By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
"Every child in Texas deserves a Highland Park education, and this helps get them there," said Rep. Jim Dutton (D-Waco) as he and other members of the House Democratic leadership today unveiled their "Learn and Live Plan" for public education reform as an alternative to HB 2.
Rep. Kent Grusendorf's (R-Arlington) HB 2 was passed out of the House Public Education Committee earlier this week despite opposition from nearly every major teacher and educator organization in the state, and is set for debate on the House floor on Tuesday, March 8.
Dunnam said the group's proposal will be presented as a floor substitute for HB 2, and described it as a "better plan that will sustain the light of day" and deliver more tax relief to Texas homeowners while ensuring the needs of Texas public schoolchildren are met.
Public school finance has been a "very frustrating problem," said Dunnam, and solutions cannot always be found. He said Grusendorf has "shown a lot of that frustration" and said, "HB 2 - take it or leave it."
"We can NOT take it or leave it," said the Waco Democrat. "We have a clear message and we will improve our children's schools and we will provide meaningful tax relief."
Dunnam said the "Learn and Live Plan" has a smaller fiscal note than HB 2. "We can do much better for our schools, our children and Texas taxpayers with this plan."
Noting the proposal invests $5 billion in new money, instead of the $3 billion called for in HB 2, Dunnam said this plan lowers property tax burdens by increasing homestead exemption caps as a tradeoff against larger reductions in property tax rates. The "Learn and Live" program, explained Rep. Scott Hochberg (D-Houston) lowers the property tax cap from $1.50 to $1.25, but allows for a tripling of homestead exemptions from $15,000 to $45,000. He and Dunnam explained that 135 of the 150 Texas House districts would benefit from tax relief under the plan.
Dunnam said if the Legislature can "simply put aside all the political agendas," it can pass a plan to support those who educate the state's schoolchildren as well as provide tax relief for Texas taxpayers. "We think this is about learning," he said, and about "living in a Texas that is better tomorrow."
The most important issue in public education is not just about money or property tax relief, said Rep. Rene Oliviera (D-Brownsville), but about equity, which he called "the great equalizer" in society. He said the "Learn and Live Plan" will take the state to "100 percent equity except for a few hold-harmless districts." That is a goal that HB 2 does not meet, he said.
Providing every child the equal opportunity for a quality education is "fundamental," said Oliviera, adding that 50 years after the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, HB 2 would provide "separate but unequal" access to the highest quality education for Texas children. "The children of Texas don't deserve that."
Oliviera said HB 2 is like an "artificial sweetener," but the "Learn and Live Plan" provides real equity. "If we don't take advantage of this opportunity, the people who will suffer are not just the children, but the future of Texas." He noted that the majority of children in Texas public schools are poor and minorities. "We have to invest in those children. If we don't have equity, we haven't done our job."
Rep. Yvonne Davis (D-Dallas) said the plan addresses incentives for Texas teachers to help recruit and retain the best of the best, which she said are key to ensuring a quality education for Texas schoolchildren.
The plan invests resources "where our children learn - in the classroom," said Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston). He said it provides funds for instructional programs that have been proven to make a difference for schoolchildren, while HB 2 fails to restore cuts made in 2003 to many education programs. He said the bill coming to the House floor next week also fails to address the approximately 85,000 annual enrollment growth.
"We have a better plan," said Coleman, noting that a "successful classroom program can make a difference for a lifetime - one child at a time." The plan adds resources to every district and every school, he said, with funding for comp ed, bilingual programs, restoration of mentoring programs and funding for new textbooks, technology and classroom construction.
Hochberg said the Democrats' plan is aimed at bringing Texas teacher salaries up to the national average within two years, returning the stipend for health insurance for teachers and ancillary personnel, reaching 100 percent equity, restoring funding for programs such as Gifted and Talented and increasing transportation funding. "There's a lot in HB 2 about financial accountability and transparency," said Hochberg, noting those provisions remain in the "Learn and Live Plan." He said the group picked the "best parts" of HB 2 and matched it with the goals and aspirations of the Democratic leadership and the people of Texas.