Heath Morrison’s Blog
My Legislative Testimony To The House Public Education Committee
Chairman Buckley and distinguished members of the House Public Education Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Dr. Heath Morrison, and I am the CEO of Teachers of Tomorrow, the state’s largest alternative certifier of Texas educators....
It’s Time to Take “Alternative” Out of ACPs
As education leaders have anticipated an increasing teacher shortage in the United States, with predicted retirement rates hitting an apex by 2035 and schools of education declining in enrollment each year, there has been a growing acceptance of alternative certification programs, or ACPs, to fill the void.
Public Education Faces Significant Threats and an Uncertain Future
As most superintendents can attest, there seems to be a never-ending number of challenges and obstacles to address, often completely outside the core focus on teaching and learning. While it may be common to suggest that current circumstances are the “most challenging to date”, that adage may well be true in today’s very difficult environment for public education.
Uncertified Teachers Can’t Be a Permanent Solution for School Districts
For the better part of the last decade, as I have engaged with my fellow superintendents from across the country regarding the most challenging issues confronting public education, the looming teacher shortage was always high in the topics discussed. Over the last few...
Time To Thank Teachers for Their Service
After the war in Vietnam, it was common for those who served in the military to be publicly berated for their service. It has been a wonderful transformation to see how that has shifted in recent years. My father, a proud member of the Air Force, would come to tears...
The Days of Part-Time Legislatures are Over
Many state legislatures across the nation have convened for their annual legislative session. A handful, including Texas, hold regular sessions every two years and are in the midst of their off-session year. Yet for many states, what is typically a three to four-month...
The Looming Fiscal Crisis for School Districts
School districts often struggle to balance the needs of all children under the financial constraints in which they operate annually. While this has long been the case, the severity of recent inflationary costs that all sectors have confronted across the country has...
Strengthening the Teacher Workforce: Recommendations for State Lawmakers
A strong, dedicated and effective teacher workforce is the cornerstone of a successful education system. State lawmakers can play a critical role in conditioning the environments in which teachers work and students learn. With the current teacher shortage impacting...
Unqualified Teacher Growth – A National Challenge
As schools across the country opened this month, the usual first-day question of “Who is my child’s teacher?” must now include: “And are they qualified?” By 2025, it is expected there will be over 300,000 teacher vacancies nationwide. To fill these gaps, many states...
The Teacher Shortage Needs More Than “Lip Service” To Solve
I’m always appreciative when someone knows my background as a superintendent and industry leader in education and tells me how much they value teachers. Usually, it’s to share stories about how a teacher helped shape their life or the extraordinary impact teachers are...