The Texas Education Agency has scheduled a hearing to solicit testimony and input from the public on proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 109, Budgeting, Accounting, and Auditing, Subchapter AA, Commissioner's Rules Concerning Financial Accountability Rating System which includes the 65% rule proposal. To view the proposed amendments, go to http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/commissioner/proposed/0406/109-1002a-ltrprop.html.  A part of the  proposed rule  would  require districts to direct a minimum of 65% of expenditures to direction instructional activities. The TEA's draft rule includes Function Code 12 expenses (which covers librarians) as eligible. To view the published rule, go to the Texas Register site at http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/sos/PROPOSED/19.EDUCATION.html#49.

The hearing will be held on Friday, May 5, 2006, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 1-111 of the William B. Travis Building, 1701 North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas. To view the hearing notice online, including registration information for the hearing, go to http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/pubomquery$omquery.queryview?P_OM_ID=83917&Z_CHK=6721.

 CALL TO ACTION I

Library supporters  may either respond to the proposed rule by submitting written comments or by testifying at the hearing that  that the inclusion of school libraries and librarians represents a positive and needed statement about the role of school libraries in the education process. Written  comments on the proposal may be submitted electronically to rules@tea.state.tx.us; faxed to (512) 463-0028; or submitted to Cristina De La Fuente-Valadez, Policy Coordination Division, Texas Education Agency, 1701 North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701, (512) 475-1497.

Talking Points

1. Any state definition of direct instructional activities should include school library programs, and the proposed rule does indeed recognize the importance of school library programs in helping students achieve academically.
2. As study after study has shown, quality school library programs help students achieve up to 10% higher on standardized reading tests. The Commissioner and TEA staff should be commended for including school library programs as vital instructional components in education.
3. Certified school librarians are teachers, and libraries are classrooms. Students use library resources to meet curriculum requirements, and librarians teach students reading, research skills, and information literacy every day of every school week. The proposed rule represents good public policy in its inclusion of school library programs as a component of direct instructional activities.

CALL TO ACTION II

TLA is grateful to Commissioner Neeley and TEA staff for recognizing the important role of school librarians in delivering direct instruction to students. The library position in this effort has been directly focused on the issue of a state definition of classroom instruction. Our message is very straightforward: ANY definition of direct instruction in Texas needs to include school librarians.

To send a letter of thanks to Dr. Neeley for recognizing the importance of school library programs, write to: Dr. Shirley Neeley, Commissioner of Education, Texas Education Agency, 1701 N. Congress, Austin, TX 78701.

For additional background information, go to: http://www.txla.org/pubs/texline/index.html.