November 29, 2018
The 2019 PISD PTA Legislative Priorities were approved at the November 27 delegate meeting. Here are the main topics, and more information is available in the document HERE.
Funding: Pursue an adequate and equitable solution for funding public education.
Safety: Implement a comprehensive plan to help students be mentally and socially strong, including a social emotional learning curriculum.
Vouchers: Oppose sending public funds to private schools. Private schools do not have the same requirements, accountability, and transparency as public schools.
Pre-K: Fund all-day pre-K in public schools, with priority for at-risk students.
School Finance Forum
The School Finance Forum on November 15 was well attended, and a wealth of information was shared. Did you know that the state recaptures an increasing amount of our education-designated property tax dollars and that the money does not always stay in education? Did you know that some of the formulas used to allocate education funds have not been updated in 30 years? The interim Commission on Public School Finance has been forming legislative recommendations, including shifting money into the base allotment and updating the funding-per-student formula. Check HERE for the presentations and other resources.
Thanks to these panelists for the excellent presentations: Plano ISD Board of Trustees President Missy Bender, Frisco ISD Chief Financial Officer Kimberly Smith, and Texas Senator Royce West.
Thanks to the League of Women Voters of Collin County and the Plano ISD Council of PTAs for hosting this forum.
The Texas Legislature's 86th session will begin on January 8, and over 600 bills have already been filed. To stay informed about education topics during the session, sign up to receive Texas PTA's Under The Dome legislative newsletters, and join the public PISD PTA legislative Facebook group.
The State Board of Education officially adopted a new 'Long-Range Plan for Public Education' this month. The vision and recommendations are shown for these main areas. Find more information HERE.
- Equity and access
- Student engagement and empowerment
- Family engagement and empowerment
- Education preparation, recruitment, and retention
Join the PISD PTA at Rally Day on Monday, February 25, to advocate for children! There will be legislative topic sessions, a rally on the capitol steps, and meetings with legislators. If you are interested in participating in a day trip carpool to Austin (~6am-~8pm), please send email to legislative@planopta.org by November 30.
Everyone is invited to attend the next Plano ISD Council of PTAs delegate meeting on Tuesday, January 15, at 10:00 at the PISD Administration Building Boardroom, 2700 W 15th St.
