Get Involved — Bexar County Education Coalition

Finding Unity between Bexar County ISDs to further significant policy change.

The Bexar County Education Coalition (BCEC) supports legislation and policies that: RECRUIT AND RETAIN our best staff; FUND PROGRAMS that improve the mental and physical SAFETY of students and staff; and give districts adequate LOCAL CONTROL to make the best decisions for their communities.

TEACH RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

The State of Texas should sustainably incentivize and fund greater opportunities for career growth for educators across the K12 pipeline to ensure they are able to stay in the classroom with adequate pay, benefits and support.

The State of Texas should come to fund grant programs that strengthen and grow the teacher pipeline, such as teacher residency programs and grow your own programs.

FUNDING

Funding formulas should be adjusted and updated to reflect accurate costs of education, shoulder the impact of inflation, and address the holistic needs of students as well as cost of living adjustments for school staff.

The state school finance system should be based on a combination of attendance and enrollment to facilitate efficient budgeting, maintain effective programmatic investment, and create stability during public health emergencies.
Any plans to divert public tax dollars to private entities by utilizing vouchers, tax credits, taxpayer savings grants, or tuition reimbursements with no academic or financial accountability or transparency to the state, taxpayers, or local communities should be directly opposed.
Ballot language should clearly, concisely and accurately reflect the impact to Texas property owners. The required ballot language “THIS IS A TAX INCREASE” can be confusing to taxpayers who do not experience an actual tax rate increase after the referendum is approved.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) funding should accurately reflect the cost of running and operating robust and modern CTE programs. Allotments should be based on incurred expenses and not curricular levels.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Current accountability system should be adjusted to ensure it accurately reflects the comprehensive performance and progress of students.
There must be non-STAAR metrics included in elementary and middle school accountability reports, that ensure the holistic educational progress of students is reflected in campus and district scores.
School districts should not be penalized for students switching career pathways in their CTE courses, especially if it results in certification to a competitive career pathway. 1/2 points should be reinstated in the accountability framework for CTE courses.

SCHOOL SAFETY

School districts should receive formula funding to ensure every student has access to essential health and safety services and curriculum. Funding must allow districts to make the best decisions for their communities to meet the comprehensive health needs of students and their families are being met.
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), The Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), and The Texas Education Agency
(TEA) should prioritize and incentivize increasing available counselors, social workers, and school psychologists to meet the needs of public schools through tuition reimbursement programs, school-based residency partnerships or similar initiatives.
Partnerships between community mental health providers and school districts need to be funded and incentivized by the state to ensure all students have access to mental health supports that meet their needs (telemedicine to emergency placement) as well as cut down on the time students spend on wait lists.
The State of Texas should prioritize creating interoperate data systems to house vital comprehensive information about the needs of students and is accessible by school districts and partner providers to facilitate clear communication between districts, communities, and families.
The State of Texas should determine the minimum amount of funding necessary to meet the required standards of security and school hardening that every school is now expected to create and maintain.

LOCAL CONTROL

Elected School boards need clear control to make the best decisions for their local community. Decisions should be left to the elected officials who are voted in by their constituents.
Funding and accountability regulations should be developed, implemented, and reviewed at least one academic year prior to when schools are expected to adhere to new requirements.

Finding Unity between Bexar County ISDs to further significant policy change.

TEACH RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

The State of Texas should sustainably incentivize and fund greater opportunities for career growth for educators across the K12 pipeline to ensure they are able to stay in the classroom with adequate pay, benefits and support.

The State of Texas should come to fund grant programs that strengthen and grow the teacher pipeline, such as teacher residency programs and grow your own programs.

FUNDING

Funding formulas should be adjusted and updated to reflect accurate costs of education, shoulder the impact of inflation, and address the holistic needs of students as well as cost of living adjustments for school staff.

The state school finance system should be based on a combination of attendance and enrollment to facilitate efficient budgeting, maintain effective programmatic investment, and create stability during public health emergencies.

Any plans to divert public tax dollars to private entities by utilizing vouchers, tax credits, taxpayer savings grants, or tuition reimbursements with no academic or financial accountability or transparency to the state, taxpayers, or local communities should be directly opposed.

Ballot language should clearly, concisely and accurately reflect the impact to Texas property owners. The required ballot language “THIS IS A TAX INCREASE” can be confusing to taxpayers who do not experience an actual tax rate increase after the referendum is approved.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) funding should accurately reflect the cost of running and operating robust and modern CTE programs. Allotments should be based on incurred expenses and not curricular levels.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Current accountability system should be adjusted to ensure it accurately reflects the comprehensive performance and progress of students.

There must be non-STAAR metrics included in elementary and middle school accountability reports, that ensure the holistic educational progress of students is reflected in campus and district scores.

School districts should not be penalized for students switching career pathways in their CTE courses, especially if it results in certification to a competitive career pathway. 1/2 points should be reinstated in the accountability framework for CTE courses.

SCHOOL SAFETY

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), The Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), and The Texas Education Agency

(TEA) should prioritize and incentivize increasing available counselors, social workers, and school psychologists to meet the needs of public schools through tuition reimbursement programs, school-based residency partnerships or similar initiatives.

The State of Texas should prioritize creating interoperate data systems to house vital comprehensive information about the needs of students and is accessible by school districts and partner providers to facilitate clear communication between districts, communities, and families.

The State of Texas should determine the minimum amount of funding necessary to meet the required standards of security and school hardening that every school is now expected to create and maintain.

LOCAL CONTROL

Elected School boards need clear control to make the best decisions for their local community. Decisions should be left to the elected officials who are voted in by their constituents.

Funding and accountability regulations should be developed, implemented, and reviewed at least one academic year prior to when schools are expected to adhere to new requirements.