Summer Greetings
Well, summer is finally full speed ahead! Congratulations to all the districts for another successful year of Texas education.

I am hopeful your summer has been pleasant thus far. Please have fun while making safe, informed decisions. Be sure your students and children drink plenty of water in order to remain hydrated while participating in outdoor activities and sports. It's going to be a very hot season this year.

State Board Recap: May Session
Last month's session involved various revisions to administrative and education procedures, including the following provisions:

• Approved the first reading revisions to career development Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) based on recommendations from the career and technical education (CTE) review panel.
• Approved a new mathematics course called Advanced Mathematical Decision Making, brought to the board by the Dana Center at The University of Texas. This course will be part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics cluster.
• If approved on second reading, the new TEKS will be implemented during the 2010-2011 school year.
• Voted not to appoint experts to review proposed revisions to English language arts elective courses.
• Approved an expanded list of personal financial literacy materials to be used in high school economics courses.

Q&A with Rick Agosto

Q: What is the Permanent School Fund and how is it helping to preserve the education of future generations of Texans?

A: The State Board of Education is charged with maintaining and overseeing the investment of the Permanent School Fund. Since 1855, the fund has assisted with the associated costs of educating children across the great state of Texas. Since 1960 alone, the fund has provided approximately $19 billion to public schools.

While a large percentage of those funds go toward the purchase of textbooks, it’s also noteworthy to recognize the distribution of the funds directly to the schools. Each public school district is provided funds on a per capita basis, regardless of the district’s property wealth. In 1855 this amount was 62 cents per student; by 2007, that allotment had grown to $196.30 per student.

That’s a phenomenal contribution, and the distribution of those funds is largely due to the careful investment of the funds through portfolio diversification and a balanced approach of monetary risk management.