Rep. Dan Flynn: On School Tests & Funding

It is clear the problem is not about more money. By State Rep. Dan Flynn Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas I recently had the pleasure of meeting with both the Van Zandt & Hopkins County Superintendents to discuss the various issues facing their respective ISDs and the concerns they have as the Legislature meets said State Rep. Dan Flynn. Each meeting revealed a common theme facing rural schools in my district; fair funding.   As with many good things the solution to education funding starts with an idea. That idea is that children in House District 2 are not worth less than those in other districts. This has to be a fundamental tenant of any changes we make to the system. The current funding formula does not recognize this idea. How education funds are distributed is just part of the overall problem; wasteful spending on supposed accountability programs contributes largely to the inefficiencies in the system. While funding has surpassed enrollment over the last decade fair funding has not gone to rural school systems. Recent budget decreases has made it harder for many rural schools to operate on what was already a minimal budget prior to any cuts. During the 82nd session approximately $1.5 billion dollars was added to the School Foundation program by the vote of the Legislature. However this additional funding was not enough to offset the heavy loss of Federal and outside funds. The hit was felt more by rural schools because unlike urban school districts rural districts lack the excessive extracurricular programs and administration offices that were able to be cut before teachers and classroom expenses. When the Legislature required budget reductions be applied to each school district I believe rural districts were left to suffer most harshly. As one Superintendent put it ...the big cities lost a toe I lost my left arm. We have to change the formula so things are fairer to rural districts. It is clear the problem is not about more money it is about the methods in which we use the money we already have. Continuing to operate under the same inefficient unproductive system year after year will only continue this cycle of overspending on programs and people outside of the classroom. Funding from the state must be fixed to be fair and equitable as the States Constitution requires. We also have to look at how we spend your taxpayer dollars and honestly decide what is more important; teachers and kids in the classroom or excessive spending for extracurriculars administrative support (that is fast approaching a ratio of one to one)and a public school accountability program that is out of control.

To simply divide funding is a good first step but we need to look at how it is spent going forward; prioritize spending and give control to school superintendents so that they may manage their district on the ground - a much more efficient process than attempting to micro manage from Austin. One way to get control of spending is to look at changing the student and school testing regime. I have advocated for the rethinking and perhaps the whole-sale change of the ridiculously expensive state-imposed public school testing regimen and was fought by the Bureaucracy of Education at every turn.

During the 82nd session I introduced House Bill 2491 which would have placed a moratorium on the assessments of certain public school students under the public school accountability system. I introduced this on the floor of the House of Representatives as an Amendment and passed 140-2 only to be held off in the Senate. I have refilled the bill HB 44 and intend on seeing it through to a final vote during the 83rd session beginning in January. The moratorium is needed to help protect schools from the unreasonably high costs and time commitment (estimated in testimony as 45 days) imposed by the new statewide tests. Based on figures provided by TEA Texas taxpayers by 2015 will have paid Pearson nearly $1.2 billion for developing standardized tests and related materials dating back to the year 2000. One superintendent in an article that appeared on Texasisd.com said Thats 15000 teacher salaries sacrificed at the altar of standardized testing. I am concerned with substance not with perception and politics. I have never called for less accountability but rather better accountability. Children are not educated by tests but by classroom teachers. I will always work for more money in the classroom and less money in bureaucracies. Tests do not teach our children teachers and parents do. To lay credit for improvements at the feet of a series of federal or state-developed tests is sadly misleading. Our kids are not improving academically because of accountability systems rather they are improving because of the diligent efforts of classroom teachers and parents. Too much has been loaded onto the states current accountability system including the STAAR Test. The original intent was always to focus on teachers and children in the classroom not on special interests that dominate the business of education. We need to free the hands of the Superintendents and local school boards so that our school districts can get back to what they are good at - providing a foundation for our childrens future. It remains my pleasure and honor to represent Texas and all the people of House District 2. My staff and I continue to welcome your input and your questions. You can contact our office at mailing address: P. O. Box 2910 Austin TX 78768 or via Email: District2.Flynn@house.state.tx.us. The Toll free number: 1-800-734-9515. May God continue to bless you and our Great State of Texas! Rep. Dan Flynn is a native Texan who serves House District 2 which includes Hunt Rains and Van Zandt Counties. He serves as Co-Chair of the House Transparency in State Agency Operations Committee as Vice Chair of the Investments & Financial Services and sits on the Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee.