84R7124 RMA-D
By: Burton S.C.R. No. 8
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The amount of paperwork required by federal and
state education agencies causes an undue burden on teachers,
especially those in special education, whose time and efforts would
be better spent focused on the needs of their students; and
WHEREAS, Countless teachers pursue a career in education
because they want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of
children; federal requirements, however, impede that worthwhile
goal by overwhelming educators who are working hard to create
lesson plans, grade assignments, and give individualized attention
to pupils and their parents; by adding unmanageable and often
redundant paperwork to already overloaded schedules, the
government creates a disincentive for teachers to remain in their
chosen field; and
WHEREAS, The IDEA Paperwork Reduction Act of 2002, which the
United States Congress failed to pass, aimed to reduce overall
paperwork for teachers by more than 50 percent by eliminating
redundancies between federal and state agencies and using
technology to create a more streamlined process; these proposals
are worthy of reconsideration in order to improve upon the
inefficient and onerous system currently in place; and
WHEREAS, Our best educators serve as role models, motivators,
listeners, and mentors, and it is incumbent on the government to
promote efficiency and quality in our education system by
eliminating unnecessary paperwork and allowing teachers to focus on
their students; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to reduce the
amount of paperwork required of teachers by federal law; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.