Austin, TX- February 18, 2008 -
Texas PTA this week announced the selection of Senator
Kirk Watson, Austin, and Representative Rob Eissler,
The Woodlands, to receive their Legislative Advocate
of the Year Award. Both legislators have been staunch
advocates on behalf of the children of Texas, fighting
for laws to improve air quality in school buses,
ensuring that money is not diverted from public
schools to private schools in the form of voucher
programs, expanding physical activity requirements for
Texas youth and beginning the reform of Texas' testing
program. Texas PTA is proud to recognize their efforts
on behalf of Texas children.
Senator Kirk Watson, Texas PTA Legislative Advocate of
the Year, and Legislative Rookie of the Year by
Texas Monthly, is a freshman Senator from
Austin/Travis County. Formerly the mayor of Austin,
Senator Watson is a strong supporter of public
schools. Both of Watson's sons attend Austin public
schools. Senator Watson filed Senate Bill 529, a bill
designed to help school districts retrofit diesel bus
engines so that they emit less toxic fumes, and he
turned to the Texas PTA to help him achieve his goal.
As a lifelong participant in public schools he
understands the strength and power of the Texas PTA.
The Clean School Bus Program, funded at $7.5 million
over the next 2 years, will help to decrease the
harmful, potentially toxic emissions our children
breathe as they travel to and from school each day.
"Senator Watson worked hard to pass the Clean School
Bus bill. He invited Texas PTA into the process and
built consensus for the bill. We were proud to work
with him to pass this important legislation," said
Casey Magnuson, chairman of the Environmental
Committee.
Representative Rob Eissler, Texas PTA Legislative
Advocate of the Year, and a state representative since
2002, served as chairman of the House Public Education
Committee during the most recent legislative session.
Chairman Eissler led the effort to reform the testing
program used in Texas, moving secondary schools toward
end-of-course exams as an alternative to TAKS tests.
He worked to increase physical education for students,
created an intensive reading and language intervention
pilot program as well as a math and algebra
intervention pilot program, and passed legislation
dealing with dropout prevention and workforce
preparedness.
"It was powerful to have the chairman of House Public
Education thwarting efforts to pass voucher
legislation this past session. For the first time in a
long time we felt that we had a friend in the
chairman's seat," stated Karen Slay, chairman of the
Texas PTA Legislative Advocacy Committee, "And it was
great!"
Texas PTA is honored to have Senator Watson and
Representative Eissler present at their 99th
Annual Convention, February 22-24 in The Woodlands,
Texas, where the theme will be "Building a Stronger
Texas", and to present them with their Legislative
Advocate of the Year awards. Texas PTA's mission is
to be a strong advocate for the education and well
being of every child, and the accomplishments of these
men reflect that mission.
