms. Cargill.
-: I was just going to ask staff if their suggestion
is a viable solution to this issue.
And thank you, Sherryl, for coming,
I know we've been emailing back and forth.
She is in my district and both you
have beautiful hair and make up.
(laughing)
Alicia: My rep is not here, I don't where he's at.
(laughing)
-: I need help in that area.
-: Well, I invite you to come in anytime.
We're open on Thursdays,
we take salons, we take appointments.
Donna: Absolutely, thank you so much,
oh yeah, Mr. Allen.
Ms. Cargill: I think Monica was
going to answer that question.
Donna: Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Monica: So, you're asking about the innovative courses --
Ms. Cargill: Well what they suggested,
an innovative lab I think.
-: To run concurrently.
So we'll do first, second, and then third period
would be our lab course.
Do it concurrent.
Donna: Would that help with the content issue?
Monica: I mean we'll work with Mr. Maynard
on the details, but certainly staff had recommended
a variety of options to get to the ultimate end goal.
So, I think we certainly can identify the best solution.
Ms. Miller: They'll help you with
your hair and make up, Tom.
-: Could I just say something about the innovative courses
real quick if I could?
Is that right now with the innovative courses,
as we've looked at them, they do not run
and align with what we are doing now.
There are innovative courses that can be used
with cosmetology however they not part of our curriculum
and they do not align with what we are doing.
It has nothing to do with cosmetology at all
but we could use those.
But it doesn't sense to use something
that we have no purpose for.
-: Okay, thank you so much, we appreciate.
Oh, Mr. Allen, sorry.
-: As time is going forward I wanna know
if cosmetology is affected through the Perkins funds
if you go from three to two, because, in my understanding
in some career and technology areas
that makes a huge difference whether you have
a three or two designation in terms of credits
because that's Perkins funds tied to that.
If not I just I just need to know--
-: Yes, I can answer that for you.
It is tied in to PEIMS coding, yes it is.
There are schools right now that are using three credits.
They need three credits to complete the program.
Yes it is tied in to PEIMS coding, it is tied in to Perkins.
There are schools however that are only being
offered coding for two credits
but yet the students are going for three credits,
and it's not fair but the school's allowing that
because these students have got to complete.
At least the schools are more worried
about the student than the funding.
And so that is what we're trying to maintain.
It just really goes back to, yes, it is a lot about money,
but for us, it is about the student.
It is about the student being able to complete
and be a part of society and be able to bring forth
a way to make a living for theirself.
If they're not going to college
or even if they are going to college
because we have students that come from big families,
they're not able to pay for college
and this allows them to do that.
Did that answer your question?
Mr. Allen: Yes, ma'am.
-: Okay.
(laughing)
Donna: Final thought, Mr. Maynard.
-: And to answer your question, Lawrence,
I think that if you reduce contact hours
there could be a possibility that it would affect
maintenance of effort as it relates to Perkins possibly.
Lawrence, if you want to go have your hair done with them,
I think that offer stands as well.
Alicia: Hey, we can do wax (laughs).
Sherryl: We'll take care of that, not a problem.
(laughing)
Mr. Mercer: Let's move on, let's move on.
-: Well, we appreciate your time listening to us today
and is there any further questions?
Dr. Dominguez: I just have one question.
Did either one of you serve on the review committee for--
-: For the TEKS rewrite, no ma'am.
We did not.
-: Because I do remember this being an issue
and, at that time, and not only in your area,
but there were a couple other areas
that also requested and were asking,
why it was the three hours?
And I think staff addressed it that because of,
and I'm not going to speak for them, but they addressed it,
but it doesn't preclude the fact
that some of these programs do require the three hours
and if you could, Mr. Maynard, just review all of them
and not just this one, I'd appreciate it.
Because I know I was contacted by some.
-: Just to kind of go over your question just really quick
because I know that you're on a time crunch,
is that some of the ladies that were
on the actual TEKS committee, they're not able to be here
because they have prior engagements.
I think what happened was is that
whenever they went and they were looking at the TEKS
and they revised the TEKS,
they made a recommendation to TEA,
and through TEA to the SBOE.
I think it really got lost within translation
and so that's why we're here just trying to review
and make sure that we get on the right path.
-: Thank you, but I do recall some approaching me
and addressing it, yes.
So thank you for remembering the same thing.
-: Thank you, ladies, really appreciate it.
And appreciate you working with Mr. Maynard
on that, and staff.
Yeah, absolutely.
Okay, members, we're finally going to move,
I believe that's it for public testimony, correct?
We're going to finally move into the agenda.
So if you'll turn to page, a little romanette 11
in your agenda books which lists
the items on the Consent Agenda.
I'm going to read these items and then we had a couple
that ended up being added, and I will read those as well.
A little romanette.
It's 11, a romanette 11 page in your agenda book.
That's the items on the Consent Agenda.
It's got its own little tab, I believe.
Absolutely.
Number one: Approval for update
of instructional materials.
Number two: Ratification of Purchases and Sales
of the Investment Portfolio, the Permanent School Fund
for the months of November, sorry, December 2015,
January and February 2016.
Adoption of an annual report on the status
of the Bond Guarantee Program.
Decision on real estate investments.
Overview of the Private Equity Asset Class.
Authorization to issue a request for proposals
for global custody and securities leading services
for the Texas Permanent School Fund.
Recommendation for appointments
to the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District
Board of Trustees.
Recommendation for appointment
to the Lackland Independent School District
Board of Trustees.
And then, in addition, we had two other
proposals that were put on the Consent Agenda.
And that is on your Board Agenda, on the Official Agenda,
it's Item number 15,
and it's the Board Agenda Page 3-1,
and that is, if you want to turn to 3-1,
Adoption of Review of 19 TAC Chapter 129,
Student Attendance,
Subchapter A, Student Attendance Allowed,
and Subchapter B, Student Attendance Accounting.
And if you will turn to Board Agenda Page 3-25,
the last item on the Consent Agenda is
Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 33,
Statement of Investment Objectives, Policies,
and Guidelines of the Texas Permanent School Fund,
Subchapter A, State Board of Education Rules.
Are members clear of what we'll be approving
on the Consent Agenda?
Ms. Miller.
Absolutely, thank you, Ms. Miller.
The Minutes meeting will reflect that
and if there's no objection to the consent --
I'm sorry, Dr. Dominguez would you mind?
Dr. Dominguez: Would you review the numbers again that--
-: The two added?
Dr. Dominguez: Yes.
-: Once, yes.
Let me review that again before we vote,
members, that's very important.
I want to make sure everyone knows
what's being voted on the Consent Agenda.
If you will look in Board Agenda page 3-1,
for that item, that's the first one,
the Adoption of Review of 19 TAC Chapter 129.
Do you see that one, Dr. Dominguez?
That's the other one, and then the last one
is Board Agenda, Page 3-25.
Does everybody see that one?
Proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 33.
Those two were added to the Consent Agenda.
Okay, terrific.
All right, members, if we're clear on approving,
there's no objection,
then the Consent Agenda is approved.
All right, members,
I believe Mr. Rowley is going to step in
for Mr. Ratliff who's not able to be with us today.
-: Right, okay, so members, we're referring
to the Minutes from the committee,
the Full Board for April 5th 2016.
So we'll begin, Action Item number 1
that is Board Agenda Page I-1, right there.
So, the Minutes Page 1,
Board Agenda page I-1,
it's Official Agenda Item number 3.
And the motion is on Page 2 which is motion to recommend
that the State Board of Education approve
for second reading and final adoption proposed amendments
to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements,
Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements as amended
with an effective date of August 22nd, 2016.
-: This motion requires only a majority vote
on the second meeting since an early
effective date's not being sought.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye.
Mr. Rowley: Aye.
-: All those opposed say no.
The ayes have it in proposed amendments
to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirement,
Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements
with an effective date of August 22nd 2016 is adopted.
-: The next item is on Page 2 of your Board Minutes.
It's Item number 2.
It's on Board Agenda Page I-27.
Board agenda Page I-27's official agenda Item number 4.
It's recommended that the State Board of Education
approve proposed amendments to Proclamation 2017
of the State Board of Education
advertising for bids on instructional materials.
-: Okay, it's moved to approve proposed amendments
to Proclamation 2017 that the State Board of Education
advertising for bids on instructional materials.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
-: Those opposed say no.
The ayes have it and the amendments
to the Proclamation are adopted.
-: I think the next item is Action Item number 5,
or Item number 5 on Page 3.
Donna: We had discussion on that, correct?
Monica: I'm sorry?
Donna: Aren't we getting a grid or something?
Monica: It's in your Minutes.
Donna: Oh, it's in the Minutes, okay, I'm sorry.
-: Do I go ahead and make the recommendation?
Donna: Yeah, go ahead and do that.
Get us to the right spot in the Minutes.
-: Right, okay.
It is Board Agenda Page I-35,
Official Agenda Item number 6,
it's on Page 4 of the board Minutes.
It's recommended that the State Board of Education
postpone action on this item
until the July 2016 meeting.
Donna: No, wait a minute.
I think that's the wrong, let's see.
High School Equivalency,
we want to see that.
Mr. Rowley: Okay, I don't have a motion.
-: Page 2?
Yeah, where are we on this?
Mr. Rowley: I don't have a motion
or recommendation for that.
(murmuring)
-: Yeah, because I thought we were going to get
something that had blanks filled in.
That's what I was expecting.
Monica: It's the last two pages
of your Minutes, attachment B.
Donna: Okay, maybe that's what it is.
-: Okay, there's no--
Donna: But there's no motion?
-: No.
Oh, okay, so that's posted item,
not a committee recommendation?
Donna: Okay, hold on.
Hold on just a minute here.
I wanna make sure we're lookin' at the right thing.
Monica: If you look at the last two pages
of your Minutes, attachment B.
Donna: Oh, it's landscape, it's a landscape.
Okay, I got it.
Monica: The last two pages.
Donna: Last two pages, it's a landscape view.
Everybody see that?
And so what happened--
-: So we would need a motion to approve the decisions
as indicated in that last column.
Donna: Members, would you mind if I give you a minute
to look over this, just to be sure
everyone has seen these recommendations
per our conversation that we had on Tuesday?
Yes, I'm sorry, yes, Ms. Perez?
Ms. Perez: Just so that we're clear we're going to be voting
to approve the decisions that were made on Wednesday?
-: Yes.
-: Okay, so I just to formally--
Donna: This needs to represent these, yeah.
Both: If you just want to recuse yourself
-: From this approval, thank you, Ms. Perez.
Tell me when you're ready, members.
Yes, Ms. Hardy.
Ms. Hardy, would you put your mic on? Thank you.
-: I'm still, I'm confused about
the time frame on this.
We only have a contract through June?
Donna: Correct, and I think the result
of the discussion was to allow a period of time
that if it needed more time
to get the database correct and up,
there was length in there on the MOU,
or however you call that.
-: I would like to note exactly what that involves
because I do feel like that we have
dillydallied long enough with this whole thing,
and giving another extension just says to me,
well just do another extension and another extension,
and I'm really very tired of extensions on this.
So I would really like to know the exact wording
on what is the expectation?
Donna: I think it's that the RFP should provide for it.
No, no, no, no, sorry.
Monica: Madame Chair, yes, on 1-C
the instruction, as we understood it,
was that we, TEA, should extend the MOU
with the current provider for six months
and include a two-week termination notice,
Donna: That's what we discussed.
-: So that if the database is not complete by June 30,
as soon as it is complete we would provide notice
of that two-week termination
and transition to the new MOUs.
Donna: So, they've got six months to get working.
Ms. Hardy: From June on or?
-: No, from Friday on, right?
I mean, today, on.
Well, you have to get the MOU going.
Have you already sent it, or you're about to?
-: Well, we haven't sent it yet
because you have to take action today,
but we would move forward
with all of these steps next week.
-: So it could go as long as another six months?
That's what I'm trying to get clear.
Donna: The window would be six months.
Yes, Mr. Rowley.
-: If I'm understanding this correctly, though,
it says extend the MOU of the current provider
for six months. Doesn't it expire in June?
Ms. Hardy: Yes.
-: So would that not be an extension to December?
To the end of the year?
-: That extension can say whatever you want it to say.
Mr. Rowley: Excuse me, but as it reads,
it's extending it six months from its expiration
and its expiration is in June.
-: So if you'd like to modify that to make it more clear
we certainly would be happy for you
to clarify what your intent is.
Donna: Yes, Dr. Dominguez.
-: I recall legal suggesting that it would include
a 15-day or two-week termination notice.
Donna: And really that doesn't matter.
-: If it doesn't matter, we can say one month, two months.
But if we say--
Ms. Hardy: I'm afraid,
Donna: Ms. Hardy.
-: I'm afraid that staff doesn't get it.
This is something that these people have been dealing with,
the students have been dealing with,
talk about meeting the needs of these people.
I just think that there's been a lot of obstacles
to getting this done that I just can't imagine
that they're that strong.
All the technology in the world out here
and we can't move along with this a little bit quicker.
-: Well, I do think though, that, Ms. Hardy,
one of the problem is they have to wait on us
to give them information that
here's how we wanna do stuff,
and so we've decided, bare bones,
that was decided at this meeting on the database.
They wanted to know what it is we're trying to do,
because they have to make changes.
So, Mr. Rowley.
Ms. Hardy: I'm finished,
I can't seem to get my ideas across.
Donna: No, no, you got it across.
-: My understanding was that it would take
three to five months for a database to be created
or a program to be created,
Donna: Right.
-: And from the time we give direction.
Well, that's now, is what I understand.
And so I would,
I don't know, I guess, are motions in order here?
Donna: We could adjust this.
Monica: So, a motion and then an amendment would be great.
If you want to adjust the months.
-: I would just speak to the overall body of this document,
and I would say that it would be six months,
extend the MOU to the point where
six months from today it expires,
not six months from its termination date.
Donna: Six months from June, right.
Yeah, and I think that would address
what you're talking about, Ms. Hardy.
Ms. Hardy: May I ask something else?
Donna: Yes.
-: If they get it done before the six months
Donna: That's the two-week termination.
-: It's the two weeks, and it'll be cut off.
May I further suggest that we get on this
and not dillydally any longer with it,
because I feel like it's kind of a staff thing
not moving on with it.
Donna: Any other comments?
Yes, Mr. Rowley, so you want to suggest?
-: I've been handed a note from the parliamentary that says,
Donna: (laughs) As to how to fix that.
-: Right across the top, a note from the parliamentary.
And I move that the board approve
the proposed April 2016 decision matrix
for the transition and implementation
of multiple test providers
for the Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency
as identified in Minutes attachment E,
with the exception that under 1-C
this statement that reads TEA should extend the MOU
with the current provider for six months.
Well, I would just insert from today's date.
Donna: But beyond April, what is today?
I don't know.
Ninth.
-: Well, from today's date.
With this, fine?
B, it's 1-C.
Oh, you mean the note from the parliamentarian
was in for it?
I'm sorry, okay, B.
(laughing)
It's attachment B.
(laughing)
I'm sorry, I'm doing quite a bit today.
All right.
(laughs) It's a big bus.
Donna: It's a big bus, yeah.
-: Okay, with the current provider
for six months from today, today's date.
Donna: Yeah.
That work?
-: I was going to put it on the bulletin board.
-: Hand those back to me, because I wanna reread it.
Thank you.
Voiceover: You're goingn to have to add his amendment.
-: In your amendment from today's date.
Voiceover: So, second.
-: Is there a second?
Okay, terrific.
Okay, is everybody clear, yes, Ms. Hardy?
Are you clear what we're voting on here, everyone?
-: I want to know if there's any complication
that we'll come back to that this is extended
beyond that fiscal year, we end on August the 31st,
or whatever that date is.
And if then we'll get this other thing saying, 'oh heck,
this has been extended beyond the end of the fiscal year
where it means we need to add another six months to it.'
You know, that sort of thing.
-: Well we need to have an update, obviously,
at the July meeting to give us the status.
Just a discussion item to give us a status
about how this is going?
How does that sound, Ms. Hardy?
Ms. Hardy: Okay.
-: Okay.
Dr. Dominguez: Chair.
-: Yes, Dr. Dominguez.
-: I do want to praise staff, because I do know that
they're bound by the time lines by our meeting deadlines
and all of that, and so it isn't that I don't think
they're not doing their work.
They just have timelines and our meeting times and all that.
Donna: And it's our contracts,
we're the one making decisions.
-: And this is in the contract negotiations and so
they needed these responses to move forward, thank you.
Ms. Hardy: I want to make it clear that
I've been asking for basically something ought
to be done on this for two years.
-: Okay, any other comments?
Okay, terrific.
The motion before us, members,
any more discussion on this?
The motion before us is to move that the board
approve the proposed April 2016 decision matrix
for the transition and implementation
of multiple test providers
for the Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency
as identified in the Minutes attachment B,
with the exception that the extension of the MOU
will be from six months from today's date.
What, I'm sorry.
And, yeah, include two-week termination notice,
as listed here.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
-: All those opposed say nay.
Voiceover: Nay.
-: The ayes have it.
Motion's adopted.
Okay, Mr. Rowley.
-: Now, I think we're back on
Donna: Our regular course.
-: Page 3, action Item 5,
study of the central knowledge and skills
and assessment instruments, Board Agenda page I-35,
official agenda Item number 6.
The motion appears on Page 4 of the Minutes.
It is recommended that the State Board of Education
postpone action on this item until the July 2016 meeting.
Donna: (chuckles) It's moved to postpone
to the July SBOE meeting the discussion of the TEA report
on the TEKS required curriculum
and related State assessment instructions
and the making of recommendations
to the Texas legislature regarding issues
evaluated in the report.
Are you ready for the question, I'm sorry, Ms. Hardy?
-: This is where I would like to ask,
since we are talking about
the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills,
which is what this is in reference to,
that I be able to recommend a couple of things
to add to the list that Monica was talking
to the TEKS writers in the English Language Arts,
to the list that she was going to give from the board.
I want the whole board to hear these things.
Is it okay for me to say them at this time?
I've gotten permission from the lawyer.
Donna: Oh, we did, okay, great, great, great.
I wanna make sure, because if we're going to address, okay.
Okay, only to--
-: I can just say it, we can't discuss it .
Donna: Right.
-: We emphasize the streamlining to the writing committees
that has been stated before but it really
didn't seem to get through
so we need to really stress the streamlining,
remove the such-as statements.
Just go ahead and clarify that,
remove the such-as statements.
Remove the lists of rules, so many romanettes
are adding to the volume of the TEKS numbers.
Romanettes.
List of rules, they're the romanettes.
All the romanettes.
Monica already told me my concern about CCRS
is that we make sure they really understand
that everything needs to be designed with the end in mind.
In other words, we're getting feedback
from the legislature we want to see
college and career readiness considered,
and that's how it started, she's assured me
the CCRS is a part of that already.
Donna: Yes, Mr. Rowley.
-: And I would like to speak in debate as well
with regard to that area
but not in response to what Ms. Hardy said.
But that is that I personally am not ready
for a first reading to occur in July.
That I would request that we move more slowly
with regard to the adoption
of the English Language Arts TEKS,
even if that means postponing the implementation
for another nine months or a year
or whatever that may be.
I think we're hearing some rumblings
with regard to the eight strands
and whether or not that's the approach
that we should take or not and personally
I would want to become more comfortable
with what I see as a pretty major shift
in the way we write those standards
and the way we teach these subjects,
so that I would prefer we not rush into it,
to a July first reading but we move more slowly.
-: Any other comments? We do need to move on
and specifically address this particular item.
Yes, Mr. Mercer.
-: I support what Mr. Rowley said
but I'm going to go out there and do some about
if I don't give my opinion.
I was very happy with what I saw K-5 do,
very happy with that but the high school group,
I was extremely disappointed.
We said November, the experts said,
Dr. Schoski and others,
you remove content, put it back in.
Came back in February with content, put it back in.
You heard me get a little hot on Wednesday,
because then again we asked for content
and it was gone.
I was embarrassed.
If I was a student turned in four different papers,
and Ms. Cargill only saw 71 words different,
what kind of grade would they give me?
I thought that was an embarrassment.
I was in embarrassment when the high school area
took some of their comments and the Commissioner saw it
the first time he ever read it, he saw the words the same,
the same expectation from high school
as it was down to Kindergarten.
I was embarrassed by that.
I'm not sure what else to say
other than we've asked three meetings,
November, February, and now, to put back the content
and help our classroom educator to be successful.
So, with that, I'm speaking to the high school.
I'm concerned of the repetition of the cut and paste
of the same words and again the two best examples
were the Commissioner who saw that,
when they did their vertical alignment
we saw the same words across all 13 grades.
How can the same requirement be for Kindergarten
as is in high school, and I was concerned
as Ms. Cargill pointed out the 71 words
that were all but the difference in four years.
I understand the explanation, I heard all that,
I disagree with it, I want content.
Content, content, content, thank you.
-: Members, I just wanna make sure we don't
redo Wednesday's discussion, because that was
a pretty strong discussion on Wednesday,
and I'm sure the review members already
are well aware, but I want to make sure.
Dr. Dominguez.
Dr. Dominguez: Thank you, because that's what
I was going to remind us of.
And we did give specific direction to those committees.
-: Right, we did.
-: Also I think they took back the fact that
we trust what they're going to do
because they're the ones that are in the classroom.
We're not the ones that are in the classroom
-: Right.
So, Ms. Hardy, I do have a question, though.
When you're saying to take out all of the examples.
Ms. Hardy: I'm not saying take out all the examples.
-: Okay, because that's what I heard,
is you said take out all the such-as's.
To me, that's their examples,
because that's the way we do it.
'Such as' or 'including,' right?
Okay, I just wasn't sure what she was saying.
Okay.
Ms. Hardy: We can't really discuss it.
Donna: Yeah, that's true.
Ms. Hardy: I'm just throwing out,
the streamlining and the so forth,
we didn't really emphasize that
the other day when we gave--
Donna: Turn your mic on.
-: Monica the rules.
I think it's important that we--
Donna: That we reemphasize streamlining, okay.
-: That we reemphasize that.
Donna: Okay, because I--
-: And one way to do that would be
take out some of the 'such as's'
and some of the romanettes,
Donna: Some of it, okay, I gotcha.
-: And some of that stuff that we keep adding in there.
Donna: Okay, members, I'd like to get back
to the motion that we're actually on, if that's all right.
Ms. Cargill: Will there be another opportunity
to come up for me to say that I support
what Mr. Rowley said?
-: Gotcha.
Ms. Cargill: No, but is there another
opportunity for me to say that or?
-: Not in the agenda today, but so noted.
(laughs) So noted.
All right.
Yes, Ms. Beltran.
Ms. Beltran: I don't know if this is out of order,
but I don't believe that we agreed
to remove all of the 'such as's' as a body,
so I just would like to--
-: Yeah, I'm concerned about that, I want to give out that.
-: And I just want to make clear that I think
Ms. Martinez has the list of broad recommendations
that we have and I hope that's the message
that's carried to the review committee.
-: Right, absolutely.
Okay, members, we are going to go back to our motion here.
It is moved to postpone to the July SBOE meeting.
The discussion of the TEA report on the TEKS
required curriculum and related
State assessments instructions
and the making of recommendation
to the Texas legislature regarding
the issues evaluated in the report.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye, all those opposed.
Oops, I skipped right over it.
(laughing) Sorry
(laughing)
I'm trying to get people on their flights.
All those (laughs) in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
-: All those opposed say no.
The ayes have it and the item is postponed
to the July SBOE meeting.
Okay, members.
Mr. Rowley: Item 6?
-: Absolutely.
-: Item 6 Page 4 of the Minutes,
that's on Board Agenda page I-39,
official agenda Item number 7, it's acceptance of grant
to fund long-range planning efforts.
Recommended that the State Board of Education accept
a grant from the Meadows Foundation of Dallas
to be used to help fund work associated
with the development of a new
long-range plan for public education.
-: It's moved to accept the grant
from the Meadows Foundation.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
-: All those opposed say no.
The ayes have it, the grant has been accepted.
Yes, Ms. Perez.
-: I just wanted to say thank you so much.
I can remember a little over a year ago
when Mr. Cortez was pushing for this to happen
and so I'm just really, really excited
that we're finally moving forward on this
because it's been a long time coming.
So, looking forward to developing this plan.
-: Absolutely, absolutely.
We really appreciate Mr. Rowley's efforts in this area
have been pretty (chuckles) stupendous.
Mr. Rowley: Oh, thank you.
-: Thank you.
-: Wow, see I throw people under the bus.
(Donna laughs)
Donna: All the writings of the RFQs.
-: Okay, Item 7, we ready?
Donna: Yes, absolutely.
-: Item 7 Page 4 of the Minutes,
it's Board Agenda I-41,
official agenda Item number 8,
Adoption of memorandum of understanding
related to the long-range plan for public education.
The motion appears on Page 5.
It's recommended that the State Board of Education
agrees to enter into a memorandum of understanding
with the Commissioner of Education
that involves the Commissioner appointing the Chair
and Vice Chair of the Committee on Instruction,
the Committee on School Finance Permanent School Fund,
and the Committee on School Initiatives
to a panel to review proposals received in response
to a request for qualifications for a facilitator.
The Commissioner will select the facilitator
based on the review panel's recommendations
or if a tie vote occurs, the Commissioner
or his designees will select the contract recipient.
-: Does everyone understand the motion
or do I need to reread that?
Okay.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye.
Mr. Rowley: Aye.
-: All those opposed say no.
Ayes have it, SBOE will enter into a memorandum
of understanding with Commissioner of Education.
Next up.
-: Item 8 is on Page 5, it's Board Agenda Page I-43,
it's the approval of an RFQ for a facilitator.
It is recommended that the State Board of Education
approve the request for qualifications in RFQ
for a facilitator to assist with the planning
and preparation of a long-range plan for public education.
-: Are you ready for the question?
It's moved to approve the request for qualifications
for a facilitator who will help the board
develop a process for creating a long-range plan
for education, all those in favor say aye.
Mr. Rowley: Aye.
-: All those opposed say no.
The ayes have it and the request
for qualification is approved.
Mr. Rowley: Madame Chair, I believe
that's all the recommendations.
-: Would you go ahead, Mr. Rowley,
because you had a flight to catch.
Will you go in to the Committee on School Initiatives items?
-: I will do that.
Okay, these are the Minutes from our, yeah,
from the Minutes of the Committee on School Initiatives.
Donna: And which item on our official agenda there?
-: Yes.
Donna: 18 is on our official agenda
and it's on Page 4-47, correct?
-: Yes, yeah, that's right.
4-47.
Donna: We're going to skip over
to the Committee on School Initiatives, members.
I hope everybody, is everybody caught up?
-: 4-47 of your board book,
Board Agenda Page 4-47.
It's official agenda Item number 18, we ready?
It is recommended to
oh, oh okay, that's (chuckles), all right let's see.
Donna: Yeah, take no action.
(both laughing)
-: To postpone that.
No, I'm sorry, here it is.
Donna: Here we go.
-: Recommend that the State Board of Education
take no action on the proposed amendments
to 19 TAC Chapter 231, Requirements for Public School
Personnel Assignments, Subchapter B,
Prekindergarten Grade 6 Assignments, Subchapter C,
Grade 6 through 8 Assignments, Subchapter D,
Electives, Disciplinary Courses,
Local Credit Courses, and Innovative Courses,
Grades 6 through 12 Assignments.
And Subchapter E, Grades 9 through 12 Assignments.
-: Members, is there a motion to reject?
Hearing none, no action is taken
in proposed amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 231,
Requirements for Public School Personnel Assignments,
Subchapter B, Prekindergarten Through 6th Grade Assignments.
Subchapter C, Grades, oh, 6 to 8 Assignments,
Subchapter D, Electives, Disciplinary Courses,
Local Credit Courses, and Innovative Courses,
Grade 6 through 12 Assignments,
and Subchapter E, Grades 9 through 12 Assignments
will take effect on April 14th 2016.
Mr. Rowley: Ready to proceed?
-: Yep.
-: The next item is Item 4
on the Committee of School Initiatives.
It is Board Agenda Page roman numeral 4-61.
It's official agenda Item number 19.
And the motion is recommended the State Board of Education
take no action on the proposed revisions
to 19 TAC Chapter 233,
Categories of Classroom Teaching Certificates.
-: Is there a motion to reject?
Hearing none, no action is taken
and the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 233,
Categories of Classroom Teaching Certificates
will take effect on April 14th 2016.
-: Next item is number 5, it's on the top of Page 3
of the Minutes, it's Board Agenda Page roman numeral 4-79.
It's recommended that the State Board of Education
take no action on the proposed amendments
to 19 TAC Chapter 249, Disciplinary Proceedings,
Sanctions, and Contested Cases,
Subchapter A, General Provisions,
Section 249.5, Purpose, Policy Governing
Disciplinary Proceedings.
Subchapter B, Enforcement Actions and Guidelines,
Section 249.15, Disciplinary Action by State Board
for Educator Certification, and Section 249.17,
Decision Making Guidelines.
And Subchapter D, Hearing Procedures, Section 249.35,
Disposition Prior to Hearing Default.
-: Is there a motion to reject?
Hearing none, no action is taken
and the proposed amendments
will take effect on April 14th 2016.
-: Item 6, the last item for Committee on School Initiatives.
It's on Board Agenda Page roman numeral 4-103.
It's the official agenda Item number 21.
It's recommended that the State Board of Education
adopt the review of 19 TAC Chapter 100, Charters,
Subchapter A, Open-Enrollment Charter Schools,
and Subchapter B, Home-Rule School District Charters.
-: Are you ready for the question?
It's moved to adopt the review of 19 TAC Chapter 100,
Charter, Subchapter A, Open-Enrollment Charter Schools,
and Subchapter B, Home-Rule School District Charters.
All in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
-: All opposed say no.
The ayes have it.
Mr. Rowley: Madame Chair, there's nothing further
from that Committee.
-: Fantastic.
Thank you, Mr. Rowley, you did a great job
filling in for Mr. Ratliff
and on getting us going here.
Okay, now, we are back on Committee on Instruction,
Item number 10 on the official agenda, correct?
Members, and it's Page 2-1,
is on your agenda.
Committee Item number 1.
And I believe that's Ms. Hardy.
Ms. Hardy: No.
-: No, I'm sorry, sorry.
Sue?
Ms. Melton-Malone, sorry, Sue.
Ms. Malone: That's okay.
-: I apologize.
-: I don't, promoted or,
(laughing)
All right, we're on number 1.
And you'll see that it's for second reading
and final adoption, it's our Board Agenda
Page roman numeral 2-1, official agenda Item number 10.
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
proposed amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74,
Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A,
Required Curriculum 74.5,
academic achievement record transcript
and high school diploma with an effect date
of 20 days after filing as adopted
with the Texas Register.
-: It's been moved to approve by affirmative vote
of two-thirds of the members of the board
for second reading and final adoption
proposed amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74,
Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A,
Required Curriculum 74.5,
academic achievement record transcript
and high school diploma with an effective date
of 20 days after filing as adopted
with the Texas Register. Are you ready for the question?
To set an earlier effective date, members,
requires a vote of two-thirds of the members
which is ten votes in the affirmative,
and we short, right?
No, no, no, no, we're good.
Never mind, I can't count, sorry.
It's the new math.
Okay.
All those in favor raise your hand.
All those opposed raise your hand.
How many do you need from?
11 to zero, so the motion carries in
at having earlier effective date.
-: Number 2, it's one Page 2 of your lil' packet.
On behalf of the Committee on Instruction
I move that the State Board of Education
approve for second reading and filing adoption
propose new 19 TAC Chapter 126,
(clears throat) excuse me,
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
for Technology Applications, Subchapter D,
Other Technology Applications Courses,
126.65, Advanced Placement, AP,
Computer Science Principles, One Credit, adopted 2016,
with an effective date of August 22nd 2016.
-: This motion only requires a majority vote
on the second reading since a earlier
effective date has not been sought.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
-: All those opposed say no.
The ayes have it and the new
19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
for Technology Applications, Subchapter D,
Other Technology Applications Courses,
126.65, Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles
adopted 2016 with an effective date of August 22nd 2016,
yeah, that's good.
Okay, thank you very much.
-: Number 3 is still on Page 2.
It is for second reading and final adoption also.
Board agenda Page roman numeral 2-13,
our official item agenda number 12.
On behalf of the Committee on Instruction
I move that the State Board of Education
approve for second reading and final adoption
propose new 19 TAC Chapter 127,
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
for Career Development, Subchapter B, High School,
127.16, Extended Career Preparation, One Credit,
adopted 2016 with an effective date of August 28th 2017.
-: Again, this motion requires only majority vote
since there's no earlier effective date being sought.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
-: All those opposed say no.
The ayes have it, and the new 19 TAC Chapter 127,
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skill
for Career Development, Subchapter B, High School,
127.16, Extended Career Preparation adopted 2016
is adopted with an effective date of August 28th 2017.
-: Number 4 is of the explanation is on Page 2
of your Minutes, (clears throat) pardon me.
The motion is on Page 3,
on behalf of the Committee on Instruction
I move that the State Board of Education
approve for first reading and filing authorization
proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 89,
Adaptions for Special Populations, Subchapter C,
Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency.
Donna: Yes, Mr. Maynard.
-: Madame Chair, I just wanna make a note that,
and if you take a look at this,
that there's a fee increase in this first reading
for the high school equivalency
and I just wanna just inform the members
is to understand that the high school equivalency
is a user-based system.
It's my understanding that the current $15 fee
as spreaded over the battery was implemented
for the first time in 2004.
I just sat down and adjusted it for inflation
at 5% per year, and I came up with the current year
that that would put that at $26.95.
If you extend that into 2017
that puts it at $28.30.
So, the increase that's being proposed in first reading
actually puts it actually just slightly below
that inflationary adjustment.
By the way, during that span of time
the cost of doing business has not gotten any cheaper,
and so I just want to make that note.
-: Okay, members, it's been moved to approve
for first reading and filing authorization
proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 89,
Adaptations for Special Populations, Subchapter C,
Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
-: All those opposed say no.
The ayes have it, the motion carries.
-: All right, number 6 is our last item, it's on Page 3.
It's the Board Agenda Page roman numeral 2-51,
our official agenda Item number 14.
Just a word of explanation, there's three motions here.
The first one deals with approving innovative courses,
Navigating Life with Hearing Loss,
and Making Connections.
And the second motion in vote
was to give them the time allotment
that we thought they needed for an innovative course.
And we approve Navigating Life with Hearing Loss
for three years, and Making Connections for one year.
(coughs) Excuse me.
On behalf of the Committee on Instruction
I move that the State Board of Education
approve innovative courses that do not fall
within any of the subject areas of the foundation
or enrichment curriculum as amended.
Donna: You're combining the two?
-: Yes, yes.
-: Oh, absolutely, terrific, terrific.
Okay, terrific.
It's moved to approve the innovative courses
that do not fall within any of the subject areas
of the foundation or enrichment curriculum as shown
in the separate exhibit as amended.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
All those opposed say no.
And that concludes the Committee on Instruction.
Okay, terrific, we're moving along,
and I think we only have one, Ms. Hardy, correct?
Permanent Student Fund?
Ms. Hardy: Try though I might, I couldn't get it all--
-: She tried really hard, we appreciate it, Ms. Hardy.
-: All right, this is on the school finance
portion of our Permanent School Fund,
the school finance portion
and it's on Board Agenda number roman numeral 3-9.
And on behalf of the Committee on School Finance
I move that we suspend the board,
it was moved that we suspend the board
operating procedure in accordance with 5.2 A
to allow consideration at first reading
and filing authorization.
Then it was further moved that the State Board of Education
approve for first reading and filing authorization
the proposed amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 129,
Student Attendance, Subchapter B,
Student Attendance Accounting, 129.21,
requirements for student attendance
accounting for the State funding purposes
and the placement of this item on the Consent Agenda
for the State Board of Education meeting April the 8th 2016.
And this requires a two-thirds vote.
Voiceover: Well actually it's going to require
a majority vote probably going to carry in regular rule.
So 5.2 A is just a majority vote.
-: Okay, 5.2 A that we're voting on
is just a majority vote here.
It's moved to suspend the board operating procedures
in accordance with 5.2 A to allow consideration
at first reading and filing authorization.
Is there any objection to suspending the board
operating procedure to allow consideration
of this item at first reading?
Hearing none,
it's moved to approve for first reading
and filing authorization the proposed amendment
to 19 TAC Chapter 129, Student Attendance,
Subchapter B, Student Attendance Accounting,
129.21, requirements for student attendance
accounting for State funding purposes.
Are you ready for the question?
All those in favor say aye.
Members: Aye.
-: All those opposed say no.
The ayes have it and proposed amendment
to 19 TAC Chapter 129, Student Attendance,
Subchapter B, Student Attendance Accounting, 129.21,
requirements for student attendance accounting
for State funding purposes is approved
on first reading and filing authorization.
-: Madame Chair, there were no, everything went
on the Consent Agenda for the Permanent School Fund.
-: Members, I just want to remind you about
the Student Heroes selections that are due
Friday, April 15th, that's one week from today.
One week from today, because we need to get notice out
to the students, yes, Mr. Rowley.
-: Madame Chair, just a reminder to the Chair
and Vice Chairs of each standing committee,
the professional facilitator interviews
will be conducted on Wednesday, May the 11th at 1:30
at a site to be determined.
If you want to call in or appear in some way,
other than in person, you can certainly do that,
just let us know, and actually Debbie Ratcliffe
will work on that and we'll put that in place.
-: And remind me, Monica, when are the nominations due
for this science streamlining?
I want to make sure, members, you have this in your calendar.
May 6th.
Monica: May 6th.
-: Yes, thank you, Dr. Dominguez.
Monica: It's in your Minutes (chuckles).
And then we will send out a reminder.
Ms. Miller: Chairman?
Donna: Yes.
Ms. Miller: Just to follow up on that, Monica,
I did mine, They're in the, they're ready for you.
Monica: Woo, thank you, Ms. Miller
for being so prompt.
-: Ms. Miller gets a gold star this time,
we appreciate it very much.
Thank you, members, so much for your patience
and deliberation this week,
I think we've had a great series of meetings.
Thank you so much, we'll see you in July.
(gavels thumps)