FELTHAUSER EDUCATION PRESS RELEASE — 10/07/04

Contact:

Karen Felthauser for St. Rep. Campaign                       Phone: 512-218-4943
P.O. Box 153                                                               Email: writeinfelthauser@austin.rr.com
Round Rock, TX 78680                                               Web: www.writeinfelthauser.org 

PRESS RELEASE---FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ROUND ROCK, TX—(10/07/04).  For a candidate who entered the race in July, state representative write-in candidate Karen Felthauser (D-Round Rock) has been stacking up some major endorsements, particularly from the Williamson County education community, for her grassroots campaign to unseat the Republican incumbent in Texas House District 52.

 “I am honored and humbled to announce that I have received the endorsements of the Texas Federation of Teachers, Education Round Rock and a number of members of the Round Rock education community,” said Felthauser.  “I believe that I have earned their confidence because they have observed my commitment to education first hand, working with me in PTAs, school board elections and other  education settings for many years.” 
 
Judith Miller, of Education Round Rock, also praised her colleague.  “Karen is conversant in educational issues and, as a Board, we are convinced that her rational objectivity would be a welcome addition to the Texas Legislature,” she said.  “We think she’s a great choice for education and urge our membership to support this decision.”  Education Round Rock is the Round Rock ISD teachers’ union belonging to both the Texas Federation of Teachers (TFT) and the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA).

 “You want Karen Felthauser on your team when it’s time to go to bat for kids in our public schools,” said Jan Chapman, a Round Rock ISD Board Member from 2001 to 2004, who also has endorsed Felthauser.  “She’s a tireless advocate for students, parents and teachers.”

 Linda Piscorz, a Round Rock High School math teacher who has worked closely with Felthauser, was equally enthusiastic.  “Karen always has been a firm supporter of teachers,” she said.  “For instance, on the social security issue, she updated us and did the leg work, since we were too busy ourselves.  Please support her candidacy.  Karen will support the teachers in fair and equitable treatment as professionals.”

 A substitute teacher for Round Rock High School, Felthauser has been active in education issues at the local level all her adult life.  When she moved to Texas in 1993, she immediately got involved in PTA activities, school board elections and parent groups.  She was Assistant Director of Kid Space before becoming a substitute teacher and an active member of Education Round Rock, where she has worked tirelessly at resolving educational issues for teachers, administrators and students.  In 2002, she was Education Round Rock’s area representative for the Round Rock High School Learning Community.

 During the 2003 legislative session, she testified before a legislative committee on behalf of the Texas State Teachers Association as a proponent for fair and equitable health insurance benefits programs for educational employees.  During the legislative battle over redistricting, she spoke passionately about the need to focus on and invest in children’s education and health care, rather than on partisan redistricting.  She also testified in favor of a bill sponsored by State Representative Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) to create a fairer tax structure in Texas while providing more equitable funding for educational programs. 

 “State lawmakers cut $2.3 billion from education last session,” said Felthauser.  “Texas has 4.4 million public school children, and we are adding 80,000 students a year, yet the Legislature has cut its share of education funding to only 38%, passing the responsibility for funding on to taxpayers at the local level.  Local taxpayers simply can’t bear this overwhelming burden, our kids’ education is suffering and there will be severe repercussions for the State’s economy down the road if we don’t fix the problem.” 

 Felthauser noted that a September ruling by State District Judge John Dietz places the burden of resolving the public school finance crisis squarely on the shoulders of the Texas Legislature when it convenes in January 2005.  Dietz declared that the State’s school finance system is financially inefficient, fails to meet statutory requirements for providing an adequate education to all public school children, and falls short of state mandates concerning accreditation, accountability and assessment.  Dietz gave the Legislature until October 1, 2005, to fix the system to meet those requirements and promised to enter an injunction halting all funding for Texas schools if the deadline isn’t met.

 “We are facing a real public education crisis, and education must be the Legislature’s Priority One,” said Felthauser.  “We’ve got to do what’s necessary to attract the best and brightest teachers, and keep them here, and we must come up with a school funding formula that ensures that every student in Texas—regardless of where they live or their economic conditions—gets an equal chance at a quality education. If elected, I would work to lower local property taxes and to increase the State’s portion of education funding with a more progressive tax structure.  That’s an investment in Texas’ future.”

 In addition to the endorsements of Education Round Rock and Piscorz, numerous Round Rock ISD teachers and board members, past and present, have thrown their support behind Felthauser’s candidacy, including Round Rock ISD School Board Member Michael (Doc) Alderson; past Round Rock ISD School Board members Jan Chapman and Brig Mirelez; and Sterling Scott, a high school principal.