Introduction
Policies aimed at education have recently become more influential due to the impacts of the pandemic. With the onset of COVID-19, authorities and educational establishments were expected to take necessary actions to not only sustain the pre-pandemic level of instruction but also promote further progress and flexibility of the system. As a result, Texas House Bill 1468 was aimed at making corrections to the educational system, introducing and permitting remote learning programs, and protecting the interests and well-being of all students nationwide.
Actual Contents
The actual contents of the policy are based on the eligibility criteria and description of the remote learning program. According to the policy, schools would have the right to establish “a local remote learning program to offer synchronous virtual courses outside the state virtual school network” (Capitol, n.d., para.6).
Status Quo
When reviewing the status quo, it is evident that it relates to a pre-pandemic setting, which did not permit educational establishments to allow all students to enter the remote learning system. The status quo in this situation was in-person instruction provided to the students (Capitol, n.d.). According to the Committee Report by Keith Bell, the policy aimed to maintain the quality of education and cater to the unique needs of all students during the years 2021-2022 (TrackBill, 2021). Therefore, it is evident that COVID-19 changed the status quo, necessitating changes in the educational system.
Legal FoundationsÂ
The legal basis of the given policy is based on the 14th Amendment in the Constitution, which is related to equal access to education. According to this document, the Amendment aims to protect equal rights and opportunities for all students, emphasizing that each individual should be granted similar possibilities and cannot be denied access to schooling (Constitutional Rights Foundation, n.d.). In the text, the policy relies on the Education Code, a collection of educational system regulations (Capitol, n.d.). By emphasizing the eligibility criteria, the policy complies with the 14th Amendment. The bill regarding the policy was proposed in 2021 (TrackBill, 2021). Thus, the policy has a legal foundation and does not violate any rights.
Goals and Outcomes
Lastly, the outcomes and goals of the policy are evident from the text. The given regulation aims to cater to students’ unique needs and permit remote learning programs in public schools (Capitol, n.d.). Meanwhile, the intended outcome of the policy is to protect the interests and well-being of the students. However, among the unintended outcomes of the regulation can be the deteriorating physical health of the students due to decreased activity. In contrast, the positive outcomes can be an improvement in the mental health and stability of students due to decreased pressure and stress.
Conclusion
Hence, the purpose of Texas House Bill 1468 was to introduce and legalize distance learning programs while correcting educational system flaws. Reviewing the current situation reveals that it relates to the pre-pandemic time frame when educational establishments could not provide all students access to remote learning systems. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which deals with equal access to education, is the legal foundation for the policy above. The regulation’s final objective is to meet the particular requirements of children by allowing remote learning initiatives in public schools. The policy’s goal is to safeguard the interests and general well-being of the students.
References
Capitol. (n.d.). H.B. No. 1468. Web.
Constitutional Rights Foundation. (n.d.). BRIA 7 4 c Education and the 14th Amendment. Web.
TrackBill. (2021). Texas HB1468. Web.