Top 10 - The Austin Chronicle

NEWStOp 10s continued from p.13Top 10 Education Storiesby RichaR d w hittaK e Rin their first meeting, the new aisd board oftrustees voted to cancel its contract with ideapublic schools and approved an in-districtcharter in travis heights.1) aisd Board shake-uP In a brutal election that saw thebirth of new pro-“reform” Astroturf group austin kids First,the austin independent school district board was overhauled,with four new members – Jayme Mathias, annteich, gina hinojosa, and amber elenz – voted in on anagenda of better oversight and rebuilding community trust,and two incumbents – Sam Guzmán and Christine Brister –voted out.2) Charters, CoMMunities, and aisd The new-look AISDboard of trustees flexed its muscles on Dec. 17, cancelling itscontract with idea Public schools to take over the eastsideMemorial vertical team, and approving a new in-districtcharter at travis heights elementary. Both actions reflectedthe overwhelming support of the neighborhoods affected.3) exPerienCe not needed In a naked act of politicalnepotism, Gov. rick Perry appointed former RailroadCommissioner and failed U.S. Senate candidate MichaelWil liams as the state’s new commissioner of education.Unlike all his predecessors, Williams has zero education policyor agency management background.4) on the lege Lawmakers are gearing up for the next session– and are again targeting education. Lt. Gov. daviddewhurst and Senate Education Committee Chair danPatrick, R-Houston, are both pushing for more charters,vouchers, and faster closures for troubled schools. Housemembers may create a firewall, with Democrats and ruralRepub lic ans fighting back against “reforms” that could crippletheir school districts.j o h n a n d e r s o n5) sChool FinanCe laWsuits In 2011, the Legislatureslashed the education budget to the bone, cutting $5.4 billion.Now Judge John dietz is hearing six different suits, allof which argue that lawmakers ignored their constitutionalobligation to fully and equitably fund public schools. Expect aruling in early 2013.6) Fading staar Will STAAR blink out? If the old TAKS testsweren’t bad enough, the new state of texas assessmentsof aca demic readiness have been an unqualified disaster,with lawmakers giving schools a year off accountability reporting,and the Texas Education Agency suspending the “15%rule,” linking graduation requirements to end-of-course tests,7) Progress in PFlugerville To theire of Republicans and homophobes everywhere,in October Pflugerville trusteesvoted to make their ISD the first in CentralTexas to offer domestic partner benefitsto employees in heterosexual and samesexrelationships.8) Fraud on the Border In the mostmassive student performance cheatingscandal in Texas to date, in June el Pasoisd Superintendent lorenzo garcía pledguilty to mail fraud for his efforts to hidehis students’ scores. In December, the TEAfinally stepped in, dissolving the board oftrustees and replacing them with managers.9) raCe to the BottoM Two years ago, Gov. Rick Perryannounced that Texas would not apply for federal race to thetop dollars – denying Texas schools up to $700 million. Thatleft the field open for charter schools, and so this year Texas’IDEA Public Schools and harmony science academy walkedaway with more than $29 million of public money each.10) the $10,000 degree In 2011, Gov. Perry challenged universitiesto cut tuition by offering a $10,000 bachelor’s degreeprogram. This year, several universities including texas a&Mand ut Permian Basin took up the price-cutting challenge.However, the deal covers only a limited range of courses, andtuition re-regulation may be back on the table at the Lege.for the second year in a row. continued on p.16Savethe Date!We makeloving yourneighbor easy.• Convenient local office• Money-saving discounts• Low down payments• Monthly payment plans• 24-hour service and claims• Coverage available by phoneCall for a free rate quote.732-2211 ext. 39041 Research Blvd. Suite 240, Austin(Hwy 183 at Burnet Rd., in the Colonnade Center)Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in allstates or all GEICO companies. GEICO is a registered service mark of GovernmentEmployees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire HathawayInc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2013. © 2013 GEICO14 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E JANUARY 4, 2013 a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o m