The State Board of Education met on September 3rd to discuss additions to the code, a TEKS review, and Committee on Instruction updates. The meeting and formal agenda 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.

 

Resolutions

  • Honoring the 2021 Heroes for Children

 

Public Testimony

Perla Hopkins

  • Came as parent to explain decline of public education system in TX
  • Boils down to parental rights; requested curriculum information from Leander ISD, turned into a public information request, wouldn’t print the information

 

Paul Gotiere

  • Parental rights being stripped away in the name of safety; need parental rights as a balance/check on school authority

 

Emily Parent, Greenbrook tenant in Brooklyn, NY

  • Providing information about TX School Board’s investment in building; voicing concerns of tenants

 

Anthu Nguyen, Greenbrook tenant in Brooklyn, NY

  • Greenbrook tenant; $100 million investment on behalf of SBOE not paying off, voicing concerns about Greenbrook

 

Nicole Krishtul, Community Liaison

  • SBOE not hearing full account of Greenbrook abuse

 

Brad Lander, NYC Council member

  • Has been working with Greenbrook tenants; voicing concerns about non-renewals, construction-harassment, price increases

 

Daniella Stromberg, Business Owner in Greenbrook-owned building

  • Owned business for over 16 years, building now owned by Greenbrook
  • Greenbrook not responsive to pandemic-related business hits

 

Cassie Newsome, Greenbrook tenant in Brooklyn, NY

  • Greenbrook participating in predatory investments, pushing people out of their homes
  • Asks board to investigate NW1 Greenbrook and divest SBOE money

 

Michael and Amanda Wexler, Greenbrook tenant in Brooklyn, NY

  • Received notice of non-renewal from Greenbrook, no opportunity to stay and pay more
  • Apartment sat vacant for at least 4 months
  • Wants Texas School Fund to divest money from Greenbrook

 

Jeffrey Aronowitz, Lead tenant organizer of Fifth Avenue Committee

  • SBOE responsible for Greenbrook using harassment tactics; predatory landlord

 

Bradley Sachs, Greenbrook tenant in Brooklyn, NY

  • Greenbrook purchased building, increased rent by 13% at height of pandemic without reason
  • Every non-stabilized tenant sent a non-renewal letter
  • Predatory landlords, harassing tenants

 

Dr. Tommie Smith

  • Take care when discussing Critical Race Theory and how it’s discussed in schools

 

Approval of Consent Agenda

  • Consent agenda adopted

 

Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development, Subchapter G, Education and Training; Subchapter I, Health Science; Subchapter J, Hospitality and Tourism; Subchapter M, Law and Public Service; and Subchapter O, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

  • Hickman – Heard very little from public, from schools; wants to hear more from public
  • Bell-Metereau – Wants to hear from public and private organizations regarding this
  • Motion carries, recommendation adopted


Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter A, Elementary, §§112.1-112.7, and Subchapter B, Middle School, §§112.25-112.28

  • Hardy – Amend the 8.11.B, clarify section about impact of human activity on climate change, take out specific reference to 150 years as it’s limiting
  • Perez-Diaz – Against motion, discusses importance of 150 years reference, issue with word “can” when climate change is more concrete
  • Diaz – Important to have reference to 150 years to make students focus on industrialization
  • Ellis – Hardy taking it back to how it was, not sure what point of this is
  • Bell-Metereau – Can concur with deletion of “can,” could do specific reference to industrial revolution; doesn’t want to appease energy council on exact language
  • Amendment is adopted (8-6)
  • Hardy – Move to strike language about efforts to mitigate climate change; adding another level of teaching and another requirement for testing; need to be careful adding more to 8th grade teaching and testing requirements
  • Perez-Diaz – 8th graders have capacity, climate change is their lived experience outside the classroom; important to engage in these conversations
  • Diaz – Hardy never taught 8th grade science; no concern with adding content before, can’t let oil and gas industry impact what students are learning
  • Bell-Metereau – Students understand the implications of climate change, need to learn about this in the classroom
  • Little – Maybe need to look at things from a conservation approach? Could resolve conflict
  • Hickman – Permanent School Fund funded by oil and gas, wants to implement a critical thinking discussion within language, don’t want idea that you can just ban oil and gas; allow the children to think about how to remedy climate change
  • Robinson – No doubt the children can understand this; if using word mitigate, up to teacher to decide what should be taught
  • Perez – Topic requires critical thinking, removal takes this out; wordsmithing fine, but entire scratch takes out all discussion
  • Ellis – Topic of climate change can’t be in there without having section urging critical thinking; keeping it keeps the discussion going
  • Hardy – Big question is that climate change scientists don’t know how to mitigate it; as a teacher, when using scientific evidence to describe, requires discussion; don’t need a TEK to encourage critical thinking
  • Perez-Diaz – Regarding proposal of conservation, need to talk about impact, not just preventative measures, need to address reactionary tactics
  • Bell-Metereau – Looking at mitigations a good idea, need to look at it from historical approach; look at conservation but also at future to transition to sustainable energy
  • Amendment withdrawn
  • Motion carries, recommendation adopted (14-0)


Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter C, Other Provisions, §74.28, Students with Dyslexia and Related Disorders

  • Melton-Malone – Generated a lot of public comment; overall discussion was that SBOE was on the right track, public appreciated the work put in to create usable handbook for districts
  • Maynard – What were some of the concerns that surfaced during public comment?
    • Melton-Malone – Screening process and having qualified screeners; some called for a change to the standard protocol wording but kept it the same
  • Maynard – What is the issue with standard protocol?
    • Melton-Malone – If school follows standard protocol for kids with dyslexia, they then don’t have access to special education program
  • Maynard – What was the dialogue regarding concern in the meeting?
    • Martinez – Trying to identify the manner in which kids with dyslexia are served; assistance for dyslexia and special education needs is not mutually exclusive
  • Martinez describes standard protocol regarding children with dyslexia
  • Martinez – Confusion with original wording regarding when FFIE should occur to have complete information regarding access to services
  • Maynard – With Fort Hood in county, schools serve military families with dyslexic children who then move from state-to-state; causes a lot of problems for child’s education and access to assistance in school; has this been addressed?
    • Martinez – This version should rectify these problems
  • Young – Committee has taken a huge step in terms of making sure dyslexic kids are identified early and receive the services they need; dyslexia is a learning disability when properly diagnosed
  • Melton-Malone – The majority of the people at the meeting liked these changes and found them to be a good solution for the problems at hand
  • Young – Changes in handbook will immediately impact 45,000 students
  • Motion carries, recommendation adopted (15-0)
  • Bell-Metereau – Someone at meeting asked for a universal removal of the word “standard,” would this revision be possible?
    • Martinez – Substantive change like that would have required action before final vote


Report from the Commissioner of Education Regarding Updated Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines Alignment for Adopted Instructional Materials

  • Melton-Malone – Motion would approve updated TPG coverage percentage on materials submitted for TPG update review

Motion carries, recommendation adopted (14-0)

 

Proposed amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 109 Budgeting, Accounting, and Auditing, Subchapter B TEA Audit Functions 109.25 State Compensatory Education Program Reporting and Auditing System

  • Maynard – Necessary to have effective date of 20 days after filing
  • Hickman – Was originally pulled; why?
    • Maynard – Needed record vote by 2/3, didn’t have that; administrative issue
  • Motion carries, recommendation adopted (14-0)

 

  • Maynard – Committee did take a look at the certificate of formation for PSF corporation, will be action item for next meeting
  • Ellis – Will create committee for PSF after certificate approved
  • Maynard – It will be complex to move into corporate structure
  • Bell-Metereau – Going to reconsider Greenbrook investment?
    • Maynard – Not posted to discuss at this time
    • Ellis – Can go through process to request agenda item for next time
  • Robinson – TX Legislators recently passed HB 690 that requires additional training for school board trustees, will not cost districts anything; can be online; somewhat of a time constraint, needs to be developed by Jan. 1; TX State will develop curriculum and materials in conjunction with SBOE
  • Ellis – Going to appoint an ad-hoc committee to address this
  • Byer – Regarding last meeting on charter expansion amendment; there is a legislative mandated requirement for expansion, correction to earlier statement
  • Discussion over what is considered an action item, what can be discussed during a meeting, and how to add items to future agendas