TIER Events

At year end 2007, TIER completed its first eighteen months with an encouraging record in establishing the new organization as a significant resource and aggressive advocate for meaningful change in Texas public education policy, and we are pleased to outline our accomplishments since our founding in mid- 2006:

• With the expert assistance of our Policy Advisory Board, we developed comprehensive and well-researched policy papers on each element of our reform agenda.
• In the fall of 2006, we conducted 26 speaking engagements in 22 cities across the state, briefing over 1,500 business and civic opinion leaders on our message of the urgent need for the next phase of public education reform.
• We met with the editorial boards of all major Texas newspapers and received significant media coverage of our messages and mission in almost every city in which we appeared, and our opinion essays have appeared in all major cities.
• During the early stages of the 2007 legislative session, we conducted numerous policy briefings on our priorities with elected officials in Austin.
• We served as a policy resource and provided testimony in legislative hearings as well as staff and member consultation on education reform legislation during the legislative session, and, in spite of a very difficult environment, we were instrumental in advocating for several successful legislative initiatives that will advance the cause of reform.

Looking to 2008, the regulatory work to be done in the interim is vitally important and we are hard at work in our role as policy “watchdog”, while planning for the next round of policy advocacy.  Those interim items in which we are heavily involved include:

• The comprehensive review and possible restructuring of the Texas public school accountability system as mandated under SB 1031 adopted by the 80th Session of the Legislature.
• The very important overhaul of the English and Language Arts standards of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.
• The design and execution of the consequences for failing schools under HB 1 adopted by the special session of the 79th Legislature.
• The design and implementation of the educator incentive fund created by HB 1.
• The development of standards for college readiness mandated by HB 1.

Very soon we will be scheduling a number of events around the state to meet with opinion leaders on the important education policy issues, and we look forward to this dialogue.

Meanwhile, we are receptive to speaking engagements and other presentations before business and civic groups as well as education conferences and panels.  If your group has interest, please call us at (512) 477-1006.

For more information, contact us.

June 11, 2008: TIER Houston Reception and Policy Briefing, Houston Racquet Club, 10709 Memorial Drive. June 24, 2008: TIER Dallas Reception and Policy Briefing, North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, 10707 Preston Road. June 27, 2008: TIER Austin Reception and Policy Briefing, Shoreline Grill, 98 San Jacinto. To attend any of these events, please contact Andy Erben at 512/477-1006 or andrew.erben@texaseducationreform.org