85R13803 KSM-D     By: Burton S.C.R. No. 39       CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, The amount of paperwork required by federal and   state education agencies causes an undue burden on teachers,   especially those in special education, whose time and efforts would   be better spent focused on the needs of their students; and          WHEREAS, Countless teachers pursue a career in education   because they want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of   children; federal requirements, however, impede that worthwhile   goal by overwhelming educators who are working hard to create   lesson plans, grade assignments, and give individualized attention   to pupils and their parents; by adding unmanageable and often   redundant paperwork to already overloaded schedules, the   government creates a disincentive for teachers to remain in their   chosen field; and          WHEREAS, The IDEA Paperwork Reduction Act of 2002, which the   United States Congress failed to pass, aimed to reduce overall   paperwork for teachers by more than 50 percent by eliminating   redundancies between federal and state agencies and using   technology to create a more streamlined process; these proposals   are worthy of reconsideration in order to improve the inefficient   and onerous system currently in place; and          WHEREAS, Our best educators serve as role models, motivators,   listeners, and mentors, and it is incumbent on the government to   promote efficiency and quality in our education system by   eliminating unnecessary paperwork and allowing teachers to focus on   their students; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to reduce the   amount of paperwork required of teachers by federal law; and, be it   further          RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official   copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to   the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of   Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the   members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that   this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a   memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.