tcta.org |
November 19 , 2007 |
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| U.S. Senate subcommittee holds Social Security hearing | ||
A subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on Social Security issues affecting teachers and other public servants on November 6. The Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions and Family Policy, chaired by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), heard from witnesses about the harmful effects of the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision. TCTA submitted testimony to the committee urging action on the legislation that would repeal the GPO and WEP; the committee will accept written comments through Tuesday, November 20. Read more… |
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| TRS Board formally approves 13th check | ||
Actuaries for the Texas Teacher Retirement System had indicated in October that a 13th check would be affordable without requiring an increase in active member contributions, and the TRS Board of Directors formally approved the bonus check at its November 9 meeting. The Board also received good news about the financial condition of the fund, which continues to benefit from solid investment performance over the past years. The outlook is good for additional gains in 2008, leading to the potential in the 2009 legislative session for a retiree benefit increase and possible restoration of active member benefits lost in the 2005 session. |
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| SBOE addresses TCTA concerns on a proposed educator certification rule | ||
At its early November meeting, TCTA urged the State Board of Education (SBOE) to reject proposed educator certification rules submitted by State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) because of concerns about the mandatory revocation of an educator's certification under certain conditions. One of the specified grounds for mandatory revocation is “solicitation of a romantic relationship,” which has been defined by SBEC to include conduct such as discussing the details of a student’s sexual history or engaging in conversations regarding the sexual problems, preferences, or fantasies of the student. TCTA believes that although this conduct may frequently justify certificate revocation, it may also include situations in which an educator was not attempting to solicit a romantic relationship, and the board should retain the flexibility to impose lesser sanctions in such instances. After hearing testimony from TCTA and others the SBOE allowed the rules to move forward, but required SBEC staff to agree they would revisit the concerns brought by TCTA and others, and bring the revised rule back before the SBOE at the next possible opportunity. TCTA will continue to work with SBEC on improving these rules. |
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Texas Unified School Safety Standards: public comment/review open |
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A draft of the new safety standards is available for public comment and review until January 31, 2008. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has been drafting the Texas Unified School Safety Standards in conjunction with the Texas School Safety Center and other state and local organizations. Read more... |
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TCTA successful in impacting final TEA special education rules |
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Final TEA rules on special education became effective on November 11, 2007, almost three years after Congress reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. TEA included TCTA recommendations that will be beneficial to teachers of special education students. Read more… |
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NCLB reauthorization is stalled |
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Time seems to have run out for reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act this year. Negotiations will likely continue on revisions including potentially changing how student performance is judged. With the presidential election coming up it seems the Act’s reauthorization may prove difficult in 2008. However, Congress approved an extension of funding for NCLB at current levels through Oct. 2008. Read more...
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TCTA comments on draft Commission for a College Ready Texas (CCRT) plan |
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TCTA provided public comment on a report submitted by the Commission for a College Ready Texas (CCRT) to various education agencies, which included recommendations on how college-readiness can be defined clearly and specifically, based on research and public testimony. Because the 115-page draft report was available for public comment only briefly, TCTA hopes for additional opportunities for more thorough comment and review. Read more…
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Vouchers overwhelmingly defeated in Utah |
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Voters decisively rejected the will of the Utah Legislature and governor, defeating what would have been the nation's most comprehensive education voucher program in a referendum blowout. Several of the news reports indicated that the defeat would likely result in the failure of similar efforts in many other U.S. states, including Texas.
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EXTRA CREDIT |
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CDC offers guidelines on preventing spread of MRSA The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has supplied schools and parents with a concise summary of guidelines on how to prevent the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a serious form of staph infection that resists traditional antibiotics. For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAInSchools/.
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Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! |
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TCTA offices will be closed November 21-23 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
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| Copyright © 2007 Texas Classroom Teachers Association®. All rights reserved. The Texas Classroom Teachers Association is an independent association for Texas teaching professionals, which was founded in 1927 and has over 50,000 members across the state. TCTA is based in Austin and is the only statewide teacher association that limits Active membership to those directly involved in classroom teaching or teaching support. For more information about TCTA, please visit our Web
site at www.tcta.org. |
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