In the Aftermath of George Floyd’s Death
Policing in Schools Undergoes Scrutiny
The use of police and other law enforcement in schools, including districts that operate their own police departments, has come under enhanced scrutiny following the death of Houston ISD Yates High School graduate George Floyd after being handcuffed and restrained by Minneapolis police.
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TRS: Full Office Lease Details Revealed
The TRS, in response to a lawsuit filed against it by the Austin American-Statesman, released the final details from the system’s lease of three floors of a 36-story luxury office building under construction in downtown Austin.
The Statesman reported (June 5) that according to the unredacted copy of the lease it received, TRS negotiated an allowance (credit) of up to $9.6 million to customize offices at the Indeed Tower, a figure that is somewhat offset by the $577,000 annual tab for garage parking.
Previously revealed was the fact that the rent was to start at $487,000 a month.
The TRS’ board earlier this year, responding to criticism by legislators, TRS members and the public, vowed to try to sublease the space and to keep its investment staff in its current downtown office building that would be renovated to provide more space for the staff.
Quality Counts: D+ in School Finance for Texas
The school finance segment of Education Week’s Quality Counts released (June 3) assigns Texas (see dropdown menu here) an overall grade of 68.3 (D+) out of 100 points, compared to the nation as a whole, with a grade of 75.7 (C).
Overall, Texas ranked 40th nationally for school finance.
Among the school finance subcategories making up the overall score, Texas earned an F (42nd nationally) for a “school spending” measure and B+ (22nd nationally), on an “equity of school funding” indicator.
This is the second of three 2020 Quality Counts grades to be released. In January, Texas was assigned a C (41st nationally) on a “chance-for-success” measure.
A “K-12 achievement measure” will be released in September, along with overall scores.
Sunset Commission Staff Recommendation
Merge Cosmetology & Barbering Licensing
The just-released Texas Sunset Advisory Commission staff report (executive summary/full report) on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) recommends the Legislature combine the currently separate areas of cosmetology and barbering into a single licensure and regulatory area.
Five Texas public schools offer barbering instruction and about 200 public schools offer cosmetology instruction.
Does Not Include
The Sunset commission’s review of the TDLR does not include these school-related licensing areas: 1) athletic trainers, 2) dietitians, 3) dyslexia practitioners and therapists and 4) speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
The Sunset commission, consisting of legislators and public members, tentatively set a public hearing on TDLR for August, with the full commission tentatively set to vote at a September meeting on final TDLR recommendations to the Legislature. Click here for updates.
The Sunset Commission also:
- Cancelled its scheduled July public meeting on TRS due to the pandemic. A new date has not been set. Check for updates here.
- Issued a staff report (executive summary/full report) on the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) that does not recommend any changes to the TDA’s oversight of school breakfast/lunch (and other) nutritional programs.
Sunset staff did recommend repealing from state law the
Early Childhood Health and Interagency Council, which disbanded after issuing its final report in 2018.There’s no longer a need for the council because its work is duplicated by the
Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Committee under the purview of the Department of State Health Services, the report concludes.
Texas Suicide Data Reported
In Texas, a person dies by suicide approximately every two hours, according to a newly released report by the Texas Health and Human
Citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the report says suicide rates in Texas have increased 18.9 percent since 1999, making suicide the second leading cause of death for individuals ages 15 to 34 — and the 11th leading cause of death across all age groups. More than twice as many Texans died by suicide than in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents, the report notes.
The report cites state poison hotline data reflecting that the highest call rates concerning suspected suicide occurred with adolescents 13-to-19 years old.
The report will be used as the basis of a follow-up report (also required by HB3980) by the Statewide Behavioral Health Coordinating Council.
See also the “Quick Tip” in this issue.