Building the Foundation for Student Success

Last week, I wrote about what it will take to make Texas schools the best in the nation. We talked about the record $8.5 billion in new funding invested in public schools last session and some of the policies we are looking at for the 90th legislative session. This week, I want to take a closer look at where our schools stand today and where we go from here.

The Texas Education Agency recently released its A–F accountability ratings for public schools across Texas. These grades give parents and communities a snapshot of how schools are doing, including student achievement and academic growth. Here in House District 13, our schools earned an average score of 80, or a B.

There is a lot to be proud of. Eight schools in our district earned an A, with Abbott ISD earning the highest score in HD 13 at 94. Another 15 schools earned a B. Those grades represent a lot of hard work by teachers, students, parents and school leaders who show up every day and care deeply about their schools.

We also have schools with more work to do. Sixteen received a C, four received a D and two received an F, with the lowest-rated school in our district receiving a score of 44/100.

While an accountability grade is incredibly important in gauging where a school is at, we need to remember it is a snapshot, not the whole story. Every school is different, and there are many factors behind a single year's results. One year's score does not define a school, its teachers, its parents or its students.

As a former public school board member and a parent of public school graduates, I know there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to education. Our teachers know their classrooms. Our parents know their children. And our local school leaders know their communities. We need to listen to them and make sure they have the tools and support to do their jobs well.

That is why I was glad to be in Waco last week for an important conversation with Governor Abbott, fellow legislators, teachers and families about his new initiative for Student Success Academies and his goal of making Texas the No. 1 state in the nation in reading and math.

Reading and math are foundational. When a child learns to read well and has a strong foundation in math, we open the door to so many other opportunities in school and in life.

The Student Success Academies build on more than $600 million already invested in reading and math supports. The initiative would help schools identify where students need additional support, provide targeted help to get them on grade level, and give parents a clearer picture of how their child is progressing. Families would also receive at-home learning plans and resources to reinforce what is happening in the classroom.

This is the kind of work I believe we need to keep pursuing: supporting our teachers, giving parents a meaningful role in their child's education and making sure students get the help they need to succeed.

We have some outstanding schools in House District 13. We should celebrate what is working, learn from one another, and never give up on a child or a school because of a single year's report card.

Texas should have the best schools in the nation. I believe we will get there, but it will take all of us, teachers, parents, school leaders, students, and legislators,, working together.

I look forward to continuing this work with Governor Abbott and my colleagues in the Legislature and doing my part to make the Student Success Academies a reality for Texas students.

And I want to hear from you. Whether you are a teacher, parent, administrator,

or community member, please email me at angelia.orr@house.texas.gov and share your ideas for making our schools the best they can be for our kids.

Because at the end of the day, it is all about them.

— Your Conservative State Representative Angelia Orr