DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The Texas Education Commissioner says many statewide changes to the education system are the result of changes adopted by local districts. Mike Morath is a former Dallas ISD trustee and spoke at a "State of Public Education" event organized by the Dallas Regional Chamber.
Morath praised the state legislature for its school finance measure this year that increased funding and added an incentive for districts to identify their best teachers and move them into schools with the highest percentage of kids in poverty.
The incentive can provide salary increases for teachers who move to those schools. The incentive is modeled after Dallas ISD's Accelerating Campus Excellence plan.
"This is a game-changing reform, and what the legislature just did is it made Dallas' model sustainable from now until the end of time," Morath says.
Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa says he is also glad the state is providing more funding for those campuses and encouraging early college degree programs and partnerships with local employers.
"I certainly give them a lot of credit," Hinojosa says. "I think it's a strong B+."
Morath says districts in North Texas are leading the way in ensuring kids graduate with a skill they can use in the workforce. Several local employers sat on a panel at the event.
"We need to work together to develop students who are future-ready," said Peter Balyta, the president of education technology at Texas Instruments.
While Morath says districts are making progress, he says just 31 percent of students are earning a trade credential, bachelor's degree or associate's degree within six years of graduating high school. That percentage did not increase from last year. Morath says he hopes to push that number to 60 percent by 2030.