Hello SAISD Parents,
This week under the dome, there will be many discussions, questions, and hopefully some good ideas to help our schools in Texas. The questions are about how our state will find a way to help raise our teacher’s pay and provide more resources. Every year, we must testify or fight for the few pennies our state politicians are willing to give us. This week we have a few good bills and some that don’t make sense. At times I wonder if those passing policies on how our children learn in Texas can see the adverse effects it has on our entire educational system. But, as we wait for the answers, we must remember that our children, teachers, and school staff are still working hard in our schools.
I will keep all of you updated on any new House Bills or Senate bills that may come up or change during this week. The last day to fill a new bill is on March 10th and we have to wrap this session up by May 29th. I pray this week our politicians can make some changes that will help everyone. If anyone has any questions or concerns please email at lena.lopez@saobserver.com.
Have a Blessed Week,
Lena Lopez
Good Bills of the Week:
HB 1119 by Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio) would require cultural inclusion curriculum to be a part of the enrichment curriculum for public schools. Cultural inclusion curriculum would include exploration of differences and advocacy for oneself in the face of bias.
HB 1474 by Rep. Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande City) would establish protections for pregnant and parenting students enrolled in higher education institutions. Protections include not requiring a student to take a leave of absence, excusing the student’s absences, and allowing time for the student to make up missed assignments.
HB 1165 by Rep. Shawn Thierry (D-Houston) would require medical schools to offer coursework on the topic of cultural competence and implicit bias. The coursework is intended to address medical decisions and treatment relating to a person’s race, ethnicity, nationality, language, sex, gender, physical and mental ability, and socioeconomic status.
HB 2871 by Rep. Mary Gonzalez (D-Clint) would establish a computer science education promotion program in conjunction with The University of Texas to focus on public school campuses that lack computer science education, recruit new computer science educators, and serve underrepresented communities by providing computer science resources.
