TEXAS AFT LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE--FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2009
(copyright 2009 Texas AFT)

New Educational Policies and Programs for the 2009-2010 School Year

The start of school is barely a week away for your students, and for many of you the new school year has already begun. This hotline is one more in a series informing you of changes in state law affecting you and your students. (For our full report on notable new laws of the 2009 legislative session, visit www.texasaft.org.)

"Mandates"
SB 300, which originally threatened to weaken state class-size limits significantly, ultimately was scaled back so that now it merely make relatively minor changes in various state "mandates" on public school districts. The bill allows class-size waivers to be granted for a full school year, not just for a semester at a time, and requires the Texas Education Agency to compile a report on requests for such waivers. SB 300 also makes school-bus evacuation training an option rather than a requirement.

Parenting awareness
HB 3076 expands the parenting and paternity awareness program to middle and junior high schools. At the discretion of the district, a teacher may modify the suggested sequence and pace of the program at any grade level. A student under 14 years of age may not participate in the program without the permission of a parent. The bill requires that school districts award high- school health credit to students enrolled in a middle or junior high school who successfully complete a course that includes the parenting and paternity awareness program. SB 1219 similarly authorizes a teacher, at the discretion of the school district, to modify the suggested sequence and pace of the mandatory parenting and paternity awareness program in the high-school health curriculum.

Excused absence for citizenship proceedings or for autism services
HB 192 directs school districts to excuse a student from attending school for appearing at a governmental office to complete paperwork required in connection with the student's application for United State citizenship or for taking part in a United States naturalization oath ceremony. The bill also requires an excused absence to be granted to a student diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder in order for the student to keep an appointment with a health-care practitioner to receive generally recognized services for persons with autism spectrum disorder, including applied behavioral analysis, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.

Excused absence for college visits
HB 2542 allows a student to receive an excused absence if the student visits an institution of higher education for the purpose of determining the student's interest in attending the institution. A district may not excuse more than two days for this purpose during the junior year and two days during the student's senior year. A district must adopt a policy to determine when an absence will be excused for this purpose and a procedure to verify the student’s visit at the institution.

Flexible school day
Under HB 1297, school districts may apply to the commissioner of education to provide a flexible school day program for students who would otherwise be denied credit due to excessive absences. A student by this route can earn credit the student would not otherwise be able to receive without retaking the class. HB 1297 removes the current specification that the flexible school day applies to students in grades nine through 12.