It's the last week in review before Tuesday's monumental election. Read more of this week's education news:

• Today is the last day for early voting; Election Day is Tuesday

• Congressman Brady updates educators on his WEP reform effort

• News from the Texas Education Agency

• More on recent SBEC rule changes

 

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Finally, the long-awaited general election is less than four days away on Tuesday, Nov. 8. It goes without saying that this Election Day is an important one, but we'll take a moment to again remind you of how much is at stake for public education and encourage you to get out and vote if you haven't already. Earlier today on our blog, ATPE Lobbyist Monty Exter weighed in on the importance of "exercising" the right to vote as often as possible. Today, Nov. 4, marks the last day for early voting in Texas. Most early voting polls will close at 7 p.m. tonight. It's also the last chance for ATPE members to get in on our "I voted" selfie photo contest. Visit the ATPE Facebook page for details on our early voting contest in which three randomly selected winners will receive a Target gift card for sharing their early voting selfie. Additional resources for those who've not yet voted:

• Through the Texas Secretary of State’s Am I Registered website, you can obtain a customized list of polling places and verify your voter registration. Also check out VoteTexas.gov for additional information on voting.
• Vote411.org is a national website hosted by the League of Women Voters that provides sample ballots, candidate information, and more.
• Here on Teach the Vote, learn more about your candidates for the Texas legislature and State Board of Education on our 2016 Races page. Candidate profiles include survey responses, endorsement information, and incumbents' voting records.
• If you have a government-issued photo ID, be sure to take it with you to the polls! Those who do not have an identification card have other options thanks to recent court decisions. Learn more here.
• Compare the Presidential candidates' views on education issues in this feature from the national publication Education Week.
• Read about Texas candidates who've earned the endorsement of the pro-public education advocacy group Texas Parent PAC here.
• Still looking for ways to address the election in your classroom? Read these tips from ATPE member Kim Grosenbacher. Also, check out ATPE State Past President Cory Colby's insights in this article from The Texas Tribune.
• Read the latest voting update from the Texas Educators Vote coalition on efforts to create a culture of voting in Texas public schools this year, and check out the many other resources from the coalition on their website here. We especially like seeing the election countdown!

 

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Congressman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) held a conference call yesterday to update educators on his efforts to address the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), a federal Social Security offset that reduces the amount of retirement benefits that many educators and other public employees may receive. In his own words, Congressman Brady told educators on the call that he's "been working on this issue for decades" because he believes it is unfair that public servants do not receive "equal treatment" and are penalized by the WEP. Brady filed H.R. 711, known as the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act (ETPSA), to replace the WEP with a more equitable formula for calculating Social Security benefits. In July, the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, which Congressman Brady chairs, was set to vote on H.R. 711, but the vote was delayed after a few national employee groups opposed and tried to amend the bill. Since that time, the congressman and his staff have continued to meet with stakeholders to address their concerns and have requested additional actuarial data from the Social Security Administration. Brady shared with educators participating in yesterday's call his commitment to keep working to pass the ETPSA this year and refile the bill in the next Congress in 2017 if necessary. Of particular importance to the chairman is passing a reform measure that will help both current and future retirees. "Many have given up hope that it can be solved, but I'm not one of them," Brady emphasized. "We're so close in my opinion, but we've still got some serious work to do going forward," said the chairman to educators and other stakeholders on the conference call on Nov. 3. Educators affected by the WEP are encouraged to share their own stories and examples of how the unfair law is hurting them. Chairman Brady urged educators to keep sending their stories via email to WEP.feedback@mail.house.gov so that he and other backers of the ETPSA can "make the case to the broader Congress" about the urgent need for WEP reform. ATPE has joined with a coalition of employee and retiree associations from across the country, including the Texas Retired Teachers Association, working alongside Chairman Brady to increase educators' Social Security benefits and neutralize the negative consequences of the WEP. The congressman told yesterday's conference call participants, "It's absolutely critical that we have a strong, unified coalition" in order to achieve successful legislation to reform the WEP. ATPE state officers and staff members met with Chairman Brady in Washington to discuss the ETPSA. Among those representing educators on the call was ATPE's federal lobbyist David Pore, who thanked Chairman Brady for his tireless efforts on behalf of our members and others affected by the WEP. Brady similarly thanked ATPE, TRTA, and others for "staying at the table" as negotiations have continued on the legislation. We at ATPE are very thankful for Chairman Brady's perseverance and the hard work of his staff. Keep sending in your WEP input, and stay tuned to Teach the Vote for updates on this very important legislation.  

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Several press releases came out of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) this week. TEA responded to allegations that it has forced districts to meet an arbitrary cap on enrolling students in special education programs. The agency also released several announcements pertaining to school accountability and interventions. Read full details in this blog post from ATPE Lobbyist Mark Wiggins.  

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The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) recently revised its rules pertaining to educator preparation and certification in Texas. As ATPE Lobbyist Kate Kuhlmann reported earlier this week, the rule changes affect preparation, program requirements, pathways to certification, and more. The rules also seek to raise the quality of training all teachers receive before going into the classroom, something that ATPE regularly fights for on behalf of all Texas educators. ATPE recognizes that teachers deserve strong training prior to entering the classroom, because the expectations are high and the work isn’t easy once they’re in it full time. Read Kate’s full story to learn more about ATPE’s position and the changes made to the rules, including changes in rules governing the educational aide certificate.  

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Go vote today or on Tuesday! Every vote matters!