A pair of high profile, education-related pieces of legislation is part of what local Hays County representative Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs) has so far filed during the 85th Texas Legislative session.
Isaac’s key piece of legislation, House Bill 1333, aims to “radically reduce the impact of standardized testing on Texas’ students, educators and taxpayers,” according to a release.
The bill, called the “Teaching over Testing” act, plans to move the focus in public education “away from standardized testing” to the classroom through four pieces of reform.
That includes removing the weight of scores from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam in the state’s A-F rating system, which is to be implemented during the 2018 school year.
Texas’ STAAR test has come under fire after multiple school districts encountered a myriad of technical issues with the exam in spring 2016.
In addition, over 150 school districts, including Hays CISD and Dripping Springs ISD, have passed resolutions calling for the repeal of the state’s new A-F rating system, citing concerns the ratings rely heavily on standardized testing.
Isaac said his bill has received bipartisan support from across the state. His bill is co-authored by Reps. Rodney Anderson (R-Grand Prairie), Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont) and Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston).
“I’m thrilled by the bipartisan support this legislation is receiving .... It’s time we shift the focus of public education away from standardized testing and back to the classroom where it belongs.”
Jason Isaac, State Representative
Issac has also filed legislation to stop inappropriate relationships between teachers and students in public schools.
House Bill 1403, which was filed by Isaac Monday, is paired with HB 218, which was filed by Rep. Tony Dale (R-Cedar Park). Both pieces of legislation are expected to strengthen prohibitions against relationships between educators and students.
According to the release, both Isaac and Dale have focused their attention toward stopping a practice they call “passing the trash.” That practice is where teachers who resign, but are not fired, for engaging in inappropriate relationships with students are allowed to keep their teaching license.
“I’m thankful that our children’s safety in schools – where all they should have to focus on is learning – is a priority for our state’s leadership,” Issac said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and the Senate to keep sexual predators out of our schools.”
