Policy & Advocacy: House Bill 3
As an initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT), Educate Texas embodies CFT’s mission to build thriving communities for all through our specific focus on building a thriving education system. We are committed to the critical endeavor of transforming public K-12 and higher education systems in ways that improve every Texas student’s chance for success through our programs, partnerships and policy work.
Through our policy work, we support efforts that make profound, statewide impacts. For over ten years, we have worked to unite diverse stakeholders in education and begin a dialogue about advancing policies that support Texas’ students. In forming coalitions like the Texas Student Success Council , the Texas Teacher Preparation Collaborative , and the Texas Teaching Commission , we have created opportunities to research best practices and share results with state lawmakers. “Because of our rich experience and our proven commitment to enhancing education across the state,” says John Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of Educate Texas, “we are proud that Educate Texas is considered a trusted change agent to the policymakers who are making critical decisions for the students in Texas.” By voicing policy recommendations and providing advice to key legislative leadership, we demonstrate how changes in public policy impacts students all over Texas.
As part of our efforts to engage with and inform policymakers, as the 86 th Legislative session began in January 2019, Educate Texas joined forces with the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium (TEGAC). Based on shared priorities to inform education policy through objective data and evidence-based best practices, Educate Texas and TEGAC saw a chance to align and increase the power of our mutual impact. “We have always valued the power of advocacy work within the key areas of college and career readiness, effective teaching and higher education and knew that with the added voice of TEGAC, we could amplify our impact to make a difference in these key areas, as well as adopt a new focus on school finance,” says Fitzpatrick. “At Educate Texas, we know that strong collective partnerships can impact change for students across the state. In aligning with TEGAC, we saw the opportunity to combine our efforts to lift up an even stronger voice in the area of public education policy.”
Prior to joining Educate Texas, TEGAC’s School Finance Policy Work Group raised over $300,000 and worked for over two years to build public and political will to adequately fund Texas public schools. TEGAC worked closely with the Texas School Finance Commission during the interim legislative period in 2018 to provide data and thought partnership to the Commission’s 12 members. In January 2018, TEGAC polled to gauge Texas voters’ attitudes on school finance reform, and launched a communications “Big Tent” campaign based on research and polling data, hosted a series of regional meetings across the state, and built a coalition with a diverse set of partners to bring together lawmakers, business leaders and other organizations to understand the value of money spent on education and the implications for our future workforce. “Our school finance message focused on the fact that Texans believe that money matters in education, and that money should be well spent,” explains TEGAC Director, Jennifer Esterline. “The “Big Tent” initiative allowed a diverse set of stakeholders to carry this shared message to the Texas Legislature, and the Legislature listened.” This work helped lay the groundwork for the passage of House Bill 3, the most important piece of school financial legislation in a generation.
Passed in 2019 by the 86th Texas Legislature, and influenced in part by Educate Texas’ and TEGAC’s work, House Bill 3 infused an additional $6.5 billion into schools throughout the state. House Bill 3 will support and incentivize teacher excellence, concentrate on student outcomes, prioritize full-day pre-K for eligible four-year-olds, and increase funding and equity in schools across the state. At the invitation of policymakers, our John Fitzpatrick testified at the Capitol in Austin, providing policy recommendations based on evidence from our programs and partnerships. With House Bill 3 now in effect, we will support its implementation through our own program teams, continue to develop partnerships and strengthen strategies to change the way education happens in Texas.
In alignment with House Bill 3 efforts to reward teacher excellence through provisions to properly reward teachers, we are committed to enhancing the effectiveness of teachers. One example of this is our Best In Class coalition, a partnership between Communities Foundation of Texas and The Commit Partnership, which ensures students in Texas gain access to well-prepared, effective, diverse educators so that a greater proportion of them can be on track for college and career readiness. “Through our work with over twenty-five districts across the state, we analyze data to find bright spots and to frame the problem clearly, activate stakeholders by convening and connecting people to people, resources and best practices and finally, we seek to grow strategies that work, including strategies to re-think teacher compensation,” says Betsy Cook, Deputy Director of Best in Class.
But the transformation doesn’t stop with teachers. Both Educate Texas and the provisions of House Bill 3 are changing the way that students in Texas are prepared for success after high school. House Bill 3 is expanding career and technology funding to provide for students in grades 7-12, offering free college and industry entrance exams and rewarding districts for graduating college-, career- and military-ready students. Educate Texas, with our commitment to improving college and career readiness in our state, will work with College and Career Readiness School Models (CCRSM), among our other programs in schools, to bolster the impact of House Bill 3
At Educate Texas we are shaping the future of today’s workforce by supporting strategies that give students the resources necessary to pursue and obtain two-year or four-year degrees or technical certificates. House Bill 3 will promote pathways for these college-ready students toward institutions of higher education and equip them to thrive there. Texas high school students will now be required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as a graduation requirement. Our Texas College Access Network (TxCAN) encourages students to complete education beyond high school, and TxCAN Director, Shareea Woods notes that “House Bill 3 also ties new College Career and Military Readiness bonuses to enrollment in a postsecondary or military program”, adding that “We believe this is an important step in supporting our school leaders as they look beyond high school graduation to help students access their next opportunity for success.” No matter what path a student takes, Educate Texas is empowering students through programs that reduce barriers to success after high school.
House Bill 3 was a huge win for educators and students alike, making it a policy discussion in which we at CFT and Educate Texas are extremely proud to have taken part. We worked side by side, from early research and stakeholder discussions to implementation through our programs and partnerships, because we know that stronger schools mean stronger communities. Our team at Educate Texas will build on the momentum of House Bill 3 by continuing our efforts in these areas, working to increase every Texas student’s chance for success.