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The House Public Education Committee met on April 13 to discuss a number of bills. This report covers HB 4257, HB 204, and HB 370. A video of the meeting can be found here.

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.

Testimony

HB 4257 (Morales Shaw) (CS) – Relating to the trauma informed care policy for school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.

  • Came up after hearing from many educators
  • Modifies Section 38 so that school districts can plan how they will provide mental health support during a crisis, including the pandemic, hurricanes, and the winter storm
  • Builds on current policy to build specific plan for staff and student support during a crisis
  • Requirement is needed because there is little follow through on the previously passed law, a bill fix in essence

 

Allison Fernandez, Senior at Thomas Jefferson High School – For

  • Passing this would ease worries amidst a crisis amongst students and staff
  • The CDC found increase of 31% of mental health issues during pandemic amongst teenagers
  • Bernal – Can you talk about what your classmates think?
    • One of my friends struggled with depression and wanted to commit suicide
    • She is fine now because she reached out, not the other way around by the teachers
  • Talarico – What is your workload?
    • There is a lot of work, I would go to school and come back and have to do multiple hours of studying and research

 

Alison Mohr Boleware, Government Relations Director National Association of Social Workers Texas – For

  • Representative asked what we could do to be better prepared for a crisis
  • Psychological first aid is an option mentioned in the bill, can refer to outside providers
  • Dutton – What’s the difference in what this bill adds?
    • Requires a plan for crisis by the school
    • Plan may include psychological first aid and community referrals
  • Dutton – Could this be done under trauma or grief to a student?
    • There are resources available, but doesn’t require a plan
  • Dutton – Would you assume the crisis would cause trauma or grief?
    • Yes
  • Dutton – What’s the difference?
    • You could say that a student could experience it for many reasons, but this calls for a more constructive plan before a crisis happens
  • Dutton – How is TEA handling trauma and grief or are they not?
    • I think that would be a question for TEA
  • Huberty – Our education code is very large and already includes this. We get criticized to put more of a burden on each district. Districts open to liability with unforeseen events like the pandemic you can’t prepare for.

 

Craig Goralski, TEA – Resource

  • Dutton – Is there anything prohibiting the districts from doing this right now?
    • Not to my knowledge, but there is no mandate
  • Dutton – If it is the event that causes trauma or grief to the student, they would still be empowered to do this?
    • Correct

HB 4527 left pending

 

HB 204 (Thierry) – Relating to requiring school districts and open enrollment charter schools to provide a landline telephone or panic button in every classroom.

  • Committee Substitute, renamed Alyssa’s Law
  • Removes landline requirement for classrooms in CS
  • Already have been more than 30 school shootings this year in the country
  • SB 11 was bipartisan last session to strengthen school safety measures
  • No fiscal note due to SB 11
  • Allotment authorizes funds to be utilized for communication systems
  • Used in event of lockdown situation or medical emergency
  • Teacher will hit the button on the software and make a specific report on what is happening
  • Many have thought active shooter situations were a fire drill or something else, this allows information sharing
  • Huberty – It doesn’t cost anything, how is this possible?
    • It is already funded in the school safety allotment
  • Huberty – I just want to get to the bottom of it
    • It would use existing resources after talking with appropriations, schools can customize it
    • Would only cost $2,000 per school due to the use of software
    • Passed in Florida and New Jersey
    • Live feedback on location
  • Dutton – What happens when the button is pressed?
    • They are immediately contacted to a first responder, goes straight through

 

Gray Hall, CEO of Raptor Technologies – For

  • Founded 19 years ago for the sole purpose to protect schools
  • US leading provider of K-12 safety software
  • Serves more than 80% of Texas School Districts and 35,000 schools nationwide
  • Alyssa’s Law addresses a critical need for easily accessible panic alert systems
  • Mobile panic alert system saves time and widespread coverage across campus, not just classrooms
  • Huberty – What is the cost?
    • Our services are less expensive than the $2,000 number annually
    • Costs $1,200 per year per campus
    • Drill preparedness included, advanced product is $1,800
  • Huberty – Why don’t you sell directly to schools?
    • We do
  • Huberty – So the law lets you get the whole market?
    • It is an insurance policy, a mandate is helpful, 94% of school districts around the country don’t have an emergency management system
  • Huberty – You have some product in 80% of the districts?
    • Yes, but less than 10% have emergency management system
  • Huberty – How many have panic system that you sell?
    • Less than 10%

 

Carrie Brady, VP Texas Society of Architects – On

  • Architect member of school safety board
  • SB 11 was enacted and signed into law, allowed for this need to be pursued by school districts but it is not mandatory
  • SB 11 Included language that would authorize the implementation of this bill
  • SB 11 allows for wide use of platforms, eliminates communication in place for open enrollment charter schools
  • Basically eliminates local control for what is determined by school district

 

Zenobia Joseph, Self – On

  • Concern about training guidelines in line 16 of the proposed legislation
  • Should be paid for training and some type of virtual training should be provided
  • Might not be a way to communicate over cellphone in certain situations

 

Lori Alhadeff, Parkland Mother of Killed Child – For

  • 14 students and 3 staff members were killed
  • Turned grief into action so that her daughter didn’t die in vain
  • 34 students were shot in 6 minutes, response time saves lives
  • Gun set off fire alarm and sent students out into hallway
  • Panic buttons could have spared lives

 

Craig Geralski, TEA – Resource

  • Dutton – Have you got the cost pinned down?
    • We referred it to the districts
  • Dutton – Have some schools done this already?
    • Yes
  • Dutton – Do you know how much it cost the district?
    • Tens of thousands
  • Dutton – How widely used is the program where it is implemented?
    • Every teacher has it

 

Thierry, in closing

  • As the law is, a teacher must have a cellphone
  • Puts system on device they have
  • Does not prescribe how district chooses system, numerous companies are capable of doing this outside of Raptor
  • Huberty – I wanted to see how many districts used them, seen this happen before so I wanted to proceed with caution to make sure we aren’t contracting with one company and schools can choose which systems are applicable to them

HB 204 left pending

 

HB 370 (Gervin-Hawkins) – Relating to the implementation of certain rules regarding public school accountability adopted by the commissioner of education of the TEA.

  • Bill laid out by author
  • Ensure that new rules that are adopted are not implemented before commissioner or agency is fully prepared to implement
  • Can make sure schools have right tools to implement new rules
  • 1 year wait period so changers are not made instantly
  • Gives TEA time to prepare so schools can get it right

 

Dr. Keith Haffey, Spring Branch ISD – For

  • Aligns with what ATAC has asked for over the years
  • Improves accountability by increasing timeline
  • Ensures important information is delivered to educators on time to help the year run smoothly

 

Theresa Urrabazo, San Antonio ISD, Texas School Alliance and San Antonio Coalition – For

  • Has seen district change from meeting standards to making sure all students get option to go to 2- or 4-year colleges, has seen accountability work
  • Accountability systems works best when there are not consequences and given a chance to be implemented
  • Tweak rules after implementation if it’s not working perfectly
  • Can’t tweak system with unintended consequences

HB 370 left pending