Policy experts worry students will fall short of the state’s future workforce needs. Educators hope the new curriculum will help them.
Brian Lopez
Brian Lopez was The Texas Tribune's public education reporter from 2021 until 2024. He covered how policy and politics affect Texas’ K-12 public education system and the nearly 5.5 million kids enrolled in public schools. Previously, he was the Tarrant County reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Brian is a New York native but moved to Texas after high school. He graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington.
Posted in
Public Education
Texas Education Agency takes over La Joya ISD after investigating school board for fraud and conflicts of interest
The TEA appointed a “board of managers” to replace the district’s school board trustees and named a new superintendent.
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Public Education
Texas’ new school safety law mostly addresses the Justice Department’s advice. But funding fixes is still an issue.
Lawmakers passed House Bill 3 last year to address some of the issues that led to the botched police response during the Uvalde school shooting.
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Public Education
Texas’ school ratings remain in limbo as the state and school districts fight over how strict the grading should be
Dozens of school districts sued the Texas Education Agency last fall, claiming revisions to the state’s accountability system would hurt them.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
How Gov. Greg Abbott lost a yearlong fight to create school vouchers
The governor projected confidence throughout 2023 that vouchers would pass. But his insistence on universal eligibility ensured his failure to convince 21 House Republican holdouts.
Posted in
Public Education
A Texas high school is piloting the state’s first-ever Asian American studies course. Could politics stand in its way?
The course highlights Asian Americans’ contributions in U.S. history. It also seeks to offer an honest look at the mistreatment, like the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Senate passes its own school safety funding bill, but little time remains to get it across the finish line
Senate Bill 5 would send an extra $800 million to public schools for security upgrades over the next two years. But the measure is at risk of becoming the latest casualty of the rift between the Texas House and Senate.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas House votes to remove school vouchers from massive education bill
The outcome was an embarrassment to Gov. Greg Abbott, who spent seven months lobbying two dozen Republicans who signaled opposition to vouchers in April.
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Texas Legislature 2023
“Our public school system is our town”: Why this rural Republican is voting against school vouchers
Despite intense political pressure, Republican Rep. Gary VanDeaver said he won’t support a bill that includes school vouchers. Rural Republicans like VanDeaver have long opposed school vouchers because of the unique role public schools they play in their communities.
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Texas Legislature 2023
The Texas House’s new priority education bill offers concessions to sway voucher skeptics
The revised bill promises a significant funding increase for public schools and academic accountability measures for students participating in the proposed voucher program, two of the biggest requests from voucher opponents.