For over three years, state leaders have stuck their heads in the sand and ignored the majority of Texans who want the state to make a real commitment to supporting and improving our children's schools.

If a 92-page tax swap is a necessary prerequisite for accomplishing what the public really wants the Legislature to do, then we've completed it. Now we must get started on the required course work for this session — providing additional funds to public schools so that they have the resources to fully fund existing proven programs, providing teachers with a pay raise, and providing smaller classes and up-to-date technology.

With over $8 billion available before the Perry tax plan is even considered, any school finance plan that leaves our children's schools and their teachers out of the equation just doesn't add up.

We expect justice to be fair and swift when it comes to Code of Ethics complaints against teachers. SBEC has been warned before that they need to address this situation, and it hasn't happened.

Given the poor grades that Texas received ... it is amazing that student achievement continued to improve over the last decade. We must, however, be concerned that the chickens will eventually come home to roost and the current inadequately funded system will no longer be able to provide the gains in achievement that we have seen in the past.

If a 92-page tax swap is a necessary prerequisite for accomplishing what the public really wants the Legislature to do, then we've completed it. Now we must get started on the required course work for this session — providing additional funds to public schools so that they have the resources to fully fund existing proven programs, providing teachers with a pay raise, and providing smaller classes and up-to-date technology.