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The State Board of Education met on February 3 to discuss adoptions and recommendations purposed by SBOE staff. Governor Greg Abbott also gave a speech to the body before swearing them in. An archive of the hearing and the agenda can be found here.

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight 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.

 

Items not discussed: 9.

 

Opening Comments

  • Chaiman Keven Ellis– Thanks to Commissioner, Governor, and elected officials for being in attendance

 

Swearing In Ceremony

  • Governor Greg Abbott– Abbott congratulates Board members for going through election process
    • Says members have been elected to a “consequential” position
    • Make sure the next generation is better off than we were
    • We are not doing enough for students in Texas, anyone who thinks we are doing an adequate job have not seen results
    • Believes we will leave session providing more money for teachers, schools and making them safer
    • Cautions, more money does not lead to better results, uses California as an example
    • Need to find a way to achieve better results
    • We must do better in math and reading
    • His goal this session is to use his position to implement strategies
    • For one need to get back to basics
    • Living in a world where AI is taking over the future; whether AI, robotics, cybersecurity – they have a fundamental basis in mathematics
    • Kids need to do better at mathematics
    • Texas should be number #1 in education
    • We must all be part of the process together focusing on making kids #1 in math, science, reading
    • If we all work together, we can achieve this goal of being #1 in the U.S.
  • All members sworn in

 

Roll Call

  • All members present

 

Resolutions

  • Resolution honoring the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools
    • Resolution Passes
  • Resolution regarding Career and Technical Education Month to be held on Feb 1-28
    • Resolution Passes

 

Approval of Minutes

  • Minutes were approved

 

Public testimony

  • Shawn Yi Fu- not present
  • Debra Simons– Please revise FAQ and clarify the law rather than confusing the School Districts
  • Mary Lowe- Restore to discipline practices in Texas Grant is failing and causing school district; PBIS have 400 grievances in Texas; Asking you to do something
  • Tracy Hanes– not present
  • Amy Super– Vast majority of students are not reading at local level; ISD did not explain students how to vote

 

Approval of Consent Agenda

  • LJ Francis– Motin to approve
  • Will Hickman– Point of information on the bond guarantee reserve what is it?
    • Tom Maynard– PSF does not issue bonds they only guarantee them
    • In the past we kept a 5% cushion; the cushion was implemented if the market value fell below cost
    • We turned down $6.7B in November; we can accept more if we roll back the reserve
    • We are rolling back the reserve from 5% to .25%
    • Hickman- If we roll back how much does that free up?
    • Maynard- probably around $6B.
    • Aicha Daivs– How does a charter school junk bond affect PSF?
    • Maynard- it probably won’t; we never had a default
    • Julie Pickren– when we reduce capacity who has the authority?
    • Maynard- It’s done by rule, so the staff or the commissioner; Board does not grant or deny it
  • Audrey Young– Committee on Instruction would like to pull item 2
  • Pickren- Common core is illegal in Texas, would like clarity on this
    • Chairman Ellis- If it is in common core doesn’t mean we can’t teach it
    • Pickren- would like item 1 to be pulled
  • Chairman Ellis- consent agenda items 3-9 are adopted

 

COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD

 

Consideration of Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency Test Fee Changes

  • Pam Little, Vice Chairman– Reject increase pricing fees for Highschool equivalency test
  • For 13, oppose 1
  • Recommendation is adopted

Legislative Recommendations for the 88th Texas Legislature

  • Little- Recommend the SBOE strike item G from the SBOE 88th legislative priorities that were adopted in November 2022
  • For 8, oppose 5
  • Recommendation is adopted

Update on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Review

  • Little- Recommend that the SBOE approve adjustments to the instructional materials adoption cycle as presented by staff attachment A
  • For 13, oppose 0
  • Recommendation is adopted

Consideration of Petition for Amendment of Rule Concerning 19 TAC Chapter 100, Charters, Subchapter A, Open-Enrollment Charter Schools, §100.1, Selection Process

  • Little- Recommends the SBOE directs the TEA staff to initiate the rule making proceedings to present an item to amend chapter 100.1 to end the no contact period for charter school applicants on the date the applicant passes the external review with a passing score
    • Davis- We were given testimony that black out period is violation of a freedom of speech, wanted to get opinion on it
    • Staff Attorneys- We would defend the current rule if you were sued on it; At this point it is a low probability
    • Hickman- Is it fair to say we are reducing legal risk by making no contact period shorter?
    • Staff- Certainly, any time you are reducing something you are making it less intrusive
    • Rebecca Bell-Metereau– Is it possible to pull this?
    • Chairman Ellis- It is not, those were pulled off consent
    • Chairman Ellis- there a few options, you can vote, or you can ask that it be postponed to a different time
    • Kinsey- call to question
      • Seconded
      • Motion carries
    • For 9, oppose 4
    • Recommendation is adopted

 

COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION

 

Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 111, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics, Subchapter D, Other High School Mathematics Courses, §111.56, Advanced Placement (AP) Precalculus (Second Reading and Final Adoption)

  • Audrey Young, Chairman for Committee on Instruction – this item is an additional test that has been created AP for precalculus
  • Staff- there are currently two calculus courses AB and BC
  • Pickren- you still must do TEKS in addition to AP courses?
  • Staff- No, the board would probably want to look at it
  • Pickren- TEKS are generally covered by material?
  • Staff- that’s fair to say
  • Pickren- Is this only TEKS?
  • Staff- the course description identifies content standards
  • Pickren- from TEA to course provider, has it been confirmed to them that common core is against the law in Texas?
  • Staff- no we haven’t described to them
  • Members debated and discussed if the curriculum contains common core
  • Chairman Ellis- When we do AP courses, does that trigger proclamation such as this?
  • Staff- yes there are times, but they were a case-by-case basis
  • Childs- move to call to question
    • Seconded
    • For 9, oppose 5
  • For 10, oppose 4
  • Recommendation is adopted

Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter A, Middle School (Second Reading and Final Adoption)

  • Young- Move for item to be postponed until the April 2023 SBOE meeting
  • For 12, oppose 0
  • Recommendation is adopted

Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A, Required Curriculum, §74.5, Academic Achievement Record (Transcript) (First Reading and Filing Authorization)

  • Young- Motion carried that the SBOE suspend board operating procedure in accordance with 5.2A to allow consideration at first reading
  • For 13, oppose 0
  • Recommendation is adopted

Approval of Updates and Substitutions to Adopted Instructional Materials

  • Young- Move for item to be postponed until the April 2023 SBOE meeting
  • For 14, oppose 0
  • Recommendation is adopted

 

COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL FINANCE/PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND

 

Proposed Repeal of 19 TAC Chapter 129, Student Attendance, Subchapter A, Student Attendance Allowed, and Subchapter B, Student Attendance Accounting (Second Reading and Final Adoption)

  • Consented

 

DISCUSSION ONLY

 

Reports of committees regarding agenda items posted for discussion on committee agendas

  • Tom Maynard new Chairman on Committee of School Finance
    • Perez-Diaz is vice Chairman
    • Need cosponsors from legislators for HR 32
    • Postponed meeting of the corporation, will find time to reschedule
  • Hickman is new Chairman on Committee on School Initiative
    • LJ Francis is Vice Chairman
  • Chairman Ellis- I have been appointed Southern Director for National Association for State Board of Education