Here's your weekly wrap-up of education news from ATPE Governmental Relations:

• ATPE helps teachers go back to school and save money!
• Texas Education Agency explains House Bill 3's outcomes bonus
• Social Security reform legislation makes the news
• ELECTION UPDATE: Resources for educators
• ATPE attends National Conference of State Legislatures

With back to school starting for millions of Texas students, it is time once again for students and teachers alike to buy school supplies. This weekend is the annual Texas Sales Tax Holiday, or "tax-free weekend," as it is sometime called. This year’s tax holiday begins today, August 9, and runs through Sunday, August 11. During the holiday you can avoid paying sales tax when you buy most clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks (sold for less than $100) from a Texas retail store or from an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas. ATPE members can also use their OfficeMax/Office Depot discount this weekend for even more combined savings.

Teach the Vote readers may have also heard about a grass roots movement started by teachers called #ClearTheList. Teachers participating in #ClearTheList or #ClearTheListsTexas post school supply wish lists on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and companies or individuals will "clear their list" by purchasing the school supplies for the teacher to use in their classroom. Hopefully the day will come when we fund public schools such that these types of school supply charity drives will not be necessary, but until then - never underestimate the ingenuity or tenacity of a Texas educator to serve his or her students! To participate, type #ClearTheList or #ClearTheListsTexas into the search bar of any social media platform.

The Texas Education Agency is continuing to do its deep dives on the myriad new policies created with the passage of House Bill 3 with the release of another video in its "HB 3 in 30" series. This week's video will dive into the outcomes bonus based on college, career, and military readiness, otherwise known as CCMR. A list of all previous HB 3 in 30 videos, as well as a schedule of upcoming topics, can be found at this link.

The movement to repeal the federal Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which decreases the Social Security benefits of many hard-working Texas teachers, gained media attention this week. This article by Lorie Konish of CNBC highlights recently introduced legislation by Texas Congressman Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) and quotes ATPE Senior Lobbyist Monty Exter. Look for more from the press and ATPE as additional bills are filed in Congress and the movement to address the WEP heats up in Washington this fall.

The 86^th legislative session may have just ended, but that means a new election season is already upon us. Each day it seems that additional lawmakers are announcing their plans to retire as new candidates are announcing their bids to run, either to replace incumbents or for a chance to fill newly opened seats.

Without question, the 2019 legislative session was influenced in a positive way by huge voter turnout among educators and public education allies. If it weren't for that turnout in 2018, there would likely have been no talk of an increase in teacher pay in 2019. It is critically important for educators to stay engaged this election cycle in order to maintain and improve upon the gains that were made last session, but it is also important for educators and all public servants to make sure they are expressing their political views and encouraging civic engagement among their peers in ways that are ethical and legal.

Thankfully, the Texas Educators Vote coalition, working in coordination with ATPE, has published this handy dos and don’ts guide on civic engagement around Texas elections. As educators head back to school, they can feel confident exercising their right to free speech with the aid of this guide. ATPE encourages members to check out the guide and other resources available from Texas Educators Vote on the coalition's newly updated website, and be sure to follow Teach the Vote this fall for election updates and information to help educators stay politically active and make informed choices at the polls.

ATPE joined legislators and advocates from around the country this week for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) 2019 Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. This event draws together some of the brightest minds from the U.S. and abroad to discuss policy items of interest to state governments. Education is always a topic of lively discussion, and this year was no different.

Among the topics discussed were ongoing efforts to ensure all students are provided with an equally high quality of education, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. This continues to be a challenge in Texas and other states, where great disparities continue to exist both across and within school district boundaries. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 that laws passed to racially segregate schools were unconstitutional. Yet the Court's decision in Milliken v. Bradley in 1974 essentially allowed segregation to continue as long as it is not explicitly intentional. The result has been de facto racial and socioeconomic segregation that continues in many parts of the state today, despite decades of efforts and lawsuits intended to achieve the original aim of integration.

Attendees also discussed efforts to improve the future of education, which includes working with employers to emphasize the role of the education system in creating the workforce of the future. How well we do at preparing future workers has a direct impact on the overall economy. Like Texas in 2018, many states have recently launched commissions to study ways to improve the public education system. The findings of these commissions are unsurprisingly similar to the results found by the Texas Commission on Public School Finance. For example, a commission launched by the state of Maryland found that investing in early education and better compensation for educators are both critical components of building a high-achieving education system. There is now a mounting body of evidence across the United States supporting these core determinations.