HB4545 Relies on a ‘One Size Fits All Approach for our Students
Hello SAISD Parents,
This week is spring break, so enjoy this time with your children. I also want to tell all my Teachers that we apprentice all your time and effort; it means a lot to all of us.
While schools are out for spring break, our legislation will still be in session and debating what’s best for 6 million students in Texas. This week Houston ISD has finally given up the fight, so let’s see what our TEA commissioner will do now. Nevertheless, as I sit in all these meetings every year, these communities still have no idea what to do to help our children and teachers.
What is HB4545?
HB 4545 imposed new accelerated learning requirements for students who did not perform satisfactorily on their 2021 STAAR tests in third through eighth grade or on their high school STAAR end-of-course exams.
Eligible students must either:
Be assigned a certified master, exemplary or recognized teacher; or
Complete 30 hours of tutoring in small groups for each STAAR exam the student failed.
For example, a seventh-grade student who did not meet expectations on their reading and math STAAR exams must complete 60 hours of tutoring outside of core class time.
Many districts report that, while embedded tutoring offers benefits, HB 4545 creates more hurdles to student success and teachers’ instructional and preparation time. Educators, parents and other experts expressed concerns to the Texas Legislature that HB 4545 strains students’ learning time and adds to staffing challenges.
The bill also relies on a “one size fits all” approach of small-group, intensive tutoring instead of a broader array of student supports and interventions to address students’ learning needs. The flat tutoring hour requirement does not account for how many or which questions a student missed on the state exam.
The TEA commissioner was asked if we were to do away with HB4545, which we put in place last year, would it make a difference? He said no, I don’t believe it would. Yet last year, HB4545 was a priority, and it has overwhelmed our schools and teachers with more paperwork, and some teachers have spent hours away from their daily lives to help their students. All of these shady handshake deals need to stop because if these educated politicians can’t find a way to fix the system they broke, what do we do now?
We must remind those trying to fix our schools that our children should never become experiments. Let me remind everyone that we cannot use any new medication if our child becomes sick unless the FDA approves it. Then why do these politicians get to change laws that become experiments on our educational system. So, we need to ask why do these politicians have the right to change the way our children and teachers are being taught in our schools. Because it seems that they’re running experiments? Parents, under the capitol dome, no one has the correct answer nor the right way to help our teachers. The solutions are simple but never followed through; instead, they make it harder for everyone.
I hope you all have a great spring break and enjoy the sunshine.
Lastly, if anyone has any questions or concerns, please email me at lena.lopez@saobserver.com.
Have a blessed week,
Lena Lopez
