Texas Tech Chancellor Tedd Mitchell has led the 64,000-student university system since 2018. His departure will mark the latest shake-up in the state’s higher ed leadership.
Jaden Edison
Jaden Edison is the public education reporter for The Texas Tribune, where he previously worked as a reporting fellow in summer 2022. Before returning to the Tribune full time, he served as the justice reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, another nonprofit newsroom covering government, politics and public policy. He also interned at Poynter, a nonprofit media institute. Jaden has a master's degree from the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University and a bachelor's degree from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University, where he was editor-in-chief of the The University Star, the campus' student-run newspaper.
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Public Education
Texas Education Agency to release schools’ 2024 performance ratings after court ruling
An appeals court granted the state approval to release the ratings after doing the same for 2023 scores in April.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas’ public ed funding boost brings some relief but erodes districts’ independence, school leaders say
A law providing $8.5 billion in new funding for Texas public schools lacks the spending flexibility that previously let districts address their campuses’ needs as they saw fit.
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Public Education
Texas education board approves Native Studies course, skirting concerns about state’s K-12 DEI ban
The long-awaited vote survived objections from the panel’s most right-leaning Republicans, who criticized the lessons as “un-American woke indoctrination.”
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Public Education
Texas Education Agency extends Houston school district takeover through 2027
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath applauded the district for its improvements while citing the need for more time to “achieve lasting success for students.”
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Texas Legislature 2025
Gov. Greg Abbott signs $8.5 billion public education funding plan into law. Here’s how it works.
The spending package will give schools more money for staff pay raises, operational expenses, special education and more.
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2025 Legislative Recap
From vouchers to a cellphone ban, this year’s lawmaking session brought transformative changes to Texas schools
An agenda driven by conservative priorities, schools’ financial duress and teacher needs led to an $8.5 billion boost, new discipline rules, more Christianity in classrooms and a DEI ban.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Legislature approves $8.5 billion boost for public schools after years of stagnant funding
Gov. Greg Abbott has already said he intends to sign the bill, which will give schools funding for salary increases, special education, teacher preparation and operational costs.
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Texas Legislature 2025
$8.5 billion school funding package passes Texas Senate
The legislation includes new pots of money for teacher raises and other school costs like insurance and transportation. It now heads to the House, where leaders say it will pass.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas House, Senate lawmakers reach $8.5 billion school funding deal
The deal appears to strike a face-saving compromise for both chambers over how to increase funds for the state’s public schools, with money earmarked for teacher pay and overhead costs.