Grusendorf bill in Texas

[Richard Haswell <rhaswell@FALCON.TAMUCC.EDU>]

Texas Rep. Kent Grusendorf, R-Arlington, has filed a state legislative
bill to reform some of Texas's education problems.  Here are a few spots
from an article by Lucy Hood in the San Antonio Express-News that might
be of interest to ARN listers.

In part, the bill would address the shortage of teachers in Texas:
"This year, an estimated 45,000 teachers in Texas are expected to leave
the profession, while in-state colleges and universities are expected to
produce 14,000 teaching graduates."  The bill will make it "easier for
those with a college degree to obtain their teaching credentials."

"The bill also calls for upgrading the state's accountability system,
which currently ranks public schools based on attendance, the dropout
rate and student performance on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills
exam (TAAS).

"Grusendorf's plan would create a 'gold' status for those schools that
showed acadfemic gains in areas beyond the TAAS, like student
performance on advanced placement exams, and the number of graduates who
go to college.

"Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston, declined to comment on much of the bill
because he had not seen it.  But he said he agreed with the idea behind
Grusendorf's gold standard.

"'We do a disservice to schools by labeling them exemplary, because
their kids meet minimum standards,' he said, referring to the basic
skills required to pass the TAAS.  'There ought to be other criteria,
and there ought to be other ways for schools themselves to boast on
other accomplishments,' said Hochberg, who also is on the education
committee.'"

Rich Haswell

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