Texans For Texas || Action Update - Issue 61

Action Update - Issue 61 :: December16, 2005

by Chris Patterson

All Texas Schools Should Follow Houston ISD's Lead

Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra is breaking ranks with school districts and going up against teacher associations to do what it takes to improve student learning in Houston Independent School District.

How and what teachers are paid has made it difficult for Houston ISD to recruit and retain good teachers. So Dr. Saavedra is introducing salary incentives that will make it possible for the best teachers, those whose students make exceptional academic progress, to earn an extra $3,000 annually. Within five years, he would like to increase this to $10,000 annually.

This is a bold move because teacher associations vehemently oppose salary supplements that are based on performance, although associations support supplementing teacher pay for other reasons. Over half of Texas’ school districts supplement teachers’ salaries today with hiring bonuses and extra pay for good attendance, seniority, and extra duties. It’s rewarding individuals for being great teachers that associations oppose. <continued>

Shady Journalism, Once Again

by Janelle Shepard

The November issue of Texas Monthly criticized the tort reform movement in Texas during the last 2 legislative sessions. By using propaganda from the plaintiff trial lawyers, Texas Monthly has once again shown their inability to present a fair and factual story. If you want to know the facts about Texas tort reform, please see this rebuttal by Texans for Lawsuit Reform.

_______________________________________________________________

Send your thoughts and comments..

It's time to choose the True Texan for 2005. Who did the best job representing Texas this year? Who represented conservative values? You are welcome to send comments for publishing and pictures, if they can be published. Email jshepard@tx4tx.org

Our First True Texan 2003 - Rep. Joe Nixon

RECOMMENDED READING:

A New Frontier for Welfare Reform

Lawmakers pushing to end citizenship birthright

Texan pushes GOP to live up to fiscal promises

The Texas Taxpayer Agenda: It's Our Money

Education lobbying in Texas totals $6.3 mil

SUBSCRIBE:
Send a blank email to subscribe@tx4tx.org with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line or click here and hit send.

UNSUBSCRIBE:
To optout, send a blank email to remove@tx4tx.org with REMOVE in the subject line or click here and hit send. All subscription requests are processed within 2 weeks.

DISCLAIMER:
The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act requires unsolicited commercial e-mail messages to be labeled and to include opt-out instructions and the sender's physical address. It prohibits the use of deceptive subject lines and false headers in such messages. Texans For Texas, Inc. is a non-commercial organization.

INFORMATION:
Janelle Shepard, Executive Director
Texans for Texas, Inc., 815-A Brazos St #384, Austin, TX 78701-9996.
© 2004 Texans For Texas, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Texas Mistletoe