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WEATHER ALERT

A special weather statement in effect for Polk and Trinity Regions

PUBLIC EDUCATION


1 day ago

Texas House Democrats hint at disunity ahead of possible October special session

State Rep. John Bryant said Democrats will need to work together to block the “school choice” bill in October.

1 day ago

Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles says he needs four to five years to turn the district around

Miles said he should be held accountable and be fired if the district doesn’t improve academically in the next two years.

1 day ago

Compromise or pick a side? Texas House members offer preview of school vouchers debate ahead of special session

Lawmakers at a Texas Tribune Fest panel found common ground on school funding and teacher pay but took starkly different stances on “school choice.”

Facing declining enrollment and charter school competition, San Antonio and Plano consider closing campuses

School officials in San Antonio announced earlier this week that they are looking at closing about 20% of their campuses while Plano school officials are starting those discussions.

Gov. Greg Abbott says special legislative session on ‘school choice’ coming in October

The governor promised political consequences if lawmakers cannot pass legislation allowing for publicly subsidized school vouchers before March primaries.

Ken Paxton verdict heightens political tension ahead of education special session

The Texas House and Senate were already far apart on “school choice.” Anger over the impeachment trial might make it even harder to find common ground.

An East Texas principal was arrested after paddling a student, renewing debate over corporal punishment

Texas is one of 17 states that still permits hitting, spanking and paddling in schools. Republican lawmakers stood by the practice earlier this year in part because they say it was permitted in the Bible.

Texas Education Agency delays release of annual school ratings

TEA said it needs to make adjustments to account for changes in students’ academic performance after the pandemic. The delay comes after several school districts sued to stop the agency from releasing school rankings produced under a new rating system.

School safety, tutoring and hair: These are some of the new education laws that go into effect this year

Lawmakers failed to pass legislation on school vouchers or teacher raises this year, but they approved other education-related laws like an $800 million investment in high-quality instructional materials and new rules for students found vaping or using marijuana.

Federal judge bars Texas from enforcing book rating law

House Bill 900 requires book vendors to rate all their materials based on their depictions or references to sex before selling them to schools. Vendors say the law aims to regulate protected speech with “vague and over broad” terms.

Texas eighth graders will soon be required to learn about climate change. But not without a showdown over textbooks.

Texas is one of the few states that don’t already require eighth graders to be taught about climate change. That’ll change next fall.

How a state effort to fund Texas schools equitably is shortchanging dozens of rural districts

For decades, the Texas comptroller’s office has double-checked property valuations across the state, which help determine how much school districts can levy in property taxes. But when state and county appraisers disagree, districts can end up with big holes in their budgets.

Will Texas’ new fentanyl awareness curriculum for public schools succeed where other anti-drug messaging failed?

Historically, anti-drug messaging in schools has failed to acknowledge the mental health reasons that youth self-medicate. Without that key lesson, advocates worry House Bill 3908 will be another D.A.R.E. campaign.

Despite post-pandemic improvements, STAAR scores show Texas students are still struggling with math and reading

Test results have gone up since the pandemic in both subjects, but math scores are still below 2019 levels and about half of Texas students read below the level appropriate for most children in their grade.

Texas House committee report outlines possible path forward for school vouchers

The House blocked school vouchers during this year’s regular lawmaking session, but a report released Friday shows some members might be willing to approve such a scaled-back version of the program that doesn’t compete with public schools for funds.

Booksellers sue over Texas law requiring them to rate books for appropriateness

Two Texas bookstores and three national bookseller associations file suit over House Bill 900, which requires private booksellers to rate books on appropriateness, and bans “sexually explicit” material from libraries.

Watch how a Texas professor used art to honor Uvalde’s lost kids

After the tragic Uvalde school shooting in 2022, Abel Ortiz, an art professor at Southwest Texas Junior College, asked artists from across the state to come together to use the power of art to heal. See the results of their efforts in this video.

Gov. Greg Abbott signs $18 billion tax cut package for Texas property owners

At a time when the state has some of the nation’s highest property taxes, the initiative was a cornerstone of his 2022 reelection campaign.

Brazosport ISD is training its own teachers. The program might become a model for other Texas schools.

The small district’s apprenticeship program lets aspiring teachers earn a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification at no cost. In return, participants must work at the district for at least three years. Observers hope state lawmakers will use the program as a model for legislation.

New school safety laws seek to add armed guards, chaplains and mental health training. Here’s what you need to know.

Experts say many of the changes will bolster school safety but some requirements may be challenging for public schools to implement by the upcoming school year with limited funding and staffing constraints.

With no new funding from the state, Texas schools are breaking the bank to pay for teacher raises

Lawmakers this year didn’t approve extra money to help schools pay for raises despite having an unprecedented $32 billion surplus — even after Gov. Greg Abbott commissioned a task force last year to improve teacher pay and retention.

Judge says DPS must release documents related to Uvalde shooting response

The state police agency had been withholding nearly all of its records on law enforcement’s botched response to Texas’ deadliest school shooting. DPS will have an opportunity to redact the files before they are released.

As demand for skilled workers rises in Texas, work-based educational programs see a resurgence

Many Texas residents can opt for a variety of different educational programs that are shorter, more appropriate to their needs and often cost less than a bachelor’s degree.

Texas’ pick to lead Houston’s schools used aggressive, polarizing methods in Dallas

Mike Miles has wasted no time in restructuring schools and proposing administrative layoffs. The changes are designed to pay teachers at struggling schools more if their students show improvement.

New state-appointed Houston school board criticized for limiting public access at meeting

The state recently took over the Houston school district. The new officials restricted the number of people allowed in the board room, requiring many people to watch from an overflow space.

Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan join forces on property taxes. It might help the push for school vouchers.

Phelan announced the formation of a House committee that could set the tone in favor of vouchers ahead of an expected special session on education. The move comes weeks after Abbott sided with Phelan on a plan to lower property taxes.

How Texas’ plan to curb school violence was knocked down by a pandemic and little oversight

Threat assessment teams were created to prevent the next school shooting. However, confusion surrounds how these teams operate and what they even do with a child exhibiting threatening behavior.

“Seems obscene” says federal appeals court judge during hearing for Llano County library book removal case

A 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel in New Orleans heard oral arguments Wednesday for an appeal to overturn a judge’s order that Llano County officials return to shelves books they had removed. It was not clear how or when the appellate panel would rule.

TribCast: The conservative plan to eliminate school property taxes in Texas

On this week’s episode, we speak to the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s James Quintero, who has been at the center of the debate over property taxes this week.

No teacher raises. A failed school voucher push. Armed guards. Here’s what changed for public education this legislative session.

Lawmakers sacrificed school funding to block school vouchers, but the issue could be debated again in a special session. Districts will get new funds for school safety, though Uvalde families were ultimately left disappointed with inaction on gun restrictions.

Texas Education Agency picks Mike Miles for Houston ISD superintendent as state takeover begins

The former Dallas ISD superintendent and state-appointed board of managers will replace Houston’s elected school board in response to years of poor academic outcomes at a single campus in the district.

Gov. Greg Abbott calls immediate special session to address property taxes and border issues

Abbott noted many bills that were passed during the regular session, which ended around 6 p.m. Monday, but he added that “many critical items remain” and will require multiple special sessions.

Abbott signs into law CROWN Act banning race-based hair discrimination

Gov. Greg Abbott over the weekend signed into law a bill prohibiting race-based hair discrimination in Texas workplaces, schools and housing policies. It goes into effect in September.

Lawmakers approve school safety bill that would require an armed person at every Texas campus

The bill comes in response to the Uvalde school shooting last year that left 19 children and two adults dead.

Republican priority bills fail as feud mires relations between Texas House and Senate

A failure to compromise on school choice, border security and, for now, property taxes all but assures the governor will call lawmakers back for a special legislative session.

No teacher raises, no voucher program: Lawmakers fail to reach compromise on school funding bill

The end of House Bill 100 is a bittersweet victory for public education advocates who vehemently oppose school voucher programs but lament that schools won’t get additional funds to pay for teacher raises or balance their budgets.

“Somber day” in Uvalde as community commemorates one year since Robb Elementary shooting

Numerous vigils and memorials were planned in Uvalde to mark one year since the Robb Elementary School shooting. In what became the deadliest school shooting in Texas, a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers and injured 17 others.

Unlicensed religious chaplains may counsel students in Texas’ public schools after lawmakers OK proposal

Opponents fear the bill is a “Trojan horse” for evangelizing kids and will worsen the state’s mental health crisis through disproven counseling approaches.

Bill requiring Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms fails in House after missing crucial deadline

Senate Bill 1515 was one of several legislative attempts by conservative Christians to center public life around their religious views.

Listen: Through art, keepsakes and advocacy, families are making sure the 21 Uvalde victims are not forgotten

Wednesday marks exactly a year since a mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde. The community continues to grapple with the trauma and pain, and for those who lost someone that day, they’re determined to keep the memories of their loved ones alive.

Senate priorities on bail, Ten Commandments in schools stall out in Texas House as key deadline passes

The two chambers have been at odds over property tax relief and school choice, but on Tuesday night, those divisions spilled over into priorities the bodies had previously agreed upon.

Texas Senate OKs bill that aims to keep sexually explicit material out of school libraries

If the bill becomes law, book vendors would have to assign ratings to books based on depictions or references to sex.

Texas Senate again advances proposed restrictions on lessons about gender identity and sexual orientation

For the third time, the Senate is pushing a proposal critics say will ignore the existence of LGBTQ people in every grade level. Two other bills that contained similar language missed key legislative deadlines.

Texas Senate committee revises school funding bill in last-minute bid to implement voucher program

Texas senators have latched education savings accounts to a school funding bill in a last-ditch effort to avoid a special session. But some House members are furious at the revamped version and have vowed not to let it become law.

Texas Tribune, Frontline and Futuro Investigates are collaborating on a Uvalde shooting documentary that airs May 30

The film, “After Uvalde: Guns, Grief and Texas Politics,” will be broadcast nationally on PBS and also available for streaming.

Watch: A Uvalde family remembers their 10-year-old through the mementos he left behind

Evadulia Orta’s son, Rojélio Torres, died in the school shooting in Uvalde last year. Her other children still collect Pokémon cards to add to his collection, and his cousins play with his football.

A year ago, these Uvalde kids left school early. They’re haunted by what happened next.

The three Treviño children have suffered from panic attacks and nightmares since a mass shooting a year ago this week left 19 of their schoolmates and two teachers dead. Their parents are striving to help their kids feel normal again.

Texas Senate committee revamps school funding bill to revive voucher-like program

The Senate education committee has drastically changed House Bill 100 after Gov. Greg Abbott signaled he would call a special session if a voucher-like program didn’t pass.

Texas Senate passes school safety bill that would require districts to bolster their active-shooter plans

Both chambers have said school safety is a priority this session after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at a Uvalde elementary school last year.

Economic incentives clear Senate committee as negotiations continue

Lawmakers are trying hard to come up with an agreement on how to replace an embattled 20-year tax abatement program for big companies that expired in December.

Texas House’s weekend off means key Senate bills die after missing a legislative deadline

Priority bills that died include a 10-year minimum sentencing for gun-related crimes, a ban on “critical race theory” at public universities and LGBTQ-related legislation. While the bills may be dead, lawmakers have a limited time to attach their ideas to legislation that are still alive.

TribCast: Is a special session of the Texas Legislature inevitable?

In this week’s episode, we discuss the long odds facing the school choice bill and the possibility of Gov. Greg Abbott calling lawmakers back for a special session.

Key supporter of Texas school chaplain bill has pushed for evangelism in schools

Rocky Malloy, a self-described former drug-smuggling pirate saved by divine intervention, has led a group that promotes chaplains as a tool to proselytize to schoolchildren.

School voucher bill hangs by a thread as key deadline approaches

The House public education committee chair said Wednesday he currently has no plans to bring the bill for a vote. Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to call a special session if the House doesn’t “expand the scope of school choice.”

Gov. Greg Abbott threatens to veto pared-down school choice bill, warns of special sessions

Abbott says if a school voucher bill isn’t expanded to include more students, a special legislative session will be the result.

Teachers are losing hope that lawmakers will give them a big raise this session

The most ambitious proposals are all but dead, leaving teachers wondering why they’re looking at small raises when the state has a historic budget surplus at its disposal.

Texas House’s version of the Senate’s school voucher bill would reduce the program’s scope and replace the STAAR test

The House plans to discuss its version of Senate Bill 8 on Wednesday, which was heavily modified to sway votes in the lower chamber.

West Texas school district under federal investigation for punishing Black student

There are more than 60 open federal civil rights investigations into Texas schools.

Legislature enters home stretch with many of the session’s biggest issues unresolved

The list of potential hurdles includes property tax cuts, school choice, the power grid, the state budget, plus diversity and tenure in higher education.

Conservative Christians want more religion in public life. Texas lawmakers are listening.

Opponents of church-state separation have been emboldened by recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and the growing acceptance of Christian nationalism on the right.

Texas House advances bill that would give retired teachers a pension raise

The proposed raise would be the first time in nearly 20 years that some retirees would get a cost-of-living adjustment.

Proposed ban on corporal punishment in Texas schools fails again

Texas public schools can allow corporal punishment, which includes hitting, spanking, paddling or deliberately inflicting physical pain to discipline students.

Texas House advances $4.5 billion school funding bill

Lawmakers have already proposed directing billions of dollars to schools so they can lower property taxes and pay for safety upgrades. But House Bill 100 would be the first to increase the amount of money districts receive to raise teacher pay and cover the actual costs of educating students.

Texas lawmakers hope an investment in teacher training will help keep new educators in the classroom longer

A bill passed by the Texas House on Wednesday would also help schools rehire retired teachers and offer other incentives in an effort to fight the state’s teacher shortage.

Texas education board could ban textbooks that discuss gender identity under proposed bill

Other legislation this session has targeted school library books, which are optional reading materials, but House Bill 1804 might be the first to go after textbooks that teachers use for their lessons.

Texas House votes to require panic buttons in every classroom and armed guards in every school

Lawmakers have said school safety is a priority this session, but it is still unclear whether they’ll listen to Uvalde families who want to raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21.

Finding and keeping workers in post-pandemic economy is a struggle for West Texas, local leaders tell Fed

Local leaders told members of the Federal Reserve last week that families are facing financial stresses that make working hard. Educators say they need families more involved at school.

Texas Senate moves to end countywide voting on Election Day

Voters in nearly 100 counties — mostly rural — can vote at any polling site in their county. The sponsor, without offering evidence, said the practice was not secure despite years of successful elections in Texas with the system.

Public schools would have to display Ten Commandments under bill passed by Texas Senate

The Senate also passed a bill that would set prayer and Bible reading times during the school day.

San Antonio to vote on progressive wish list on abortion, marijuana, low-level arrests

Proposition A on the May 6 ballot will test the city’s political climate and progressives’ ability to advance a controversial agenda.

Texas Senate passes bill to strengthen school active-shooter plans

Senate Bill 11, which aims to get hundreds of districts without adequate safety protocols to adopt one, would also beef up truancy laws.

Texas House passes bill that aims to keep sexually explicit materials out of school libraries

Legal experts, librarians and some parents say House Bill 900’s language is so vague and broad that it could ensnare books that are not inappropriate.

In overnight testimony, Uvalde victims’ family members call on Texas lawmakers to raise age to buy semi-automatic guns

The families of Uvalde shooting victims waited hours to testify at a House committee hearing in support of House Bill 2744, which would raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21.

Texas Senate passes $308 billion budget plan, kicking off high-stakes negotiations with the House

There are $5 billion and several political wedges standing between the House and Senate plans, which now move into conference committee with less than five weeks before session ends.

Texas Senate gives first OK to school library bill meant to keep “harmful” materials off shelves

Proponents of the bill say it will keep inappropriate material away from kids. Some librarians are concerned about the logistical challenges it could bring.

Texas House passes CROWN Act, which would ban hairstyle discrimination

The bill seeks to ban discrimination based on certain hairstyles — like braids, dreadlocks and twists — in schools, workplaces and housing.

After House vote signaling opposition to school choice, Gov. Greg Abbott says the fight isn’t over

The House voted 86-52 on Thursday to amend the budget to ban state funding for “school vouchers or other similar programs.” Abbott has spent the past two months touring the state to build support for the proposal, spending tremendous political capital on trying to break through the rural Republican opposition to it.

TribCast: Is the school choice bill dead in the Texas House?

In this week’s episode, we discuss whether the House’s recent vote to ban school vouchers means a top Gov. Greg Abbott priority is doomed.

In East Texas, skepticism over private school tuition assistance persists despite push from conservative leaders

Gov. Greg Abbott and other conservatives say families need options to escape “woke” education in public schools. East Texas parents and school leaders say the national talking points are off base.

At schools across Houston, students and parents protest Texas Education Agency’s takeover of state’s largest district

At one elementary school, protesters chanted as the school day was about to begin. Parents sought petition signatures at a high school. The demonstrations are planned throughout the day.

Texas Senate approves education savings account bill — but House signals a tough road ahead

A Texas House vote earlier in the day suggests Senate Bill 8 might be short of the votes needed to pass in the lower chamber. Senators also passed a bill on Thursday that would give teachers a one-time bonus.

Gov. Greg Abbott is turning up the pressure on passing school choice. Will it pay off?

Passage of a school choice measure is anything but a sure bet, as there is little evidence that the governor has been able to convince rural Republicans in the Texas House — who have for years been a reliable firewall — to drop their opposition.

Texas Education Agency moves to appoint conservators for Austin ISD

The TEA recommended the move, citing the district’s failures serving special education students. The announcement comes two weeks after the agency appointed a board of managers to oversee Houston ISD.

Civil rights organizations file federal complaint against Texas’ takeover of Houston ISD

The ACLU of Texas, the Houston NAACP and other groups say the takeover is a violation of the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution.

Texas lawmakers’ attempts to ban school library books deemed inappropriate for kids spur confusion — and concerns

The authors of bills in both legislative chambers say their bills’ aim is simple: keeping sexually explicit content off school bookshelves. But opponents say the legislation is vague and broad enough to wreak havoc.

Bill that would give parents state funds to pay for private schools moves to the full Senate for a vote

Education savings accounts, which are similar to vouchers, are a priority of Gov. Greg Abbott this session. Texas senators also advanced a bill that would give raises and other benefits to teachers.

Texas Senate budget writers propose billions for teacher raises, lower property taxes and water projects

The Senate Finance Committee’s proposals won’t be voted on and sent to the full chamber until April.

LGBTQ groups criticize Texas bill’s broad restrictions on school lessons and activities about sexuality and gender identity

Senate Bill 8 supporters say the legislation protects the rights of parents who don’t want their kids to learn about gender identity and sexual orientation. Critics say it could force schools to ignore the existence of LGBTQ people.

Bills call for Texas teachers to be trained to administer lifesaving overdose drugs to students

Texas is attempting to address the fentanyl crisis gripping schools by having staff learn how to administer lifesaving medication.

In Texas Senate hearing, education savings accounts raise questions about accountability and impact on public schools

More than 380 supporters and opponents signed up Wednesday to testify on the proposal, which would allow parents to use state funds to send their children to private schools.

Parents share their outrage during first public meeting over Houston ISD takeover

The Texas Education Agency announced on March 15 that it would replace the current superintendent and its democratically elected school board with a new board of managers as soon as June 1.

Gov. Greg Abbott organizes “school choice” rally at the Capitol

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has embraced Senate Bill 8, which will get its first committee hearing Wednesday. But House Speaker Dade Phelan hasn’t made school choice legislation a priority.

Texas lawmaker again tries to block discriminatory hairstyle bans in schools and workplaces

Texas lawmakers could prohibit race-based hair discrimination at schools and workplaces. At least 20 states have already passed similar legislation, according to a group that champions the laws.

What happens when Texas takes over a school district like Houston ISD

When do state takeovers of Texas public schools or districts happen? How long can they last? We provide answers to some of the questions surrounding the takeover of Houston ISD.

Houston ISD families blast the state’s takeover of the district as an intervention that won’t improve student learning

Parents and students of the Houston Independent School District decried the state’s decision to take control of the school system. Despite the news, many questions remain about how it would affect them.

Texas Education Agency will take control of Houston ISD in June

The announcement comes almost four years after the agency first moved to take over the district.

Texas education agency ready to find new leaders for Houston school district, documents show

Texas’ education agency first moved to take over the district in 2019 after years of low student performance at a single Houston ISD high school. Critics said the district has made improvements since then.

Texas families would get $8,000 in tax dollars to send students to private school in sweeping ‘parental rights’ bill backed by Lt. Gov.

The bill, which has the blessing of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, will create new rules on how gender and sexual orientation is taught. It will face a tougher test in the House.

SXSW EDU panelists say the only solution to school safety is to address gun policy and mental health, not one or the other

Gun policy reform is the best way to address school safety, according to experts on a panel in Austin. They also cautioned against doubling down on surveillance technology.

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan’s new priority bills focus on school safety, requiring districts to adopt active-shooter plans

More than nine months after the Uvalde school shooting, top GOP lawmakers maintain focus on school safety reforms and investments in mental health resources in hopes it will prevent future tragedies.

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