At the Trib’s February 25 symposium on public education at Rice University, Morgan Smith talked about what it takes to find and retain great teachers with Linda McSpadden McNeil of Rice University, Elisa Villanueva Beard of Teach for America, Gayle Fallon of the Houston Federation of Teachers and former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige.
Mar 5, 2013 9:59 am
Posted inState Government
DPS Changes Security Policy at Governor’s Mansion After Lawmakers Complain
Calling the old policy “stupid,” the head of the Department of Public Safety said Tuesday that congressional and state elected officials will no longer have to endure a background check to access the Governor’s Mansion.
Posted inState Government
State, Federal Lawmakers Focus on Produce Trade
State Rep. Bobby Guerra, D-Mission, is expected to file a bill this week that would help address the shortage of agricultural specialists who inspect produce coming across the Texas-Mexico border.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Report Backs Push for Board to Oversee Prisons
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition has released a report calling on lawmakers to approve several bills that would increase supervision over the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which oversees the state’s prisons.
Posted in
University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
UT/TT Poll: Texans Back Background Checks Ahead of All Gun Purchases
Texans are generally against tougher gun control laws, according to the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, but they overwhelmingly support criminal and mental health background checks for gun purchases.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: March 5, 2013
Texans remain mostly opposed to new gun control measures, but the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll reveals some wrinkles in public opinion.
Posted inPublic Education
Texas Tribune Public Schools Explorer 2.0
In the latest iteration of our one-of-a-kind Public Schools Explorer, compare individual schools and districts to one another, cross-filter by metrics like performance and spending, and check out the latest data on everything from TAKS to enrollment.
Posted in
Energy
Oil Boom Moves Fracking to Forefront in Legislature
Despite mounting concerns over disruptions to the environment and infrastructure, Texas lawmakers haven’t soured on fracking. But that hasn’t kept the practice out of the sights of legislators pushing for more regulations.
