The Brief: Aug. 13, 2013
With two Texans playing key roles, infighting within the Republican party on how to defeat Obamacare continues. 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.
With two Texans playing key roles, infighting within the Republican party on how to defeat Obamacare continues. Full Story
Your evening reading: Judge blocks school district's use of CSCOPE; Smitherman calls for "conservative crusade" against EPA; extra time for jurors in Fort Hood shooting trial to review testimony Full Story
A group of plaintiffs in the Llano Independent School District has obtained a court order banning the use of CSCOPE lessons until those lessons get State Board of Education approval. Full Story
If Gov. Rick Perry makes a second bid for the White House in 2016, there is mounting speculation that he may have some home-state competition for the Republican nomination from a certain junior senator. Full Story
Charter schools with ties to faith-based organizations have cropped up across Texas. Proponents say that's a result of smart budgeting, but critics have concerns about oversight and worry that faith-based instruction could enter some classrooms. Full Story
Under a new accountability system, Texas schools are placed in two categories: "met standard" or "needs improvement." The state education agency announced Thursday that 93 percent of Texas school districts achieved the first designation. Full Story
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst unveiled a campaign team heavy on national grassroots experience as he officially announced his bid for re-election Wednesday. Full Story
Under a major new Obama administration initiative promoting early education, Texas is eligible for $308 million in federal money to fund full-day pre-kindergarten programs. But the money might never get here. Full Story
Under House Bill 5, students entering high school this fall will take 10 fewer state exams than their classmates two years ahead of them. This story is part of our month-long 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
For parents and educators who want less classroom time spent on state exams, hopes rest on recently passed legislation, but it comes with a challenge: Texas likely must first obtain waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Full Story