The Water Calendar
Key meetings and events over the coming weeks. Full Story
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Alex Samuels
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Alex Samuels was a reporter for The Texas Tribune from 2017 to 2021. She helped with national campaign coverage, wrote stories about the intersection of race and politics in Texas, and covered the hottest political news bubbling out of local communities. She was also one of the primary authors of The Blast, the Tribune’s subscription-only daily newsletter for political insiders. Alex began at the Tribune as a fellow in 2016. She graduated in 2017 from the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. She originally is from Massachusetts and is the best pingpong player at the Tribune.
Past Contributions
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![Cypress Creek in downtown Wimberley]()
Credit: Photo by: Shelby Knowles -
The Brief: Patrick Says Cruz Must Endorse Trump or Get Left Behind
On Monday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz he’d be left "in the rearview mirror of the Republican Party" if he refused to endorse Donald Trump. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick]()
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The Brief: Abbott Reveals Source of Severe Burns
While campaigning for San Antonio GOP Congressman Will Hurd, Gov. Greg Abbott revealed that the severe burns that landed him in the hospital earlier this year came from a hot shower. Full Story
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![Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a Rotary Club of San Antonio luncheon on March 23, 2016.]()
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The Brief: Sandra Bland's Family Settles Wrongful Death Suit
The family of Sandra Bland has settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $1.9 million and the promise of “several changes” to jail procedures, the family’s lawyer said Thursday. Full Story
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![Screenshot from Department of Public Safety dash cam video shows Sandra Bland as she exits her car after DPS officer Brian Encinia has drawn his taser on July 10, 2015.]()
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Cruz Gives $100K to Senate Incumbent Protection Efforts
Also, a House candidate pens a letter on behalf of a vaccine choice group in an attempt to halt a flu vaccine campaign being launched at several school districts across the state. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., to consider five nominees to fill vacancies on federal courts in Texas. The hearing was Sept. 7, 2016.]()
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The Brief: Senators Talk Up New Takes on School, Road Funding
Roads and schools — two topics of perpetual concern to Texans — were debated again on Wednesday by state lawmakers in a pair of legislative hearings, both focused on where taxpayers should be spending their money. Full Story
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![Sen. Eddie Lucio D-Brownsville and Sen. Larry Taylor R-Friendswood during a September 14, 2016 Senate Education Committee hearing]()
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Vermont To Balance Testing Guidelines with Local Priorities
Vermont lawmakers and education leaders are exploring how to preserve programs like outdoor education that afford students opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Full Story
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![Students at Casis Elementary identify elements at their parent funded outdoors classroom.]()
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Restorative Justice Narrative Reveals Commitment Requirements
Across the country, districts are shifting away from staggeringly high suspension rates in favor of “restorative justice” models of behavior and discipline management. Full Story
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![Students in Yvonne McDaniel's English for Speakers of Other Languages, or ESOL, class participated in English-language exercises during summer school at McCallum High School in Austin on July 31, 2013.]()
Credit: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez -
First Week Class Rotation Helps Teachers Place Kindergartners
What started as a brainstorm in one Rockville, Md., elementary school has proven exceptionally helpful to students and teachers, and is catching on at schools throughout the region. Full Story
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![Pre-K teacher Josefina Pineda teaches her students the concept of "push" by having them join hands and push back and forth in her classroom at the Dallas Independent School District elementary school Cesar Chavez Learning Center in 2013.]()
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Researchers Identify Significant Population of Overachievers
A policy brief recently published by Johns Hopkins uncovers data that suggest a large portion of K-12 students are performing above grade-level on standardized tests. Full Story
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Credit: Shannan Muskopf