Texas Insider

Here’s What Legislators Are Saying:

“Under the Texas Constitution, the state must use the Available School Funds to ─and I quote: ‘provide free text books for children.’  We care about our children, and it is our responsibility as elected officials to make sure that the textbooks and other instructional materials students must have for a quality education do not fall victim to the whims of the stock market.”
– Hon. Sylvester Turner, State Representative, District 139, Houston

“The public outcry for the state to secure funding for new textbooks and instructional materials is heard loud and clear. We cannot leave it up to our classroom teachers to bear the responsibility of educating our children with old and outdated materials. We cannot take short-sighted measures and risk allowing the economic conditions to widen our children’s achievement gap.”
– Hon. Garnet Coleman, State Representative, District 147, Houston

“Using some portion of the federal stimulus education funding to pay for instructional materials such as textbooks and other learning technologies will help ensure that the ‘stimulus’ funds are not used to permanently grow government or create ongoing obligations for TEA or Texas school districts.”
– Hon. Wayne Christian, State Representative, District 9, Center, President of Texas Conservative Coalition

“Texas is at a watershed, considering the state’s first new purchase of reading textbooks in 10 years. We believe this contingency funding, or any other type of contingency funding, is unacceptable – particularly since funding is available from the Available School Fund, the federal stimulus package, and the state’s rainy day fund.”
– Hon. Frank Corte, State Representative, District 122, San Antonio

“Reading materials are a fundamental purchase.  With the state’s first new reading materials in 10 years, Texas is facing its most important textbook purchase. For only 11 cents per day, Texas can fulfill its current obligations and supply new reading instructional materials to tens of millions of Texas students and teachers over the next decade.”
– Hon. Diane Patrick, State Representative, District 94, Arlington, February 17, 2009, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“It is undeniable that today’s students are geared toward a technology-centered approach to learning, and allocating more resources for the purchase of hardware and software is the best way to match the delivery of content to our children’s learning preferences.  However, improved delivery is not a substitute for robust and relevant curriculum.  If you fund technology but not content, you have nothing.”
– Hon. Donna Howard, State Representative District 48, Austin, December 17, 2008, Austin American-Statesman

Here’s What Educators Are Saying:

“While we understand the price of the adoption (around $900 M); we also realize that there are over 5 million students in Texas Public Schools, and in Texas, every child gets a textbook – hardcover or electronic.  At risk are the students, who will not get their new books by the start of school next year if the Legislature does not act this session.

“These new English as a Second Language (ESL) instructional materials replace textbooks that have been in classrooms over 14 years, and will have TAKS and TEKS in them for the very first time.  These quality instructional materials will help English Language Learners as they are the tools they need to get a much better education.”
–  Dr. Jose Ruiz-Escalante, President, Texas Association for Bilingual Education

“As a leadership state in this country, we are speaking about new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills to meet targeted needs in the Texas workforce, college readiness standards for preparation for post secondary school success, and integrating 21st century skills to guarantee our children’s future in our global society.  The Texas legislature must continue the current state requirement of full funding of these resources and not cause any delay in the education of our Texas students.”
– Dr. Yolanda M. Rey, Executive Director, Texas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

“Textbooks are critically important to the academic success of Texas students. Students across Texas have made strong academic progress in recent years. But without new instructional materials aligned to the new standards of learning for college readiness set by the state, we face the very real danger that our academic gains will stop and our children will start losing ground.

“Reading is the foundation for all other learning. We cannot take shortsighted measures and risk allowing the stock market conditions to widen our children’s achievement gap.
– Dr. Roberto Durón, Superintendent, San Antonio Independent School District, March 6, 2009, San Antonio Express-News

“This survey shows the public strongly feels the Legislature should guarantee funding for textbooks and instructional materials. I urge lawmakers to make this funding a top priority.”
– Dr. Michael Hinojosa, Superintendent, Dallas Independent School District

“Parents and the public strongly believe that textbooks and instructional materials need to be funded, and we hope the Legislature will take appropriate action.”
– Dr. Abelardo Saavedra, Superintendent, Houston Independent School District

“I’ve heard the concerns from parents and educators alike regarding the funding of textbooks and instructional materials. Students cannot be expected to continue to excel in the classroom without the proper learning tools. Studies show that a large majority of parents, as well as the public, support guaranteed funding of textbooks and classroom materials. I share that public concern over this issue and urge all Legislators to guarantee funding for those sorely needed classroom materials.”
– Dr. Mark Henry, Superintendent, Galena Park Independent School District

“We have wonderful legislators who care about children, and we urge them to act now to make sure that the textbooks and other instructional materials our children must have do not fall victim to the whims of the stock market.  This is the most important purchase of instructional materials in more than a decade, and funding should be protected as part of the general budget.”
– Alton Frailey, Superintendent, Katy Independent School District

“If textbooks are not fully funded, not only will it disrupt the deliberate schedule that is put in place to ensure textbooks are delivered to all Texas classrooms on time, students will not have the materials they need to succeed in their education.”
– Cliff Avery, Executive Director, Textbook Coordinators Association of Texas