tcta.org |
April 21 , 2008 |
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TCTA testifies on teacher retention, pay |
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The Texas Classroom Teachers Association testified before the House Public Education Committee on April 21, pushing for teacher compensation to more appropriately reward experience in the classroom. Researchers indicate positive effects on student performance can be tied to teacher experience, but studies also indicate a high percentage of teachers leave the classroom within the first five years. Many school districts are offering attractive starting salaries to address the need for teachers; however, pay for teachers with considerably more years of experience remains low in comparison. Read the testimony… |
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Committees meet, discuss referrals to alternative education programs |
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The ability for teachers to remove disruptive students from the classroom is under review by two House legislative committees. The House Committee on Corrections and Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues are jointly studying an interim charge relating to student referrals to disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEPs), juvenile justice alternative education programs (JJAEPs), in-school suspension, etc. There was no opportunity for public testimony, and no classroom teachers were included on the expert panels. Read more… |
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Accountability hearing illuminates conflicts in testing/rating system |
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The Select Committee on Public School Accountability held its third hearing on April 14, with invited testimony from stakeholders (a variety of representatives from education, business, and other interested parties). However, an unspoken theme of “Mixed Messages” was apparent throughout the day’s testimony as committee members, invited panel members and public witnesses remarked on the conflicting messages and lack of agreement among policymakers and the education community regarding our state’s testing and rating systems. During the course of the 6-hour meeting, many of the problems inherent in the current system and in any contemplation of a revised system were brought to light, as speakers disagreed on some fundamental issues and acknowledged the complexities of others. Read more... |
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TRS Board approves "historic" strategic partnerships |
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In what was referred to by board members as an “historic” meeting, the TRS Board of Trustees approved four major financial firms as strategic partners of the retirement system. TRS has relied on its internal investment staff to manage the fund’s investment portfolio, but the Legislature approved the use of external managers for up to 30% of the fund’s assets during the 2007 legislative session. Read more... |
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TCTA testifies on TRS floating contribution rate concept |
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Two state legislative committees are considering changes to the way the Teacher Retirement System is funded, changes that could impact not only your retirement benefits but your take-home pay as an active employee. Read more... |
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| Share your summer | ||
Summer’s approaching and school will be out for many. What’s on the agenda for you? Are you taking your dream vacation or just planning some quality time with your kids? Will your perfect summer day be an afternoon in the backyard with that book you’ve been meaning to read and a glass of lemonade? Or maybe summer doesn’t mean vacation for you, but a time to catch up with other pursuits or make some extra money. Will you teach, or will you do something entirely different to refresh yourself? Send submissions by email or mail to the TCTA Communications Department, PO Box 1489, Austin, TX 78767-1489. We will share highlights in the upcoming summer issue. |
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| What makes you laugh? | ||
We recently solicited humorous anecdotes from the classroom through our e-update and are pleased to share selected highlights from the many we received. If you’d like to share your most amusing classroom experiences, please send an email or give us a call at (888) 879-8282. |
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| Copyright © 2008 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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