Dear Friends: On behalf of the Texas Latino Education Coalition (TLEC), we urge you to send a message to the State

Board of Education (SBOE) members demanding that they vote against lowering expectations for public school students. Please contact your SBOE rep. and tell the: KEEP ALGEBRA II AS A REQUIREMENT FOR ALL TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADUATES!! The SBOE is holding a public hearing specifically on high school graduation requirements next Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 9 a.m. in Room 1-104 in the William B. Travis Building, 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas. Please join us! For more information, contact Celina Moreno of MALDEF at (210) 224-5476 or click here. It would be wonderful if you or your organization would testify at the hearing. Please let us know if you can submit testimony, either verbally or in writing, so we can coordinate and each emphasize points most relevant to our respective views. Remarks are limited to three minutes per person and you can register to give testimony at by clicking here to sign up at the TEA website. Also, it is important that SBOE members hear from us THIS week as well. Please consider making calls discussing the Coalition's position as well as additional points you would like to make. Below, are the phone numbers listed for the SBOE members. Please use the list to contact your local School Board member and tell them: KEEP ALGEBRA 2 ALIVE FOR ALL TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES!!! Thank you for fighting for a Brighter Future for Texas Students, Jaime Martinez, CECLEF Celina Moreno, MALDEF
November, 16, 2013

Call Your School Board

Include Algebra

Rep. today! "Keep Algebra II for All High School Graduates!!!" Texas Board of EducationElect: Marisa B. Perez (D) P.O. Box 276406 San Antonio, TX 78227 (210) 317-4651 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us Ken Mercer (R) P.O. Box 781301 San Antonio, TX 782781301 (512) 463-9007 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us Barbara Cargill (R) The Woodlands, TX (512) 463-9007 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us Thomas Ratliff (R) P.O. Box 232 Mount Pleasant, TX 75456 (903) 717-1190 thomas@thomasratliff.co m Mavis Knight (D) 6108 Red Bird Court Dallas, TX 75232 (214) 333-9575 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us Geraldine "Tincy" Miller (R) 5001 Spring Valley Road Dallas, TX 75244-3910 (972) 419-4000 gtince@aol.com

The Texas Latino Education Coalition Supports Inclusion of Algebra II in All Endorsement Tracks

II Continued... The Coalition also has concerns that variance in the availability of the five endorsements across school districts in Texas will largely mirror the tremendous differences in school districts' available resources, a critical issue currently being litigated in Texas. Thus, in addition to requiring Algebra II, the SBOE should consider using its authority to equalize these endorsements to the greatest extent possible. The SBOE has an important duty to work with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to make sure that classes considered "advanced" under House Bill 5's new curriculum scheme are truly

The Texas Latino Education Coalition (TLEC) applauds the State Board of Education's efforts to ensure that all students, regardless of endorsement selection, have the best available options for college and career upon graduation, by including Algebra II in each endorsement track. Algebra II is not only a gateway course for college readiness and a key component in preparing students for postsecondary workforce options, it also is a requirement for eligibility for automatic college admissions through the Texas Top Ten Percent Plan. When the state passed House Bill 5, it left undefined whether Algebra II, a nonnegotiable prerequisite for automatic admissions eligibility, would be required under each endorsement. As expressed

Tom Maynard (R) P.O. Box 2885 Georgetown, TX 78627 (512) 763-2801 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us Sue Melton-Malone (R) 101 Brewster Waco, TX 76706 (254) 749-0415 smelton51@gmail.com Martha M. Dominguez (D) P.O. Box 960543 El Paso, TX 79996 (915) 373-3563 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us Patricia Hardy (R) 900 North Elm Weatherford, TX 76086 (817) 598-2968 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us Lawrence A. Allen Jr. (D) 2130 Vermillion Oak St. Fresno, Texas 77545 (713) 203-1355 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us David Bradley (R) 2165 North Street Beaumont, TX 77701 (409) 835-3808 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us Thomas Ratliff (R) P.O. Box 232 Mount Pleasant, TX 75456 (903) 717-1190

during the legislative session and at the recent SBOE public hearing, the Coalition remains vigorously opposed to any endorsement plan that fails to meet TTP eligibility. The Coalition was at the center of advocating in favor ofkeeping the 4x4 curriculum intact and promoting high expectations for all students as an important civil rightsissue. TLEC is pleased that the draft rules, as offered by the SBOE, would require students to complete Algebra II in each of the endorsement plans. The proposed default "Foundation plus Endorsement" plan must emphasize requirements that set all Texas students - the majority of whom are Latino on a pathway to college success, regardless of whether a student will ultimately choose that path. Some stakeholders in Texas oppose the Algebra II requirement, because they do not find the course a necessary component of a Texas public education and argue for less rigor and that students need more "curricular flexibility." However, a review of research clearly indicates that Algebra II is a vetted indicator of college success and a key component of college-readiness tests like the SAT/ACT. Regardless of whether one believes that Algebra II is fundamental, the

recognized as advanced by institutions of higher education. The SBOE must also collaborate with THECB and others to ensure that courses classified as "applied" under the state's revised curriculum plan truly reflect admission requirements set by institutions of higher education. Regardless of endorsement(s) a school offers or which endorsement a student chooses upon registering for high school, students must be guaranteed an education that prepares them for college and career success. Texas cannot afford to exacerbate the already striking disparities that currently exist between propertypoor and property-wealthy school districts. ********************

thomas@thomasratliff.co m Donna Bahorich (R) P.O. Box 79842 Houston, TX 77279 (832) 303-9091 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us Marty Rowley (R) 701 South Taylor, Suite 500 Amarillo, TX 79101 (806) 373-6278 martyforeducation@gmail. com Ruben Cortez, Jr. (D) 735 Habana St. Brownsville, TX 78526 (956) 639-9171 sboesupport@tea.state.tx. us

fact remains that the course is a determining factor for automatic admissions, and removing it from the "default" reduces opportunities for students after high school. Colleges and universities (both inside and outside of Texas) will continue to use students' transcript reviews and college entrance exam scores as key determinates for admission and scholarships.

****

The Texas Latino Education Coalition includes groups such as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), Texas League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Mexican American School Board Association (MASBA), Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC), Texas Hispanics Organized for Political Education (HOPE), Texas Association for Bilingual Education (TABE), Texas Association for Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE), the Cesar E. Chavez Legacy and Educational Foundation, and the Hector P. Garcia G.I. Forum.
Cesar E. Chavez Legacy & Educational Foundation | (210) 226-3731 | albertoruizlaw@gmail.com | http://www.cesarlegacy.org 1504 E. Commerce St. San Antonio, TX 78205

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