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

It's Raining! Why Texas Should Use the Rainy Day Fund

I am home today with a sick pet. While she rests and we wait to go to the vet, I have been reading up on the latest information to cross my screen regarding the Texas education budget crisis.

I am not glad my pet is sick, but I'm very glad I came across a Tweet from MrDW30 which linked to an article from the Center for Public Policy Priorities regarding the origin of the Texas Rainy Day Fund, examples of how it has been used in the past, and why it makes sense to use it in the financial situation Texas currently finds itself in. I only hope that those who subscribe to Governor Perry's "hands off the fund" approach will read this article and see the sense that is in it.

The full article, Using the Rainy Day Fund to Ensure Our Recovery and Prosperity, is six pages long and well worth the reading. I posted a link to it for my friends on Facebook along with some compelling excerpts which I am also sharing here. I believe these excerpts can form the basis for talking points as you share with your colleagues and friends the important fact that the impending budget crisis can be avoided if our legislators approach it in a balanced, reasonable manner. You might also cite this article in correspondence with your legislators.

Here are some quotes which stood out to me (bolding is mine):

"The Legislature told voters that if they saved tax dollars in the Rainy Day Fund, those dollars would be used to maintain current services in the event of an economic downturn. Voters took the deal, approving the constitutional amendment creating the fund in November 1988. The amendment became Article 3, Section 49-g, of the Texas Constitution."

"In 1991, the Legislature spent the entire balance ($28.8 million) on public schools, and in 1993, spent the entire balance ($197 million) for criminal justice. In 2003, to deal with the last economic downturn, the Legislature appropriated $1.3 billion from the Rainy Day Fund."

"...if we don’t use all of the Rainy Day Fund now to help maintain vital public services, the damage in 2012-13 is certain and great. Cuts would imperil our economic recovery. In the short run, Texas would lose 250,000 public and private jobs just because of the cuts to public education. In the long run, cuts to education would threaten our future prosperity if we shortchanged an entire group of Texas children."

"Why make a decision today to deeply cut critical public services for 2012-13 because we are worried that we might not have the money in 2014-15 to continue to provide the services? Texas has both the time and a process to adjust the budget if the economy does not continue to improve. This same process allows for budget adjustments to address any emergency such as a hurricane."

‎"The Constitution requires a three-fifths vote of the members present to spend the Rainy Day Fund to prevent a deficit in a current budget or to offset a decline in available revenue for a future budget. If all members were present, that would require 90 votes in the House and 19 in the Senate."

"The Rainy Day Fund was created by Texans who knew what it was like to deal with a crisis that threatens economic growth and future prosperity. While they wanted to preserve the fund for real crisis and important needs, they intended it to be used in the very sort of circumstances we now face. Texans will not abide billions ($9.4 billion) kept in the treasury while classrooms are crowded and teachers are fired, while promising young Texans are denied access to college, and while low-income children, the elderly, and those with disabilities are denied the humane protection of a compassionate state."

The entire article is very compelling and very easy to read. I understand more now about why the Rainy Day Fund exists, and I am more convinced than ever that it exists for the exact circumstances we are in today. I encourage you to read it in its entirety for yourself.

But don't stop there. Are you discussing this with your colleagues? I ran into some folks I used to teach with at lunch yesterday, two of them active teachers and one a retired teacher subbing for the day, and none of them were aware of the Save Texas Schools Rally on March 12th, and I suspect that means they probably aren't writing their representatives either. Social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs are wonderful, but it is my opinion that the most compelling conversations, the ones that move people to action, are the ones that take place in person. If you are reading this blog, then great! Now, go spread the word to everyone who isn't reading. Let's prove this blogger wrong in his appraisal of Texas teachers...

 

Blog photo public domain courtesy of  NASA: http://www.nasaimages.org/luna/servlet/detail/nasaNAS~10~10~68788~173778:Heavy-Rains-Drench-Texas

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/