UTSA to host Superintendents Symposium on school finance March 18
(March 17, 2014) -- In a symposium themed, "The State of Texas School Funding: 40 years After Rodriguez v. SAISD -- Progress or Peril?," the UTSA Center for Educational Leadership, Policy and Professional Development in the College of Education and Human Development will welcome Mike Moses, former Texas Commissioner of Education and former superintendent of Dallas Independent School District.
The event, which is open to the public, will begin with a reception at 5 p.m., March 18 in the Durango Building Southwest Room (1.124) at the UTSA Downtown Campus.
The symposium will take a look at school finance since the 1971 landmark case in which Demetrio Rodriguez brought a class action suit against the state of Texas, saying the system of funding schools based on property taxes denied equal protection to students in poorer school districts. He won, but the Supreme Court later struck the decision down, determining that education is not a fundamental right.
"Texas school districts continue to struggle to help all students meet established state learning standards. While many argue that schools are inefficient, one only needs to look at the cost of a private education to determine what the market believes to be the cost of a 'quality education,'" Moses said.
David Hinojosa, regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund and litigator for various educational inequity cases, also will keynote at the symposium. A panel of area superintendents including Kevin Brown of Alamo Heights ISD, Saul Hinojosa of Somerset ISD, Linda McAnelly of Devine ISD and David Stelmazewski of Boerne ISD will also be present.
The UTSA Center for Educational Leadership, Policy and Professional Development focuses on creating a venue for educational leaders such as teachers, administrators and school board members to grow professionally and to find ways to improve academic achievement among students.
"We want to reach out to the community more than anything else," said Julian Treviño, the center's director and a senior lecturer at UTSA.
Events
This event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main CampusAt this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.