ATPE News is the official publication of the Association of Texas Professional Educators, the largest educator association in Texas. The magazine addresses the most important issues affecting public education in the state. Learn more at ATPE.org.
Issue link: https://atpe.epubxp.com/i/435977
ere in Texas, several bills were fled in 2013 to create an ASD, and although none were successful, the idea is far from defeated. Governor-Elect Greg Abbott is a proponent of ASDs and recommended creating a Texas ASD in his campaign platform. Under the ASD approach, low-performing schools are removed from their home districts to become part of a new statewide school district called an "Achievement School District." The ASD would be run by a statewide superintendent and managed by a private management company, which would likely be an existing charter school operator. As a result, locally elected school board members would lose virtually all authority to govern campuses that were placed under the statewide ASD. Texas ASD Proposals To get a better sense of how a Texas ASD might play out, let's take a look at the most signifcant attempt to create one last session. Senate Bill (SB) 1718, by Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas), had the backing of well-fnanced reform groups, although it was opposed by most in the education community, including ATPE. Under SB 1718, certain campuses that were rated unacceptable for multiple years would have been removed from their school districts and placed in an ASD. Campuses that became part of the ASD would have received essentially the same funding as before but would be treated like charter schools. This means schools in an ASD would be exempt from much of the Texas Education Code, with a few notable exceptions. First, unlike charter schools, ASD campuses would be required to hire certifed teachers, and those teachers would only be permitted to teach the subject in which they were certifed. The second major diference is that the campus's original school district would be required to provide some services, such as transportation and certain special education services, to the ASD students. Per SB 1718, students and teachers at a campus that is placed in an ASD would have a few critical decisions to make. Students would have to decide whether to enroll in the new ASD campus or attend another school in the original school district. For teachers, the choice is more complicated. Those working at a campus that is incorporated into an ASD would have to decide whether to stay with the school or be reassigned to another school in the ISD, according to the district's transfer and reassignment policies. Staf members who choose to follow their campus into the ASD would not be guaranteed employment. Under SB 1718, ASD campuses would not have been required to give their teachers contracts or recognize their rights under Chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code. In other words, teachers at an ASD campus would most likely have become at-will employees. In opposing SB 1718, ATPE pointed out that this policy would serve as a disincentive for high-quality teachers to work in any school that is struggling academically, as these teachers would risk losing their contract rights and job security if the campus You may not have heard of Achievement School Districts (ASDs) yet, but during this legislative session, you will. ASDs are a new approach to managing schools that have chronically underperformed on standardized tests. atpe.org | 13 winter 2014 BY MONTY EXTER, ATPE LOBBYIST