EducationEnrollment Drop Hits Texas Public Schools
Isaiah MitchellJanuary 14, 2021
By the time the TEA finalizes the data, this year could mark the first drop in Texas public school enrollment since measurement began.
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87th LegislatureEducationCharter School Advocates Ask Legislature to Ensure Charters Are Treated Fairly by Municipalities, Remove ‘Silent Cap’
Holly HansenJanuary 14, 2021
State lawmakers discussed challenges faced by charter schools and Texas public education as a whole at a pre-session policy event in Austin this week.
EducationFederalTrump Executive Order Could Expand K-12 Options for Disadvantaged Families
Holly HansenDecember 29, 2020
Federal funds allocated to states to alleviate poverty could be used for K-12 private school tuition, home schooling, or other educational services under a new executive order.
Civil SocietyEducationUniversity of Texas to Eliminate Campus Speech Investigative Body After Lawsuit
Brad JohnsonDecember 28, 2020
A speech-policing body at the University of Texas will be disbanded after a legal challenge to the school's speech code.
87th LegislatureEducationState SenateProposed Bill Would Compel Schools to Rehire Teachers Who Quit Due to COVID-19 Concerns
Isaiah MitchellDecember 23, 2020
COVID-wary teachers driven from the job by the virus would be entitled to return to the same pay and benefits under the bill.
EducationStatewide NewsState Public Education Reports Highlight Student Underperformance, Teacher Strain
Isaiah MitchellDecember 18, 2020
STAAR test scores and other academic measurements have not been updated due to COVID-19, but national scores and teacher quality data remain.
EducationTexas A&M to Require COVID-19 Testing for All On-Campus Students
Isaiah MitchellDecember 15, 2020
While some private universities in Texas have required tests, Texas A&M is the first major public college in the state to take this measure.
87th LegislatureEducationState HouseState SenateSTAAR Testing to Remain While A-F School Rating System Suspended, TEA Says
Isaiah MitchellDecember 14, 2020
Though schools won't have to worry about their own scores this year, the TEA will still administrate the STAAR test to gauge student success.
EducationLocal NewsCarroll School District’s Diversity Plan Halted by Temporary Restraining Order
Kim RobertsDecember 10, 2020
Litigation alleging Open Meetings Act violations related to the Cultural Competence Plan in Carroll ISD resulted in temporary prevention of taking further action on the plan.
EducationIssuesStatewide NewsTEA Withdrawal Statistics Show Record Number of Students Leaving Public Schools
Isaiah MitchellDecember 3, 2020
State data and Texas Home School Coalition numbers show record-breaking home school withdrawals for this school year.
EducationLocal NewsTaxes & SpendingGarland ISD Grappling With $32 Million Deficit After Voters Reject Tax Increase
Hayden SparksNovember 30, 2020
The deficit will not affect payroll this fiscal year, but the district says it could “compound in years forward.”
87th LegislatureEducationState HouseHouse Bill Targets Last County School Board Remaining in Texas
Isaiah MitchellNovember 30, 2020
State Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Spring) is trying — again — to abolish Harris County's under-the-radar board of education.
87th LegislatureEducationState HouseStatewide NewsTexas Education Commissioner Would Become Elected Position with New Legislation
Isaiah MitchellNovember 25, 2020
Democratic State Rep. Gina Hinojosa wants the Texas Commissioner of Education to take office by vote instead of the governor's appointment.
EducationStatewide NewsAbstinence-Plus Sex Ed Curriculum Approved by State Board of Education
Isaiah MitchellNovember 20, 2020
Calls for the inclusion of LGBT terminology and gender identity education did not persuade the state board's in their curriculum decision.
EducationLocal News$2 Million Buyout of Lancaster ISD Superintendent Put on Hold
Daniel FriendNovember 20, 2020
The $2 million buyout of the Lancaster ISD superintendent’s contract has been put on hold after a Dallas County court issued a temporary restraining order.
EducationIssuesNew Lawsuit Takes Aim at Texas Universities’ Out-of-State Tuition
Isaiah MitchellNovember 20, 2020
Though the lawsuit is nominally against UNT, the think tank hopes for a declaration that out-of-state tuition for all state universities in Texas violates the U.S. Constitution.
The new president of the University of Texas at Austin will make over a million-dollar salary.
87th LegislatureEducationIssuesState HouseThe Back Mic: House Committee to Consider Potential Harassment Complaint, Lawmakers Request STAAR Test Cancelation, Influx of Pre-Filed Bills
Brad JohnsonNovember 20, 2020
This week — a workplace complaint prompts investigative committee meeting, legislators call for cancelation of STAAR testing, and the first week of pre-filing sees sharp uptick in submissions compared to past sessions.
EducationElections 2020Local NewsHeated Dallas School Board Race to Conclude with December 8 Runoff
Hayden SparksNovember 19, 2020
Alex Enriquez, who did not make the cut for the runoff, endorsed Dustin Marshall and criticized frontrunner Nancy Rodriguez.
EducationStatewide NewsProposed K-12 Sex Ed Curriculum Highlights Abstinence, Consent, and Online Behavior
Isaiah MitchellNovember 16, 2020
Rejecting calls for LGBT inclusion, the proposed TEKS continue to push abstinence while presenting facts the current standards leave out.