The Jerk of the Week award is not given out every week. It’s only given out when someone engages in particularly jerky behavior. Our winner this week is none of than Austin Chamber of Commerce vice president (sorry, SENIOR vice-president) Drew Scheberle. Young Mr. Scheberle is quite the accomplished scholar. Growing up in the affluent […]
Please Set Your Password
This is a post I hate to write, but it is sadly necessary. A number of parents choose to opt out by having their kids refuse the assessment. This is completely fine. Choose the best route for you. A growing number of schools have chosen to work with parents to enable the refusal to take […]
IGC Graduation Does NOT Require Two Failed Attempts on EOCs
Update 2017-2018: We are pleased to note that ESC 12 has removed the two attempt/two failure language from their updated Powerpoints. It’s always something. For whatever reason, misinformation spreads faster in school districts than lice. And much like lice, the students are always the ones who get the raw end of the deal. Although we […]
Conroe ISD Doubles Down on Old Lies
We’ve received a report of a demonstrably false e-mail being sent to parents at a Conroe ISD junior high school., McCullough Junior High. The full email is below, but the closing paragraph of the e-mail read as follows: “Also, as a general reminder to ensure there is no confusion or surprise, Texas students in eighth […]
An Open Letter to Mike Morath
from Ben Becker I am a public school parent, and I do want accountability for our schools. What makes a good school is so much more complex than what any single assessment can determine, and I look forward to the day when this is recognized by the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Legislature. Until […]
TEA Scraps 5th/8th Grade STAAR Consequences
Facing a pending deadline to answer the lawsuit filed by four Texas parents challenging the 2016 STAAR administrations for grades 3-8, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath announced major changes to 5th and 8th grade STAAR for this year. In a letter to Texas administrators, Morath announced that the TEA was “removing student consequences attached to STAAR […]
Call to Action: Comment on Proposed Accountability Rules
Despite knowing that the Grade 3-5, and likely the Grade 6-8 STAAR, assessments do not comply with the time limits set in Education Code, the TEA is moving forward with plans to use those ratings in the 2015-2016 accountability ratings. This is done via the rulemaking process. Parents should submit public comment on this matter […]
Seguin ISD Files Due Process Complaint Against TEA
Finally! A district has realized the can and must stand up for their students with regard to STAAR assessment. Although this is a limited scope complaint, it marks, to our knowledge, the first formal complaint made against the TEA for accommodation issues relating to STAAR. TPERN salutes the Seguin ISD for taking this long overdue […]
The “Required” Summer School Notice
As the first results of the STAAR assessment come in and the days left in the school year slip away, more and more parentsof kids who failed or did not take the first assessment are receiving notices that their kids are “required” to go to summer school. Round Rock ISD is even sending notices that […]
The Summer School “Threat”
For 5th and 8th grade students who have received or are about to receive their results, parents commonly hear “if they don’t pass/If they opt out they have to go to summer school.” Please understand, that no school has the authority to tell you that you are going to summer school. By law, accelerated instruction […]