Plan to Expand Charter Schools Clears Senate
A significantly altered version of Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick's legislation expanding the state's charter school system quickly passed out of the upper chamber Thursday afternoon. Full Story
Morgan Smith was a reporter at the Tribune from 2009 to 2018, covering politics, public education and inequality. In 2013, she received a National Education Writers Association award for “Death of a District,” a series on school closures. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Wellesley College, she moved to Austin in 2008 to enter law school at the University of Texas. A San Antonio native, her work has also appeared in Slate, where she spent a year as an editorial intern in Washington D.C.
A significantly altered version of Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick's legislation expanding the state's charter school system quickly passed out of the upper chamber Thursday afternoon. Full Story
State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, at a Tuesday hearing delivered an impassioned plea in support of the tax credit scholarship plan that is a critical part of the school choice reform package he has pushed this session. Full Story
The political sentiment behind the House’s vote against private school vouchers last week is clear. But its particulars — including whether it would ban tax credit scholarships under consideration in the Senate — are less obvious. Full Story
After a brief but heated debate, a measure from state Rep. Abel Herrero, D-Corpus Christi, that would ban the use of public dollars for private schools passed the House 103-43 with bipartisan support. Full Story
Two Texas Education Agency advisory panels opposed a plan to move the state to an A through F school ratings system, a plan that Education Commissioner Michael Williams announced Tuesday. Full Story
Texas Education Agency Commissioner Michael Williams announced Tuesday that there is enough money in the state education budget allocated to remedial tutoring, which means a ban on social promotion can take affect. Full Story
Texas Education Agency Commissioner Michael Williams told senators Tuesday that the state intends to move forward with developing an A through F public school accountability rating system to take effect in 2014. Full Story
When it comes to high-stakes testing, Texas lawmakers have so far focused most of their attention on high school students. But as more than 3 million students across the state begin to take standardized exams this week, some members of the Legislature are examining the plight of younger test-takers. Full Story
As state Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, detailed his objections to House Bill 5 on Tuesday, what he did not mention is that whether students enroll in challenging courses and the number of state exams they must take could affect his livelihood. Full Story
UPDATED: Debate over the balance between rigor and flexibility in high school graduation requirements dominated Tuesday’s discussion over education legislation that eventually legislators in the Texas House tentatively approved. Full Story