Other News

TEA Rule News
(Note: Click here for more info about the following adopted and proposed TEA rules.)

The TEA is accepting public comments on these proposed rules:
  • Revising the fiscal ratings criteria for ISDs and charters. Comment by May 26.

  • Implementing HB3 provisions establishing a local option teacher designation system. Comment by May 26.

  • Addressing HB3-required rules regarding the school-finance Equalized Wealth Level. Comment by June 8.

  • Expanding the criteria to determine a student’s eligibility for comp-ed funding. Comment by May 26.
Also: The TEA has adopted these rules, with changes from the versions originally approved for public comment, that address:
  • Maximum compressed tax rate calculations and related data collections. Effective April 15.

  • Requirements for bilingual education and English as a second language programs. Effective April 14.

Lawsuit Authorized
The board of the 600-student, two-campus New Frontiers Public Schools charter district voted (April 22) to sue the TEA over the education commissioner’s decision to require the charter to close its K-8 campus as of next school year and start a phase-in plan to reduce the number of grades it offers to high school only at its remaining campus, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

The commissioner specifically ordered the charter not to offer PK through fifth grade in the 2020-21 school year and phase out grades six through eight over the next two years. By fall of 2023, New Frontiers must only offer grades nine through twelve, according to the commissioner’s directive.

The TEA’s main complaint against the charter was reportedly over the failure of the charter to get pre-approval from the TEA for a charter amendment before contracting with San Antonio’s city-wide public PK program to educate New Frontier’s PK students.

The charter’s attorney, Kevin O’Hanlon (who many years ago was the TEA’s chief legal counsel), told the Express-News that the charter was not given the same appeals process the TEA has used with other districts and instead is using a “made up procedure….”

Resignation
tom-torkelson
IDEA Public Schools CEO and co-founder Tom Torkelson recently announced he has resigned as leader of the state’s largest charter network.

IDEA’s board selected JoAnn Gama, the organization’s current president, superintendent, and other co-founder, to replace Torkelson as CEO.

The Houston Chronicle quoted IDEA’s board chair as saying that Torkelson stepped down to “embark on the next chapter of his career.”
Under Torkelson’s tenure, IDEA has been embroiled in a number of controversies, including the charter’s leasing of a private jet, and for luxury boxes for San Antonio Spurs games (expenditures that were ultimately dropped after they became public).