Texas House Bill HB2704

Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Caption

Relating to public school accountability interventions, sanctions, and related actions.

Impact

The bill expands the powers of the commissioner of education by allowing for various corrective actions against schools demonstrating insufficient performance. This may include appointing monitors to ensure compliance with educational standards, as well as demanding the development of improvement plans that engage the community and parents. Additionally, it repeals certain sections of the Education Code, suggesting a shift towards a more structured response to academic failures, emphasizing the necessity for accountability and performance improvement across public schools.

Summary

House Bill 2704 focuses on enhancing public school accountability by implementing a series of interventions and sanctions for underperforming schools in Texas. It aims to hold school districts accountable more effectively through updated legal provisions related to how the commissioner of education can respond to inadequate performance. This bill includes definitions and procedures for the intervention of schools that consistently fail to meet performance standards, thereby laying a statutory foundation for proactive measures to improve educational outcomes.

Contention

While proponents of HB 2704 argue that these rigorous intervention mechanisms will drive significant improvements in student performance, critics express concerns about the potential for punitive measures to exacerbate challenges within struggling schools. There is apprehension around the balance of support versus sanctions, particularly regarding how schools may be perceived and treated during periods of transition under oversight. Such a system raises questions about the effectiveness of state interventions relative to the intrinsic issues faced by low-performing districts, such as socio-economic factors and resource availability.