The Associated General Contractors of Texas - Highway, Heavy, Utilities and Industrial Branch, has adopted a resolution in support of the Governor’s Business Council’s “Excellence in the Classroom” recommendations to improve public education by bolstering teacher effectiveness.

Texans for Excellence in the Classroom applauds the Texas Senate for maintaining the teacher performance pay program, enacted in HB1 less than a year ago, as part of the Texas state budget.

Texans for Excellence in the Classroom today announced rapidly widening support for principles embodied in a new substitute bill based on the Governor’s Business Council’s recommendations to improve teacher effectiveness.

March 12, 2007

Dear Charles:

I am writing to congratulate you on your excellent work in the creation of a strong agenda to improve K-12 education in Texas. I know that you worked with the nation’s leading education experts, researchers and teachers with years of classroom experience to develop the Excellence in the Classroom recommendations. I also know that there is strong support from Texans from all walks of life, including teachers, for your proposals.

HOUSTON, Texas – The Greater Houston Partnership has adopted a resolution in support of the Governor’s Business Council’s “Excellence in the Classroom” recommendations to improve public education by bolstering teacher effectiveness.

Austin, Texas – Texans for Excellence in the Classroom released today the results of two statewide surveys to measure voters’ and teachers’ support for recommendations to improve teacher effectiveness and foster educational excellence in Texas.

The poll showed that 75% of teachers support additional pay for highly effective teachers and those who teach in hard-to-staff schools.

Newly-formed Texans for Excellence in the Classroom today announced its support of the Governor’s Business Council’s education recommendations to improve teacher effectiveness and foster educational excellence in Texas.

“Texas has come a long way in education,” said Charles McMahen, chairman of Texans for Excellence in the Classroom. “Thanks to reforms adopted with bipartisan support, student achievement has improved over the past decade. However, despite our gains, Texas dropouts are too numerous, our student performance is still sub par, and far too few young Texans are graduating high school ready for college or a good job.”