Legislative update: House Public Education Committee to hold second interim hearing

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The Legislature announced Wednesday that it would hold its second interim hearing this coming Monday, June 1. The charges for this hearing will include all topics related to House Bill (HB) 2, the omnibus school finance bill that we have written about ad nauseum. Specifically, the committee will hearing public and invited testimony on: 

• Monitoring: Monitor the implementation and associated rulemaking of HB 2, relating to public education and public school finance. 

• Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Study the impact of recent legislation, including the investment in educator preparation, increases in teacher compensation, additional classroom supports, and reformed student discipline policy. Review whether these significant changes are having an impact on school districts’ ability to recruit and retain qualified educators in the classroom. Make recommendations to strengthen the teacher pipeline and ensure Texas is well positioned to sustain a thriving and stable educator workforce. 

• Investment in Special Education: Examine state policies impacting students with special needs and special populations, including the implementation of recent legislation and the impact of increases in state funding. Review trends in special education enrollment over the past several years and evaluate factors contributing to those increases. Identify opportunities and make recommendations regarding ways to improve efficiencies for special education teachers, increase access to pre-K, improve supports for students with low-incidence disabilities, and strengthen planning for the workforce and adulthood. 

For those that cannot be present in Austin, a live broadcast will be available, and the public comment portal is open through the completion of the hearing on Monday. We encourage concerned citizens to submit comments related to the above topics. 

Texas AFT will provide a recap of the hearing in a future edition of the Hotline.