Texas Education Agency (TEA) served as the keynote speaker of the Dallas Regional Chamber’s 2023 State of Public Education conference
In an escalating demonstration of opposition, numerous school districts in North Texas have fortified the burgeoning statewide movement to contest the modified assessment criteria promulgated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Both the Fort Worth Independent School District and Plano ISD substantively augmented the ever-expanding compendium of dissenting educational bodies, announcing their official alliance on Tuesday evening. Previously, Frisco ISD announced filing lawsuit against TEA, followed by Dallas ISD.
This collective defiance comes on the heels of a pivotal appearance by the TEA’s chief official. Mere hours prior to the districts’ joint declaration, Mike Morath, who formerly held a trusteeship with the Dallas Independent School District and was appointed to his current post of commissioner by Texas’s Republican Governor Greg Abbott in 2015, served as the luminary keynote speaker at the Dallas Regional Chamber’s State of Public Education conference for the year 2023.
His participation was particularly noteworthy given the swirling maelstrom of litigation he currently faces; no fewer than 60 school districts across Texas are embroiled in legal proceedings against Morath over the contentious issue of the agency’s revamped accountability ratings.
Texas students have showed improvement during the pandemic, but there is more to be done
In his public remarks, Morath advanced the argument that educational outcomes for students have indeed experienced a measurable uptick since the onset of the global pandemic. Nevertheless, he conceded that the trajectory toward scholastic excellence remains steep and fraught with unmet challenges, thereby signaling an ongoing need for systemic transformation.
“It is our moral obligation to give children the best chance they can to be successful in this country to make sure the next generation of Texans has it better than the last,” said Morath.
In his address, Morath delved into an array of critical educational matters, ranging from the imperatives of career preparedness and the invigoration of scholastic curricula to render them more intellectually demanding, to the multifaceted issues affecting teaching staff, including compensation and occupational conditions. Additionally, he underscored the imperative for transparent, candid assessments of institutional performance.
TEA chief claims changes are needed for further educational improvements in Texas
To a room full of business leaders and educators, Morath further explained that the change is an arduous one as there exists no alternative to get the wanted results. According to him, excellence begins with setting ambitious standards and necessitates unflinching self-scrutiny concerning our educational attainments.
He briefly spoke about the scores that are given out to schools to grade their performance but didn’t mention the pending litigation regarding the hot topic.
Morath further said that TEA is committed to always getting better, and part of that involves openly sharing the grades, from A to F, that our schools receive as it turns out, the approach really works. Studies have shown that when schools are transparent about their performance and set high standards, it actually helps kids to earn more money when they grow up and enter their 20s.
In an escalating clash over educational standards, district leaders are pushing back vociferously against the Texas Education Agency (TEA), contending that newly instituted accountability benchmarks were unceremoniously imposed without adequate warning. No fewer than 60 districts have initiated legal proceedings against TEA, alleging that these sudden revisions could precipitate a detrimental plunge in their academic ratings.
Texas school districts who filed lawsuit against TEA want changes to be postponed
In a metaphor akin to shifting goalposts mid-game, school officials assert that the TEA’s abrupt revision of performance metrics, effective as of January, undermines the stability and fairness of educational evaluations. Dr. Stephanie Elizalde, Superintendent of Dallas Independent School District, articulated her reservations in a post-event interaction with the media.
“None of us are saying high standards are not something we should continue to work towards, we are saying we should do that in a way that allows us to meet that target and be successful. Giving someone a test when you know they’re not prepared for it, serves what purpose?” Stephanie Elizalde, Ph.D., superintendent of Dallas ISD to reporters after the event.
Dr. Elizalde’s sentiments were echoed by her fellow panelists, Dr. Theresa Williams, Superintendent of Plano ISD, and Dr. Gerald Hudson of Cedar Hill ISD, following a presentation by the Commissioner of Education. Notably, the commissioner vacated the premises almost immediately after the panel assembled, offering no opportunity for direct dialogue. Nonetheless, Williams and Elizalde made it a point to publicly elucidate their concerns.
Further intensifying the educational discourse, Governor Greg Abbott announced late Tuesday that a special legislative session will convene in October to discuss the controversial issue of “school of choice,” commonly interpreted as a euphemism for school vouchers. This development was accompanied by a news release in which the Governor, during a tele-town hall meeting with faith leaders across Texas, urged constituents to actively engage in the upcoming “School Choice Sunday” slated for October 15.
The confluence of these unfolding events adds layers of complexity to an already charged debate surrounding educational quality and accessibility in the state of Texas, one that now harbors not just pedagogical but also significant legal and political ramifications.
