The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps the past week’s education news, legislative and election updates, and regulatory developments. ATPE members: Share your thoughts and ask our lobby team questions in The Rotunda on the ATPE Online Community. 

• Senate teacher pay bill passed out of committee unanimously during rushed hearing
• House files slew of major education bills on finance, vouchers, STAAR, and student discipline
• House Appropriations Committee hears testimony on public education revealing funding shortfalls
• Saturday’s Save Texas Schools Rally moved indoors due to weather conditions
• Thank you to ATPE’s second group of Capitol Expedition participants
• New! Earn your local advocacy microcredential through the ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP)
• We’re talking about SB 26 in the ATPE Online Community

SB 26: The Senate Education K-16 Committee chaired by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe) unanimously passed the chairman’s teacher pay bill, Senate Bill (SB) 26, out of committee Thursday. The hearing on this sweeping bill—which would provide pay raises for some teachers through a “teacher retention allotment” and expanding the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)—took place less than 48 hours after Creighton released the bill. ATPE provided written testimony on SB 26, as well as released a press release with member feedback. ATPE Senior Lobbyist Mark Wiggins has a recap of the hearing here, as well as analysis of SB 26 as filed. SB 26 is expected to be on the Senate floor next week.

HOUSE BILLS: House members filed four significant pieces of education legislation this week: House Bill (HB) 2 by House Public Education Committee Chairman Brad Buckley (R–Salado), a school finance bill that would increase the Basic Allotment from $6,160 to $6,380 per student; HB 3, also by Buckley, which is the House’s voucher bill; HB 4, also by Buckley, which would redesign STAAR; and HB 6 by Rep. Jeff Leach (R–Plano), a student discipline bill. The ATPE Lobby Team is in the process of preparing bill analysis to share on Teach the Vote next week. 

HB 1: The House Appropriations Committee met Wednesday to hear invited testimony, including testimony on Article III (public education) appropriations in the state budget, House Bill (HB) 1. The committee received updates from the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and the Teacher Retirement System (TRS). The TEA portion of the hearing revealed funding shortfalls, teacher shortages, special education gaps, and questions regarding vouchers. ATPE Lobbyist Heather Sheffield reports on the hearing in this blog post. 

RALLY: The Save Texas Schools Rally scheduled for 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturday will now begin indoors at the First United Methodist Church Family Life Center on the west side of the Capitol (1300 Lavaca St.) due to forecasted weather conditions. ATPE State Vice President Jerrica Holt is a featured speaker at the event. Because of the rally’s pivot indoors, organizers have scheduled a follow-up outdoor event for April 5. Find more details on the Save Texas Schools website. 

CAPITOL EXPEDITION: ATPE members who have earned the new ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP) State-Level Advocacy Microcredential took part in the association’s second Capitol Expedition Tuesday. Thank you to Shannon Abernathy, Central Heights ISD; Stephen Hudson, Comal ISD; Katy Matthews, Plano ISD; and Michael Perez, Comal ISD, for traveling to Austin to engage in meaningful conversations with their lawmakers on ATPE’s legislative priorities.

Stephen Hudson, Katy Matthews, Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D–San Antonio), Shannon Abernathy, Michael Perez

Stephen Hudson, Katy Matthews, Shannon Abernathy, Rep. Joanne Shofner (R–Nacogdoches), Michael Perez

Chief of Staff Manuel Medina, Michael Perez, Rep. Liz Campos (D–San Antonio), Shannon Abernathy, Katy Matthews, Stephen Hudson

Stephen Hudson, Shannon Abernathy, Katy Matthews, Rep. Erin Zwiener (D–Driftwood), Michael Perez

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Very few spots remain on this session’s Capitol Expeditions, so if you want to attend, you need to complete your state-level advocacy microcredential and get your requests in ASAP. (Bonus: Anyone who completes the state-level microcredential by March 2 earns 10 points in the ATPE Regional Advocacy Challenge! Congratulations to Dedra Robertson, Katy ATPE, on being the winner of our first RAC drawing! Dedra received a $50 gift card! We’ll conduct our next drawing after March 2.) Remember, even if you can’t attend a Capitol Expedition, the ATPE-MAP program is a new member benefit and provides effective advocacy strategies you can use from home. And speaking of ATPE-MAP ...

LOCAL ADVOCACY: ATPE was excited to release the ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP) Local Advocacy Module Thursday! You can now earn a local advocacy microcredential as you learn skills and strategies for engaging with leaders on your campus, at central office, and on the school board, as well as with community organizations and local media. Two members—Dani Boepple, Mesquite ISD, and Nicole Fuller, Jim Ned Consolidated ISD—completed their local advocacy microcredential within less than 24 hours! To take this course, you must first complete the Introduction to Advocacy course. Enroll in ATPE-MAP today!  

ONLINE COMMUNITY: Don’t miss your fellow members’ insightful takes on SB 26 in the ATPE Online Community. Plus, look for the latest ATPE Regional Advocacy Challenge (RAC) standings to be released this weekend in the community, and don’t miss the opportunity to share your current events prowess by taking The Texas Tribune News Quiz and posting your results. We look forward to seeing you there!