Burnt Orange Report - School Plan Pleases Senate, Not Educators

Burnt Orange Report - School Plan Pleases Senate, Not Educators: "Yesterday, the Texas Senate passed an education reform that would cut property taxes, give teachers a pay raise and set aside more money for bilingual education and textbooks. The Senate’s bill is much different than the one passed in the House earlier this week.

The bill passed 27-4 in just over three hours. Lt. Governor Dewhurst told the Statesman, 'I think we will be able to come to a timely agreement with the House.'

However, some leaders and community members, including myself, do not feel that the bill does as much as it should, nor does it help fix the inequality of school funding that plagues that state.

In an El Paso Times article, Senator Eliot Shapleigh, who Texas Monthly called “The conscience of the Senate (that doesn’t want one)”, said, “The law would ultimately harm students in poor districts.” Senators Barrientos, Ellis, and Gallegos joined Shapleigh in voting no."