Learn to Separate Fact from Fiction via Governor Rick Perry

Yesterday I noticed my blog was getting a great deal of traffic courtesy of the TexasISD.com website. I'm always curious about these things, and when I went to investigate, I found that TexasISD had linked to my blog post about the inaccurate information Governor Perry is spreading regarding teacher layoffs and teacher to administrator ratios in Texas public schools.

I found it ironic, to say the least, that just above their link to my blog post, TexasISD had linked to an article published in the Austin American-Statesman titled "Perry: Learn to separate fact from fiction." It turned out to be an editorial written by Perry himself.

On reading the editorial, the gist of which was that a disinformation campaign across Texas is not accurately representing the Governor's record on funding research in higher education, I was struck in particular by two quotes:

One proven tactic of propaganda is that if you want to distract people from the conversation you should be having, don't be afraid to lie ... and lie big.

and

Public debates about university excellence and accountability are necessary and healthy. But these false claims about university research are damaging our universities and Texas as a whole.

I agree wholeheartedly with Governor Perry's points here. And I wonder if he realizes he himself is guilty of the damaging tactics he is pointing out as he continues to insist that widespread education layoffs are not occurring and that there is one administrator for every teacher in Texas schools?

I also wonder if anyone else notices that the second quote above could still be true with just a couple of word substitutions:

Public debates about Texas K-12 education and accountability are necessary and healthy. But these false claims about Texas public schools are damaging our education system and Texas as a whole.

How I wish we - that's all of us, on all sides of public education issues in Texas - could live up to the ideal that HONEST public debate is necessary and healthy.

Contact the TX Senate Finance Committee ASAP! #txedbudget #txbudget #savetxschools

I received an email this morning from Save Texas Schools reminding me that the Texas Senate is expected to issue its budget bill tomorrow, Thursday, April 21st. It is important that Texans concerned about school finance contact these Senate members and thank them for and encourage them in their efforts to create a budget that does not cut as deeply as the House version of the budget does.

If you doubt the difference, take a look at these cuts from Round Rock ISD and see the number of programs and jobs that can be saved under the Senate version of the budget versus the House version.

Save Texas Schools provided this handy contact list for the Senate Finance Committee members. Now you have no excuse for not contacting them! Even if your Senator is not listed there, contact at least one of them. As a Texan, their decisions impact you and your schools no matter where you live.

Here is a suggested email, also from Save Texas Schools.

Dear Senator _____________________, 

Education is the greatest investment we can make in the future of our state. I understand the current budget crisis, but I also know that Texans can find solutions to the toughest problems. I ask you to support the following: 

1. Finding new revenue and non-revenue sources of funding that will reduce the proposed budget cuts to education. Proposed cuts will put 100,000 teachers out of work, close schools and eliminate vital programs. 

2. Use of most or all of the Rainy Day Fund to reduce budget cuts. This is the time the fund was created for. Given the current price of oil, the fund will also replenish quickly. 

3. Fixing the ongoing structural deficit, so that we are not back here in 2013 with the same crisis. I am encouraged by Senator Ogden’s proposals to reform the failed Margins Tax. 

Texas is currently 44th in its investment in education, and will likely be 50th if the new cuts are enacted. This is not acceptable! We are a wealthy state and the current crisis is man-made. Let’s fix the problem, stop the politics, and invest in our children. 

Sincerely, (Name) (Address)

I encourage you to speak with passion from your own heart, however. I think emails that are individualized gain more attention; they do not look like one organization's "blast campaign", but show the true feelings of the constituents. That said, if all you have time for is the suggested email above, then send it! They need to know we care about education and we are paying attention to what they do.


Speak up, Texans! The future of our children depends on it!!

Texas Can Do Better

Indeed, Texas can do better when it comes to the way our current state leadership is trying to balance the budget using a "cuts only" approach. I became aware of the video below via a post on Miguel Guhlin's Around the Corner blog. It is sponsored by the Texas Can Do Better campaign which is sponsored by the Texas American Federation of Teachers.

I am not an AFT member, but I am 100% supportive of efforts by anyone who is trying to get the truth out there, which is:

• We will continue to hit this same education finance wall every two years until our state leaders choose to fix the structural deficit that is built into the budget due to an under-performing business tax that is supposed to be financing education.
• A "cuts only" approach to balancing the Texas budget will result in 65,000 jobs being lost in public education, which will reduce programs intended to support and enrich the learning of Texas children.
• The state should use the majority of the Rainy Day Fund to mitigate the current budget shortfall while concurrently passing legislation to permanently fix the structural deficit.

The video below from Texas Can Do Better is a compelling explanation of what is at stake if we do not insist that our legislators prioritize education funding and find a permanent fix for school finance in Texas.

I've Written My Representatives; Have You? #TxEdBudget #SaveTxSchools

They are word processed, printed, signed, stuffed in envelopes, addressed, stamped, and waiting to be mailed in the morning.

What are "they"? My letters to Governor Rick Perry, Senator Steve Ogden, and Representative Larry Gonzales. That's what.

If you are Tweeting and Facebooking and blogging, great. If you are consuming information on the budget crisis, also great. If you are talking to your educator and noneducator friends, even better. But make sure you don't forget that the people who most especially need to hear you are in Austin, Texas, right now. And they won't hear you if you aren't emailing, writing, and phoning. Often.

Below is the text of my letter to Senator Ogden. My letters to Perry and Gonzales were similar, although I customized them a little to each person. For example, I thanked the governor for his support of the Texas Virtual Schools Network and mentioned to Representative Gonzales that I know he's close to public education issues since his wife is an educator.

Feel free to read my letter and use ideas from it if you like. Your letter will be more impactful if it is full of your ideas, however. They need to hear each of our individual voices in Austin.

The Honorable Steve Ogden
P.O. Box 12068
Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711

Dear Senator Ogden,

I am writing you as your constituent, a proud Texan, and a professional educator who has spent my entire eighteen year career investing in the education of children in Texas public schools. I am gravely concerned about the future of our children’s education.

Governor Perry’s words from his governing principles regarding education in Texas speak volumes toward my concerns:

"The single most effective step a person can take toward a better life is getting a great education, and Texas has made a concerted effort toward creating better, more accountable schools to make a great education easier to achieve during a time of increasingly global competition."
Source: http://governor.state.tx.us/initiatives/education/

Texas public schools and the educators they employ have made concerted efforts toward meeting the high goals demanded by the citizens of Texas and our federal government. They cannot continue to make these efforts, however, if they are not adequately funded. They simply cannot cut operational and program costs to the degree necessary to make up for a projected $10 billion shortfall in education funding from the state. Without adequate funding, school districts who dedicate 85% of their budgets toward salaries will have no choice but to lay off teachers.

An estimated 100,000 educators out of work when the final school bells ring in May 2011 will be devastating to the ability of school districts to properly differentiate instruction for students, offer them innovative programs, and continue to increase student achievement as new testing requirements come into play in the 2011-2012 school year.

I urge you, Senator Ogden, to lead during this budget crisis and encourage the use of the Rainy Day fund to mitigate the projected budget deficit. I also urge you and our legislature to come up with a reasonable and sustainable plan for funding schools in Texas. The current plan, which ties districts to target revenue from 2006, does not take into account cost increases for goods and services, and it further restricts districts by withholding state funding if they increase local funding, effectively giving them no recourse to increase revenue to make up for the looming state shortfall.

I also believe an increase in the state sales tax or another means of increasing revenue for the state should be considered. When there is not enough money to make ends meet, sensible spending cuts can be made and supplemented with additional revenue streams. This is how families and companies balance their budgets. Texas should do likewise.

According to the Texas Legislative Study Group, our state has the second highest public school enrollment in the nation, but ranks 38th in expenditures per student, 43rd in our high school graduation rate, and dead last (50th) in the percent of adults 25 and older with high school diplomas (Source: http://texaslsg.org/texasonthebrink/). To increase these standings and stay globally competitive, Texas must prioritize funding public education to provide the best education it can for its students and attract the best educators to its schools.

Senator Ogden, you have had my vote in each of your elections. As a concerned citizen and voter, I hope you will take a hard look at the devastating effect a “cuts only” approach to balancing the budget will have on our children who are the future of Texas. I also hope you will prioritize addressing our current budget and funding issues while putting new initiatives on the back burner. I must admit, I was confused as to what your priorities might be when I read about the recent constitutional amendment you proposed to require Texas to fund textbooks for private schools at a time when we do not have enough money to adequately fund public schools.

I will be closely watching how education budget issues are addressed during the 2011 legislative session, and my future voting decisions will be heavily influenced in favor of state leaders who are proponents of a strong education system in word and who follow up their verbal support with the financial support our schools desperately need.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts and concerns on education funding in Texas.

I've done my civic duty. Now it's time for you to do yours. Not sure where to start or need to catch up on some facts? Check out my previous posts on the Texas education budget crisis.


Mailbox photo used with permission from http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/733099

It's Important to Talk With Your Friends About the #TxEdBudget Crisis!

Because Texas school districts are already announcing layoffs and program cuts, I think there is a perception among the general public that the state budget is a done deal and there is nothing they can do. That's far from the truth. The budget won't be finalized until the end of the summer; unfortunately, districts have to begin planning now for the worst case scenario.


Although I have concerns that all of the cuts being made now won't be undone if the legislature ever comes to its senses, I think as citizens it is our responsibility to continue to advocate for the best interest of Texas students and educators, and it is not too late to make our wishes known and insist that our representatives really look at what they are doing as they push our education system toward the precipice. (On this theme, hats off to parents and teachers in Pflugerville ISD who aren't going down without a fight.)

This week I was at a church event, and because I'm an educator the topic of budget cuts came up. A mom who was at the event shared with me that she was involved in a Moms in Touch prayer group that faithfully gathers every week to pray for their children's schools, and that they had been praying for teachers and schools in the face of the budget cutbacks. Several of the moms have special needs children, and they were particularly concerned about what staffing reductions would mean for the services provided to their kids.

I thanked her profusely for the prayers, because being a Christian I definitely believe the master plan is in His hands.

I then ventured on to say that there was something else the moms could do - they could write their legislators with their concerns. I admit I was a little tentative because I did not want to offend by accidentally implying that prayer wasn't important or wasn't enough. You can imagine my relief when she said, "Really? We just don't know what to do or where to start." I offered to send her some information, and she gladly accepted the offer and said she would pass the information on to the other moms in her group.

As I composed an email to send to the mom I had spoken with, I found it difficult to distill down all of the information I have been consuming on this topic. I know it is important when communicating information like this to not overwhelm people. It's also important not to insult specific politicians or parties. We need to educate people with the facts, but not alienate them by making this a party-line issue.

Below is the text of the email I sent the concerned mom from my church. I would appreciate feedback on how you would tweak it to share with folks who might not be keeping up with the situation as closely as some of us are.

And, if you find value in it, please feel free to share with anyone who might benefit from this information and be encouraged to contact their legislators.

Subject: Texas Education Budget Cuts

Thank you again so much for being willing to share information with your Moms in Touch group! Feel free to share this with others whom you think might also be interested.

The main issue is that the state is looking at an overall shortfall of $27 billion in the state budget. Both the Senate and House released preliminary budgets which zero out all grant funded programs for schools, such as Pre-K, arts education, and technology funding.
In addition to cutting grant funded programs, the current proposed budgets cut the basic "allotment" that districts get for each student they teach, and they do not allow funding for any new students that come in to the schools.

Some school districts have their own "rainy day" funds, but not all do. And even if they do, in most cases it is not enough to make up for a reduction in their basic allotment plus cutting funds for grant programs. Since about 85% of an average district's budget goes to employee salaries, they have no choice but to cut staffing positions to make up for the shortfall from the state. That is why districts are starting to let teachers and staff know they will not have jobs next year in preparation for the worst case scenario. Estimates are 100,000 educators in Texas could be laid off at the end of this school year.

Cutting back on staff in this dramatic way will impact student instruction, as the students will receive less individualized attention in larger classes and specialists like speech pathologists or physical therapists will have larger case loads. Other types of positions being cut in many districts are registered school nurses, librarians, and instructional coaches who help teachers keep up to date on the latest teaching methods.

In addition, having all of those educators out of work will impact the Texas economy.

The state has a "rainy day" fund of $9.4 billion dollars that they could tap in to. If they spent all of it, it would make up for the education portion of the funding deficit. So far, Governor Perry has been discouraging the spending of any of that fund, and the legislature has been planning the huge budget cuts accordingly. But they are starting to discuss using the Texas rainy day fund, largely because constituents have been writing and asking them to make education funding more of a priority.

The number one thing anyone who is concerned can do is write their legislators.

I think hearing from parents is the most powerful thing, so if the moms and dads you know could write to their legislators telling them to make school funding a priority, that will definitely help encourage the legislature to approach this budget shortfall in a more balanced way. Cuts may be necessary, but a reduction at the currently proposed levels is going to be devastating to school districts and their programs.

The Save Texas Schools website has a lot of great information: http://savetxschools.org/. They even have sample letters you can send to your legislators, but I would suggest customizing them and telling the stories of how programs and teachers have impacted your own children. The sample letters can be found here: http://savetxschools.org/contact-your-representatives/. Emails, snail mail, and phone calls are all important.

Find out your legislators here: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

Contact Governor Perry here: http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact/

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If folks want more information, here are some places to find it:

I would encourage anyone who wants more information on how this is going to impact their specific school district to go to the district's website and look for information. Many districts are posting their proposed budget cuts. Here are a couple of examples:

Round Rock ISD: https://rrisd.wufoo.com/forms/round-rock-isd-budget-worksheet/
Pflugerville ISD: http://www.pflugervilleisd.net/community/budget/index.cfm

Basic Overview of What's Being Cut from the Preliminary State Budget:
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/02/20/2862740/texas-budget-proposals-whats-on.html

Article on History and Purpose of Texas Rainy Day Fund:
http://www.cppp.org/research.php?aid=1043

One of the things I hear from people I know is questions about why teachers want so much for themselves because the Wisconsin teachers are getting so much national attention. In Texas, we are not unionized and do not have collective bargaining rights. We aren't asking for more benefits - just to keep our jobs and as a result of that to keep schools appropriately staffed. Here is an article which discusses the differences between Texas and Wisconsin:
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-newspaper/texas-news/texplainer-can-wisconsin-happen-here/

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I hope this hasn't been too much information. I'm no political expert, but I am very concerned about our children's educational futures and he future of the teaching profession in Texas.

If you have questions, please let me know.

Your prayers are also needed! Especially for our leaders' wisdom, and for educators to trust in God's promises and provision as we face uncertain job futures - for many of us for the first time in our lives.

Thank you again!!!!

A quick followup email I sent: I forgot to mention in that giant email that folks on Facebook can follow Save Texas Schools there. It's a good way to stay informed on the situation.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Save-Texas-Schools/121711224567387

Thanks again!!!

So, there you have it. How would you improve it?

More importantly, who are you going to share this information with? Educators who may be in denial? Concerned parents and citizens who don't know if there is anything they can do? Think of the people in your life that fit into these categories, and find ways to share with them today!

Blog post photo from Morgue File, used with permission: http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/90302

Keeping Up to Date: Texas Education Budget Crisis

Letting Your Voice Be Heard

With so much information crossing my screen on the Texas Education Budget Crisis, I thought it would be useful to pull together a few places where folks can stay up to date.

I hope you do more with this information than stay "in the know" though. I hope you take this knowledge and use it to write and phone your legislators and let them know how you feel about what they are doing to our schools if they pass their currently proposed budgets.

Please share this information with your friends and colleagues as well. It is going to take all of us - parents, concerned citizens, and educators - to get the attention of our legislators and governor and let them know we do not want an education system that cannot meet the needs of students because it is inadequately funded, nor do we want 100,000 educators to stay on the public payroll because they are collecting unemployment instead of teaching our kids.


Where to Mail Your Letters and Direct Your Phone Calls

Find Out Who Represents You and How To Contact Them - Traditional snail-mail letters and phone calls tend to get more attention than emails.
http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

Contact Governor Rick Perry
http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/


Staying Up to Date

Save Texas Schools - A State-Wide Coalition Dedicated to Preserving Our Texas Schools
Website: http://savetxschools.org/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Save-Texas-Schools/121711224567387
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SaveTXschools
News Article Page: http://savetxschools.org/news/

Texas Tribune - Independent online newspaper:
Home Page: http://www.texastribune.org/
Public Education Page: http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/public-education/

TexasISD.com -Aggregates stories from across the state:
Home Page: http://www.texasisd.com/
Legislative Page: http://www.texasisd.com/cat_index_11.shtml
School Finance Page: http://www.texasisd.com/cat_index_25.shtml

Your Local News Media- Stay informed on how the budget cuts will affect your immediate community:
News Link Texas Newspapers: http://www.newslink.org/txnews.html
News Link Texas TV Stations: http://www.newslink.org/txtele.html

21st Century Teaching and Learning Blog - A colleague and friend of mine, @digitallearners, is posting a fact to her Facebook page each day in hopes that her noneducator friends will pick up the information and contact their representatives. She is cross-posting her daily posts to her blog. You can use her information to educate your social and professional networks as well. This link will take you to all of her Texas education budget posts: http://digital-learners.blogspot.com/search/label/Texas%20budget

Around the Corner Blog - @mguhlin is posting regularly about the budget crisis from an experienced educators' perspective. His posts give educators food for thought and action and can also serve to show concerned citizens from outside of education how the funding situation is being perceived in the education field. Texas education budget posts: http://www.mguhlin.org/search/label/BudgetNews


More Ideas?

Do you have sources you are regularly visiting for up to date information on the school funding crisis in Texas? Are you posting information regularly? If so, please leave a comment and tell us about it!


Photo courtesy of Flikr user Whole Wheat Toast. Used under a Creative Commons Attribution, Noncommercial, Share Alike license agreement. http://www.flickr.com/photos/executionsinfo/2423986447/