The State Board of Education (SBOE) met Friday, November 20, to conclude its week-long meeting with a final vote on revisions to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for health, physical education, and science.

Former SBOE chairs Donna Bahorich (left) and Barbara Cargill (right)

Before discussing the TEKS, the board said goodbye to former chairs Donna Bahorich (R-Houston) and Barbara Cargill (R-The Woodlands), as well as Members Marty Rowley (R-Amarillo) and Ken Mercer (R-San Antonio). All four members announced their intent to retire at the end of the current term and will be succeeded in January by winners of the November 2020 general election. ATPE thanks these outgoing members for their years of service.

On Wednesday, the board approved a list of its recommendations for legislation in the upcoming session of the 87th Texas Legislature. SBOE members also voted Friday to add a recommendation that their board be empowered to impose administrative penalties on publishers who fail to follow the instructional materials process.

Member Tom Maynard (R-Florence), who chairs the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund (PSF) noted that Wednesday's board vote to set the distribution rate for the next biennium to 4.18% marked a total two-year distribution of $3.34 billion, "the largest in the history of the fund."

The SBOE also gave the final green light to a new administrative rule that will allow Legacy Master Teachers, including Legacy Master Reading Teachers, to retain their certificates without expiration. After receiving feedback from master reading teachers whose certificates were scheduled to expire as a result of last session's House Bill 3, ATPE brought the issue to the attention of Texas Education Agency staff and state officials. This solution will ensure those certificates do not expire and Legacy Master Teachers will remain eligible to retain their current teaching assignments.