Charters 101: Charter School Parents Are Asking, "Who Represents Me?"

Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins at the Texas State Capitol in 2017

Charter school parents ofttimes enquire, "Who represents me?" This question comes upward whenever something is not correct and we are looking for change, and we want to know who to enquire to make things amend. Our elected officials and their staff members may seem remote and distant, simply they're not—they live in our communities, and they are extroverts who savour hearing real life stories from the people they serve. To brand change in education, parent advocates demand to know who represents them in the institutions that fix pedagogy policy. This post has pace-by-step instructions about how yous tin can place the elected officials whose job it is to listen to y'all and work for you.

This post is part of our ongoing Charters 101 series, providing clear explanations for charter school parents nigh how they can go stronger advocates for high quality pedagogy.

Who Sets Education Policy in Texas

In the United states, our system of government has a lot of institutions that overlap geographically. The goal is to proceed determination making shut to the people who are affected by information technology. Only it means there is no elementary answer to the question, "Who represents me?" when it comes to instruction policy in Texas.

State Teaching Policy

In Texas, the institutions that have the nigh influence over education policy are the Texas Senate and the Texas Business firm of Representatives. They command the money: how to raise acquirement from sources like property taxes, sales taxes, and the lottery, and how to spend that money. The legislature passes legislation that controls everything from hiring and firing teachers, disciplining students, constructing school buildings, authorizing new charter schools, administering standardized tests, and rating campuses and districts. The Texas Legislature meets at the country capitol in Austin for regular sessions from January through May in odd-numbered years. The Governor can call special sessions when at that place are urgent matters to resolve.

The Texas Legislature is organized into committees, including the Business firm Committee on Public Teaching (in that location's also a committee about Higher Education) and the Senate Committee on Didactics. Between legislative sessions—a fourth dimension known as the "interim"—these committees agree hearings to collect information and atomic number 82 discussions about instruction policy. Whether a beak makes progress towards becoming a police depends on its clearing hurdles prepare past the committee chairs, as well every bit the Calendars Committee and the Speaker of the House.

In that location are statewide elected officials who influence didactics policy, too, including the Governor, who appoints the Commissioner of Education; the Lieutenant Governor, who presides over the Senate; and the Land Commissioner, who oversees country lands that contribute to school funding. The Commissioner of Educational activity oversees the Texas Teaching Agency, an administrative bureau that regulates public schools (including charter schools) at the country level.

The Texas State Lath of Pedagogy includes 15 elected members. Their responsibilities include setting curriculum standards and graduation requirements, reviewing and approval textbooks, approval rules for teacher certification, overseeing the Permanent Schoolhouse Fund, and reviewing the Education Commissioner's recommendations about authorizing new lease schools.

Federal Education Policy

In the United States, about matters of education policy are adamant at the land and local level, but the federal authorities plays a role besides. Every Texas resident is served past two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative. The President nominates, and the senate confirms, a Secretarial assistant of Education, who leads the federal Department of Teaching. The judicial co-operative—the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court—has limited jurisdiction to review instruction laws.

Local Education Policy

At the local level, independent school districts and community college districts have elected boards. Urban center councils and mayors accept a part in decisions most land use and zoning. Here in San Antonio, the city is more than securely involved in education through Pre-K four SA, an early childhood pedagogy program. County judges and commissioners may touch instruction policy besides.

Equally you can see, our system of regime has elected and appointed officials at many levels, from local to state, national, and international, who accept a office in education policy. For purposes of lease schools, schoolhouse choice, and school finance, the most influential people are your state senator and country representative, so we volition focus more on how to identify which ones are representing your neighborhood.

Who Are Your Representatives

On many issues, the people with the biggest role to play in education policy in Texas are the legislators—your land senator and country representative. Only there are 31 members of the Texas Senate 150 members of the Texas House, and so which ones are supposed to listen to y'all?

"Who Represents Me"—State Finder

The easiest way is to go to wrm.capitol.texas.gov, enter your abode accost, and click "Find." The site will give you a listing of districts and names, including your Texas Senator, Texas Representative, and Texas State Lath of Educational activity member, as well as federal elected officials.

"Who Represents Me"—Local Finder

Bexar Canton has a precinct finder tool that helps you find local elected officials similar county commissioners, city council members, school board trustees, and community higher trustees.

As an instance, if you were standing in front of the Alamo, here are some of the land and local elected officials who correspond that spot:

• Alamo College Board of Trustees — Commune 3
• Bexar Canton Judge
• Bexar Canton Commissioner —Percent iv
• San Antonio City Council — Commune 1
• San Antonio ISD Board of Trustees — District 1
• San Antonio Mayor
• Texas State Board of Educational activity — District 3
• Texas State Representative — District 123
• Texas State Senate — District 26

We have marked in bold the elected officials who are well-nigh straight involved in instruction policy.

Another identify to find these districts is by checking the numbers on your voter registration card.

Every x years, when new census data is available, the Texas legislature redraws district boundaries. By 2022, you might be in a different ready of districts than you were in 2020.

Asking "Who represents me?" is an important step in making your vocalisation heard. Only how practise yous attain them? That'south the topic of our adjacent postal service in the Charters 101 series. With these blog posts and events, we will assist you become a stronger education abet, and influence education policy in Texas to meliorate serve students and families.

Read More Nigh Charter School Parent Advocacy

• "Charters 101: Parents Enquire, 'How Are Lease Schools Paid For?'" San Antonio Lease Moms, August nineteen, 2021
• "Charters 101: Parents Are Request, 'How Exercise I Contact My Elected Officials?'"San Antonio Lease Moms, August 12, 2021
• "Parent Perspectives: How Lety Gómez Became a Parent Leader," Lety Gómez, San Antonio Charter Moms, May 18, 2021
• "Student Stories: Dariela Galindo, Sophomore at Travis Early College Loftier School in SAISD," Dariela Galindo, San Antonio Charter Moms, March 2, 2021
• "'Never Also Old or Too Young to Larn'—Wendy Gonzales-Neal of My Kid My Voice," Wendy Gonzales-Neal, San Antonio Charter Moms, December sixteen, 2020
• "Teacher Tales: "You Are My Why" — Abel F. De Leon at the School of Science and Technology," Abel F. De Leon,San Antonio Charter Moms, (reposted byEducation Mail), Nov 4, 2020
• "Raising Parents' Voices for Change: Introducing Texas Families First,"San Antonio Lease Moms, August 19, 2020
• "Charters 101: Being a Charter School Parent Advocate — Founders Schertz Edition,"San Antonio Charter Moms, March 5, 2018
• "Talking Nearly Constitution Day, September 17, with Metropolis Council Fellow member Ron Nirenberg," San Antonio Lease Moms, September 7, 2014

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Source: https://sachartermoms.com/charter-school-parents-who-represents-me/

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