The latest education news from The Texas Tribune.
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. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/526aa1aceaee283839c469f45a85865b/Akins%20High%20School%20RR%20TT%2001.jpg)
Senate Bill 11, which aims to get hundreds of districts without adequate safety protocols to adopt one, would also beef up truancy laws. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/139c04e6e28693d3812353c17cda76ec/Marshal_Program_Training_2_RZ_TT.jpg)
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. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/add519bcebe85650231fa9f196e0de20/0131%20Abbott%20Ed%20Savings%20BY%20TT%2018.jpg)
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. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e6e0db73bbc2ea1ecf58af7dc57446d1/Linder%20Elementary%20ML%2018.jpg)
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. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/49d3ac6d05e4ca6dde7d4f4d99e0331e/0331%20HISD%20Protest%20DSJ%2001%20TT.jpg)
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. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c6527469b21d3d14e00afbed1217e36b/0321%20Parent%20Empowerment%20JV%20TT%2019.jpg)
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. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/856dd55d56f6042f7adc780ce5f81953/0321%20HISD%20Comm%20Meeting%20DS%20TT%2014.jpg)
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. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0422ed739631402d2b8409d1dc6a6677/Houston%20ISD%20MS%20TT%206844.jpg)
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. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5deab93bee4f93df27c6c01513238d74/0303%20HISD%20SOTS%20JB%20TT%2008.jpg)
The announcement comes almost four years after the agency first moved to take over the district. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c7b74e7916ba9e49c8589e8b376e803d/0303%20HISD%20SOTS%20JB%20TT%2001.jpg)
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. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/94c33dff50d1b573e29e6db13296f2f4/0303%20HISD%20SOTS%20JB%20TT%2011.jpg)
The yearlong review also recommends increasing the funds schools get per student, a measure already favored by lawmakers looking how to spend a historic state budget surplus. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0359a65820427422fc953f2bda8eceba/Cardenas%20Teacher%20Shortage%20LW%20TTxx%2009.JPG)
“School districts, what they have to do if they lose a student, [is] be smart about how they allocate their resources and maybe that’s one less fourth grade teacher,” Steve Lecholop, a TEA deputy commissioner, said in a call with a parent that was secretly recorded. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/64d133fe80f8bb3fb877f7c8bfd1395a/0131%20Abbott%20Ed%20Savings%20BY%2015%20TT.jpg)
Senators in the finance committee asked questions Monday about the pros and cons of basing the amount of money that schools get per student on enrollment instead of attendance. Districts say the change could mean millions in additional funding. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c35b3dd7e0f7f446a064344c58b853a7/0127%20School%20Choice%20Lufkin%20CO%20TT%2023.jpg)
In this discussion, panelists talked about the push for Texas families to have the option to use state money to fund their children’s education outside the public school system. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/70051cab7ec89f048a25b0c89179e50f/02-16_SchoolChoice_Leadart-01-v2.png)
The decision from the state’s highest court would allow the TEA to move forward with its plan to replace Houston ISD’s school board members over low academic scores. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0bd3f5b810239c599788d9ed782042f4/0109%20TSC%20ERCOT%20Hearing%20EL%20TT%2020.jpg)
Tribune fellows have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in all aspects of the operation of a modern news organization. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9ec7b8212336f91c2c073ab052ec00c7/Texas%20Tribune%20Exterior%20MG%20TT%2008.jpg)
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has opened what appears to be the first-of-its-kind investigation into the Granbury Independent School District after it banned school library books dealing with sexuality and gender. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9186e9fb6c987de957fd8e6475810d63/GISD%20Board%20Meeting%20Glenn%2014%20cropped.jpg)
Some new home-schoolers disagree with how race and sex are taught at schools. Others cite safety concerns after the Uvalde shooting and poor academic outcomes. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/10bca4d5e8d1e9cbd67c8080f279afae/1014%20Hmschool%20League%20City%20AM%2001.jpg)
The discussion took place at Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus. You can watch the conversation in person or online. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/897efc6c41fc3c513ef608c3b25fb2eb/12-8_HigherEd_Leadart-01-v1.png)