September 29, 2015 3:26 PM

On No Child Left Behind, Texas shows short-term gains but is in long-term limbo

Other states in a similar position might schedule a special session – the feds “know our legislature meets every other year, and yet they give us this deadline… It’s like they want to assure these things will not happen.”

The US Department of Education’s conditional “high-risk” waiver to the No Child Left Behind Act for the state puts Texas in an almost unwinnable position.

The sticking point for the waiver, as it has been in most states, is teacher and principal evaluations. The feds want student test scores tied to teacher evaluations. They want a statewide approach to measuring student growth. And they want to know how evaluations will inform personnel decisions, all by January.

Texas already has rejected the idea of tying student test scores to teacher evaluations, most recently with last session’s Senate Bill 893. Education Commissioner Michael Williams, who will be addressing the largest gathering of school leaders in the state on Saturday, said the state would not be creating uniform standards.

“Throughout the waiver application process, I have made it clear to federal officials that I do not have nor will I ever seek the authority to compel local school districts to use one uniform teacher and principal evaluation system statewide,” Williams said. “Our state believes strongly in local control of our schools. As a result, we will continue discussing this specific point with the U.S. Department of Education, but they should not expect any shift in Texas’ position.”

By Kimberly Reeves