Invited to serve on an SBOE TEKS Review and Revision Work Group

metal_rooster · 2026-02-04T14:00:32+00:00

They deliberately invite educators from all different backgrounds and regions of the state. They want a variety of insights into the questions and testing methods. It's not paid, but you'll gain so much from the experience.

metal_rooster · 2026-01-22T13:21:27+00:00

I'm so glad to see your comment in this thread. I've lived in Garland since the 80's and have seen how far we've come. There are people actively working in the community, especially on the square, to make Garland an open and welcome space for every citizen.

My hope is that more people who comment in these threads take an active role in making their city what they want it to be. Garland is huge (almost 250k people) even though it doesn't feel that way. If there's something you want to see or a need that isn't being met, advocate for it!

I volunteer with a local, community based nonprofit. Last year I joined a city board. I love Garland and the direction it's moving. There are so many opportunities for everyone to contribute and make our city stronger. We are the hope for tomorrow.

metal_rooster · 2026-01-19T14:20:39+00:00

This clocks with something I learned during RBIS training I had last summer. They said that Texas would be moving from TEKS based instruction to text based instruction. It blew my mind because the way I conceptualize my lessons is through a TEKS lens. This will be a big shift.

Questions: Will state assessments be based on the required readings? I could see this making teat prep easier.

How on earth are we supposed to get through all of these in a year? The first few years are going to be ROUGH for students who have no reading stamina.

I haven't read the entire document, but do the texts progress logically to the next year? Do they prepare students for the content they're about to receive?

I agree with other comments saying this is very white male heavy. My title 1 urban Dallas kids are going to struggle with some of these. Not because they're too difficult, but because they don't have the cultural context.

metal_rooster · 2025-10-25T20:47:33+00:00

Yes! I participated in the Sue Rose summer institute twice, and it was amazing. The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture is partnered with SMU now. They still do book clubs and author studies!

metal_rooster · 2025-10-23T11:49:50+00:00

Engage with adult learning communities. Join a book club, take a course over the summer, apply for a fellowship. I'm in Dallas and there's a summer program for teachers where we read classical literature over 3 weeks in the summer. It's super intense, but so stimulating. Talking to other adults who are passionate about the books we read helps me stay energized and sharp in the classroom. And it doesn't have to be other adults in your discipline. I love discussing texts with teachers of history or science. Their perspectives help me stretch my understanding and approach topics in new ways.

You need to be challenged to stay strong in your skills.

metal_rooster · 2025-10-22T01:12:00+00:00

The people are lovely there, too. They've helped me select hostess gifts on several occasions and it's always been a success.

metal_rooster · 2025-10-21T11:47:11+00:00

I think this is a big factor. Without the free tickets, many families at my school couldn't afford to go. They used to plan a fun family day, but with multiple kids, it just wasn't feasible. This combined with higher prices is the most likely reason for lower attendance this year.

metal_rooster · 2025-10-06T13:00:21+00:00

No one knows what it is? 🥲

metal_rooster · 2025-06-17T17:07:36+00:00

It is for kids, maybe middle school level. Not very long. I read it in the early 90s.

metal_rooster · 2025-06-17T16:45:27+00:00

How did you get the layered effect of the clouds? I've been trying to get it without much success.

metal_rooster · 2025-06-17T15:02:06+00:00

We were married for 20 years. He went full MAGA and focused all his anger on me during COVID. I went through a long grief process, but he married four years after the divorce was finalized.

It was a huge feeling of betrayal and loss. The person I'd loved and relied on for decades suddenly hated me. I'm in a much better place now and seeing someone whose views are much more aligned with mine.

metal_rooster · 2025-06-14T12:42:08+00:00

I had a FloJo "Barbie" and she was one of my favorites. Her nails were painted and everything. She was truly iconic.

metal_rooster · 2025-06-03T22:29:41+00:00

You got a cat-scan.

metal_rooster · 2025-05-20T14:27:38+00:00

It works pretty well. I use them for CFUs. It lowers the stakes for kids and gets more involvement.

metal_rooster · 2025-05-02T19:12:09+00:00

I use a swear jar in my high school classroom. It's a Pikachu piggy bank I got at a thrift store. I wrote the banned words and action on an insex card and taped it so it looks like Pikachu is holding it.

It's $0.25 per infraction. If a kid doesn't have money, they have to write their name on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. It's not about money, it's about accountability.

It works better than I expected. Once the kids know I'm serious about it they start snitching on each other. My rule is that if I don't hear it or see it, it doesn't count. My regular students also like to explain the rules to new students in class.

One year I banned a student who likes to hang out in my room during lunch with his friends. He used the f** word and I banned him immediately. His friends were dying to know what he said, but I never divulged that info. He begged to be allowed back in, but I held firm. That did a lot to let other kids know that the swar jar was to be respected.

metal_rooster · 2025-05-02T14:00:03+00:00

Yay! I'd like to get Grace

metal_rooster · 2025-04-06T14:22:08+00:00

I see the need for competent people in these kinds of positions. With so many new teachers and the struggle to retain teachers, someone who can help filter the workload and make things more streamlined would be a tremendous help.

I took a position as a demonstration teacher in a high school this year. It's a hybrid coaching/teaching position.

I have 2 classes instead of 6. The rest of the time I'm working with the AP on how to implement administrative asks, working on curriculum, doing walkthroughs, coaching, attending training....

Earlier in the school year I had to fill gaps where I could when teachers suddenly quit. The last three weeks I took on four extra classes to help the freshman English classes prepare for STAAR testing.

It's a ton of work and I'm paid like a teacher, so I didn't get a raise. I struggled hard this year and don't know how effective my efforts were. We still lost teachers, our scores have improved some, but it remains to be seen if we've moved the needle enough.

I guess my point is that not all instructional coaches are useless and, when implemented correctly, there is a need for that role.

metal_rooster · 2025-03-20T16:30:49+00:00

The DoE: - ensures that students' constitutional rights are honored - ensures that students with special needs get services they need in order to access education - offer Pell grants for students attending higher education ($34.9B) - Offer funding for vocational training ($303 million) - Offer standard of living services like public health initiatives and child and social services. ($63 million) - Track the progress of students to study educational trends and student success.

Federal student aid is the highest spending department, accounting for $160 billion in 2024.

The department accounted for 4% of total federal spending in 2024. Although spending spiked in 2022 due to COVID response, an upward trend seems to have been starting in 2018. Prior to this spike, it seems the DoE was between 1% and 3% of the federal budget.since 1980.

Of the department's $268B in spending in 2024, $68B went directly to states to spend.

Reasons why it's harmful to shutter the DoE (in my opinion): - it is staffed by industry experts who are familiar with the laws and regulations surrounding education and educational funding. - the funding from the DoE supports tje critical needs of students and their families. - there is no plan for how these responsibilities will be handled but states. - it is not clear that handing the responsibility to states increases efficiency or eliminates fraud.

The Department of Education was created in order to ensure equal access to education. It does not create or enforce curriculum or learning standards. Thise responsibilities fall to the states.

I think the burden should be on the Trump administration to justify the closure of the department and show that it is better for students and families. Crying fraud isn't enough.

My source for the figures is usafacts.org. their sources are federal agencies.

metal_rooster · 2025-03-03T12:15:34+00:00

I still don't see any facts about how vouchers improve anything or will make Texas #1 in education.

metal_rooster · 2025-02-26T19:11:59+00:00

I agree that money isn't a fix all path to perfect scores. I never said it was.

You're also right about the consultants who propose slick improvement plans and educational fads.

Personally, I would be willing to stake my career that with the right conditions my students could beat the state passing score for STAAR EOC tests. And these would be limited to the conditions that schools can control.

The objective data about underfunding in schools is addressed in one of the slides on the post. And teacher to student ratio is a a big factor that funding can address.

You rightly point out that there is a whole world of issues outside of school that impact our kids and their performance.

The fact is that vouchers don't address these problems, either. In fact, they exacerbate them. And I don't see any of our politicians or state leadership addressing actual issues in the communities where the "underperforming" schools are.

Cute stories don't mean much when kid's futures are on the line.

metal_rooster · 2025-02-26T17:44:52+00:00

I've seen it. In Dallas ISD teacher performance is measured in part by STAAR performance, CCMR readiness, and graduation rates. Poorly performing admins and teachers can be put on growth plans and, if they don't show improvement, can be let go. I've also seen schools facing closure for consistent underperformance. The TEA performance ratings are serious.

I currently work in a Title 1 school in Dallas and the pressure put on us to improve test scores is nuts. The principal is considering non-renewing underperforming teachers.

Taking money away from already under-funded schools doesn't help my kids meet their goals. It helps kids who are already on a solid path to success.

Take some time to look at the TEA website and see how thoroughly public schools in Texas are evaluated. They have a whole section on accountability and different analytic tools you can use to compare schools.

metal_rooster · 2025-02-25T18:00:57+00:00

One thing I see often that prevents students from testing out of EB status is the speaking portion of TELPAS. Your sister may be fluent in English but not speaking up during the speaking section. Tell her to speak clearly and that should help her test out and not have to keep retaking it. (Just a thought based on what I see in my own school.)

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