One-on-one with Rep. Rob Eissler, pt. 1

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Big changes are coming to the public schools across the state. The Chair of the Education Committee Representative Eissler from The Woodlands. With many bills on the table, and only 3 weeks left, Eissler discusses the bills that have a chance of making the deadline.

House Bill 3 is the Accountability Bill for schools is the result of a 2 year study around the state which included traveling throughout, including the seven major cities in Texas, receiving testimony on. The TAKS test is the focus of the current accountability system in Texas and is driving how schools operate. The TAKS test has been a minimum skills test which will not be taken anymore as a result. Eissler discussed how testing won’t be eliminated but cleaned up instead. He breaks down the latest approach to students’ needing to pass 12 end of course exams throughout high school (over the main 4 subjects: Science, Math, English and Social Studies) in order to graduate.

The Bill to re-work the TAKS test appears to focus on students’ graduation, but Rep. Eissler assures us that the true focus is on the dropout rate. The rate of dropouts is a cause for concern for both the House and the Senate with 9th graders increasingly joining those rates. He says this bill will help keep students in school to eventually graduate and get jobs.

The Sunset Bill’s/process was brought up during the exclusive interview, forcing the Representative to explain his changed stance on the very controversial bill. In the end, Representative Eissler said his change on these bills came down to partisan politics. He was sticking with his fellow Republicans.

Pre-K programs are growing increasingly important to ensure that all children enter school at a similar level. State lawmakers had been working on the prospect of an all day Pre-K program to help those children who are behind in development and need that exposure to education. The main setback was the funding, which would be difficult for the state if the costs were doubled (as expected with double the time) but an additional 20% would also be tagged on with aides working longer too. The Representative discussed how this bill still is unsettled but says that he feels the benefits to children would be enormous.

Finally, the interview concluded with the steamy topic of sex education. Rep. Eissler says that the recent bill that arose was asking for more information for students other than the abstinence lesson. He said it is being discussed but hinted at the fact that Governor Perry would most likely veto it if it were to pass. Representative Eissler rounded out the chat by bringing the focus back to the School Accountability Bill which he sees as having the largest impact on the state’s education system.