Texas Education Agency will take control of Houston ISD in June
The announcement comes almost four years after the agency first moved to take over the district. Full Story
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Brian Lopez is the public education reporter, covering how policy and politics affect Texas’ K-12 public education system and the nearly 5.5 million kids enrolled in schools. Brian is a New York native but moved to Texas after high school. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and is based in San Antonio. Before landing at the Tribune, Brian was the Tarrant County reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Brian reports in both English and Spanish.
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![Millard House II, superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, delivers the HISD State of the Schools Address in Houston on Friday, March 3, 2023. The luncheon celebrates distinguished alumni and showcases student projects.]()
Credit: Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribune -
Texas education agency ready to find new leaders for Houston school district, documents show
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
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![(Left) Patricia Allen, a union organizer with Houston Educational Support Personnel, holds a poster along with her colleague against Texas Education Agency (TEA) takeover of Houston Independent School District (HISD) during a press conference regarding HISD's imminent state takeover in Houston, on Friday, March 3, 2023.]()
Credit: Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Education Agency would have new power to enforce school safety plans under Senate bill
The bill, introduced months after the Uvalde school shooting, also allocates more funds to the state’s school safety allotment, which is money given to districts to improve campus security. Full Story
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![A police officer monitors Maplewood Elementary School in Austin the Monday morning following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune -
Mayor Sylvester Turner expects the state will soon take over Houston ISD
The Texas Education Agency has been in a legal battle to take over the state’s largest school district since 2019. Full Story
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![Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks at a panel moderated by Anna Palmer, CEO and co-founder of Punchbowl News, at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Sept. 24, 2022.]()
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Texas teachers need raises, more training and better working conditions to fix shortages, state task force finds
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
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![Cardenas watches over her students and receives hugs as students wait in the lunch line on April 21, 2022.]()
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School districts face millions in extra costs as Texas program that backs bond debt hits its limit
Without the state’s safety net, districts with pending bond projects must now decide whether to pay more in interest or halt construction. Full Story
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![Students sit in Norman Gomez's third grade class at Linder Elementary School in Austin on Jan. 14, 2022. Students and staff wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.]()
Credit: Miranda Lipton for The Texas Tribune -
Texas superintendent resigns after student finds his gun in school bathroom
The incident comes as lawmakers debate how to make schools safer after the Uvalde massacre and favor measures like arming more educators. Full Story
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![A M&P Shield handgun, small enough to be ideal for conceal carry, in Austin on April 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
What you need to know about education savings accounts, the voucher-like program championed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Texas is the latest state to pitch a version of the program, which lets parents who opt out of their local school districts use tax dollars to pay for private schooling. Full Story
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![Isabel Suarez works on homework prior to the start of the school day from her home in Pflugerville on Dec 9, 2020.]()
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In audio, high-ranking TEA official admits public school funds could drop with voucher-like programs
“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
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at Parent Empowerment Night at Annapolis Christian Academy in Corpus Christi on Jan. 31, 2023 to discuss parent empowerment and choice in their child's education.]()
Credit: Blaine Young for The Texas Tribune -
Texas higher education leaders say equitable access is key for graduation goals
During a Texas Tribune event on higher education, panelists also spoke about using the state’s historic surplus to improve the affordability of universities and keep rising costs down. Full Story
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