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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.
When the Texas Supreme Court last considered school finance system in 2005, it upheld one of the trial court's findings and overturned another in a 7-to-1 decision. There has been high turnover on the court since that ruling. Full Story
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On Monday, a panel of senators questioned Barbara Cargill on her appointment to lead the State Board of Education. If she wins their approval, she will be the first SBOE leader to earn confirmation from the Legislature since 2005. Full Story
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Newly appointed House Public Education Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock filed legislation Wednesday that would restructure the state's high school graduation and student testing requirements. Full Story
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Hey, Texplainer: I keep hearing that the money the state spends on public education has increased over the past decade. But the ruling in the school finance trial said Texas schools are underfunded. Who is right? Full Story
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In a decision sure to be appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, state district Judge John Dietz ruled Monday in favor of more than 600 school districts on all of their major claims against the state. Full Story
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After the $5.4 billion cut to public education during the 2011 legislative session, the advocacy group Children at Risk teamed up with a coalition of nonprofit foundations to provide comprehensive data on how Texas schools were coping with less money. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry's brief remarks at the State Board of Education on Friday echoed his State of the State address, where he called for the creation of more charter schools and the expansion of career and technical courses for high school students. Full Story
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Goodwill Industries hopes to open a charter school in Central Texas to help adults who lack a high school education. But there is an obstacle: The state only provides funding for students under age 26. Full Story
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Educators and conservative activists will air their complaints about CSCOPE, the state's curriculum delivery system, at a Senate Education Committee hearing on Thursday led by state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston. Full Story
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Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams on Tuesday called on educators to hold the line on the state's accountability system amid a "ranging conversation" at the Legislature about how to address concerns about the role of high-stakes testing. Full Story
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