Emails (excerpted), Ellen Williams, Austin, Aug. 6, 21 and 15, 2015
Sent: Thursday, August 6, 2015 7:42 PM
To: wgselby@statesman.com
Subject: Trigger bill
FYI - Gov. Abbott signed HB 1842, which gave more input to parents in the campus turnaround process after a campus has been identified as unacceptable for two years.
Instead of a "petition" process, which can be fraught with problems, parents automatically are given information and invited to help with the specifics of the turnaround plan.
In my opinion, this approach will be more successful and helpful for kids.
The bill has other provisions that add enormous pressure to turn schools around.
Ellen Williams
From: Ellen Williams
Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2015 7:46 PM
To: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)
Subject: FW: Trigger bill
In other words, I'd rate it as "promise improved upon and kept."
Ellen Williams
Attorney at Law
From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2015 4:26 PM
To: Ellen Williams
Subject: RE: Trigger bill
Is this the language you're recollecting?
(a-2) Before a campus turnaround plan is prepared and |
| |
| submitted for approval to the board of trustees of the school | |
| district, the district, in consultation with the campus | |
| intervention team, shall: | |
| (1) provide notice to parents, the community, and | |
| stakeholders that the campus has received an academically | |
| unacceptable performance rating for two consecutive years and will | |
| be required to submit a campus turnaround plan; and | |
| (2) request assistance from parents, the community, | |
| and stakeholders in developing the campus turnaround plan. | |
| (b) The school district, in consultation with the campus | |
| intervention team, shall prepare the campus turnaround plan and | |
| allow parents, the community, and stakeholders an opportunity to | |
| review the plan before it is submitted for approval to the board of | |
| trustees of the school district. The plan must include details on | |
| the method for restructuring, reforming, or reconstituting the | |
| campus. If the district determines that granting a district | |
| charter under Section 12.0522 is appropriate for the campus, the | |
| campus turnaround plan must provide information on the | |
| implementation of the district charter. The plan must assist the | |
| campus in implementing procedures to satisfy all performance | |
| standards required under Section 39.054(e)
| |
If so, how did this language land in the legislation? If not, what were you referring to?
g.
From: Ellen Williams
Sent: Friday, August 21, 2015 2:48 AM
To: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)
Subject: RE: Trigger bill
Yes. Chairman Aycock had the language (or similar) in his bill as it left the House. This is a very potent intervention bill...
From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)
Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2015 9:30 AM
To: Ellen Williams
I am curious where the language originated; which legislator or interest group or individual?
10:58 a.m.
Aug. 25, 2015
My understanding is that this language was from Chairman Aycock, and it first appeared in his House Committee Substitute for HB 1842. I ran a search and don’t see the language in any other bill. Raise Your Hand testified for the substitute.
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