Advocacy
Advocacy (noun): the act of giving public support for a cause or proposal.
During our 2021-22 opening year, through a School of Excellence survey, CSE PTA members expressed a desire to improve education by growing family engagement in advocacy. This page provides some basic resources for our community to become familiar with Texas public education, information about how we can advocate for better education for our students, as well as some near-term "action alerts" for PTA members.
Advocacy News & Opportunities
Mark your calendar! 2025 Texas PTA Rally Day will be on February 24, 2025. Back in February 2023, during the 88th Texas Legislative Session, some 1,500 parents, students, educators, and community leaders filled the grounds of the Capitol to rally and petition state legislators to support Texas PTA’s legislative priorities: fund school based on enrollment, not attendance; oppose vouchers; address the teacher shortage and retention crisis; support student mental wellness; and reform the school rating system.
The DSISD Board called for a May 2023 Bond election for $223.7M. More information about this bond election can be found here: https://www.dsisdtx.us/o/dsisd/page/bond-2023.
Citizens' Bond Steering Committee Meeting will be held on November 6th at 6 PM
The Regular Meeting of the DSISD Board of Trustees is typically on the 4th Monday of the month at 6 PM. The Agenda and livestream link will be posted on BoardBook prior to the meeting.
Contact the DSISD trustees and Superintendent Morris-Kuentz through their new email address: Teamof8@dsisdtx.us
Education in Texas
There are many levels and entities that make up the public education system in Texas.
Federal Funding and Requirements come from the US Department of Education and other departments, and include things like IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), as well as programs like Head Start, School Lunch Program, and more.
State Funding and Requirements come from the Texas Education Agency (TEA - commissioner appointed by the governor), State Board of Education, and Texas Legislature.
Local Operations and Accountability are the responsibility of the local school districts, overseen by the superintendent and school board.
Local Advocacy - Learning and Engaging
Board of Trustees: includes links to BoardBook (where meeting agenda/minutes, and livestream/YouTube links are posted), as well as election information, board meeting schedule, and more.
Legislative Information Page: includes who our elected local and state officials are, and links to other resources.
Advisory Committees: describes the various committees that community members can serve on, including Long Range Facilities Planning, Bond Steering, GT Advisory, Student Health, and Campus Advisory Councils. Many of these committees have sub-pages where you can find their meeting schedules and materials.
Check out their website for information and updates about our local planning/zoning, transportation, and economic development.
The county website includes info about our elected officials (like county judges, and commissioners) as well as county departments such as emergency services, law enforcement, and elections administration.
State Advocacy with Texas PTA
The 88th Texas Legislative session is coming up in January-May 2023. As session approaches, CSE PTA will continue to grow our knowledge and skills so that we can effectively advocate for our students and our school.