With the start of the new school year, I want to wish our students continued success as they embark on another year of learning, opportunity, and lifelong memories. As students pour into the hallways and classrooms of schools across the state, I also want to acknowledge and sincerely thank the teachers, faculty, and administrators who have worked tirelessly to prepare for the new school year. These men and women play such a critical role in shaping our children's future, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their dedicated service.
With that, we'll dive back into our examination of House interim charges. . .
House Interim Charge: Public Education
The House Committee on Public Education has jurisdiction over bills regarding public school systems, state programming of elementary and secondary education, and proposals to create or change school districts. The Committee also oversees state agencies such as the Texas Education Agency, the Texas representatives to the Education Commission of the States, the State Board for Educator Certification, and others.
Over the interim, the Committee will monitor the implementation of House Bill 1605, Senate Bill 2124, and House Bill 2209. HB 1605 completely reformed how the Texas Education Agency and public schools acquire educational materials to ensure our schoolchildren have access to high-quality, appropriate materials in the classroom. SB 2124 requires middle schools to develop an advanced mathematics program for their students to prepare students to enroll in Algebra I in 8th grade so that a larger number of students can complete advanced math courses in high school.
HB 2209 established the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program, which allows rural school districts to form collaborative partnerships with colleges, universities, or businesses to expand opportunities for students to access college and career pathways.
Additionally, the Committee will evaluate if Texas can increase educational opportunities in Texas to ensure that students and families have increased options to attend a high-quality school, regardless of circumstance. The Committee will also examine the impact on student outcomes as a result of the increasing number of newly hired Texas teachers who are not certified by the State Board for Educator Certification and will make recommendations to enhance opportunities for uncertified teachers to become certified, as well as strengthen parental rights and notifications.
Finally, the Committee will evaluate opportunities to improve students’ early literacy and numeracy outcomes in Pre-Kindergarten through the 3rd grade. It will study best practices for identifying students requiring reading and math intervention and providing evidence-based intervention strategies. The Committee will recommend changes and evaluate investments to increase the number of students achieving reading and math proficiency by the end of 3rd grade.
The mobile office is still on the road this month, and our District Director looks forward to seeing you on August 21 at the Houston County Courthouse Annex in Crockett from 9-11 a.m. and the Trinity County Courthouse in Groveton from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can help you in any way. My district office may be reached at (936) 634-2762 and my Capitol office may be reached at (512) 463-0508. Additionally, I welcome you to follow along on my Official Facebook Page, where I will be posting regular updates on what's happening in your State Capitol and sharing information that could be useful to you and your family: https://www.facebook.com/RepTrentAshby/.
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