Katie Reed, Trustee of San Antonio's Northside ISD and also representing the Texas Association of School Boards, testified that her district is struggling financially, since as local funding increases along with the growing tax base, state funding decreases. This year, the district will recruit more than 700 new teachers this year due not only to growth, but also turnover. Felicia Escobar, National Council of La Raza, told the committee that Charter Schools nationally have waiting lists and that here in Texas they currently educate 24,000 students. Andrea Venezia, Project Director of the Bridge Project, Stanford University, said that state-mandated testing is useful, but is not indicative of success in college. She also said that students don't know what all the tests are for, that when students don't know why they need to do well, they won't.
Education is a survival issue.
We have to have people we can train. His members are taking people directly out of high schools and community colleges and then training them in their business. Virginia Copeland, Director of Special Education for Houston's Alief ISD testified that her specialty as well is experiencing a shortage of trained professionals. Angie Pena, Director of Special Education for Monte Alto, Edcouch-Elsa and the LaVilla school districts, said she sees the same issues in special ed today as there were when she was a student. In the lower Rio Grande Valley as well, there are shortages of special ed teachers.