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.
Morgan Smith
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.
Posted in
Public Education
Senators to Vote on Education Board Leader’s Nomination
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.
Posted in
Public Education
Aycock Proposes New Testing, Graduation Requirements
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.
Posted in
Guides
Texplainer: Has State Spending on Schools Increased?
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?
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Public Education
Updated: School Finance Ruling Favors Districts
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.
Posted inPublic Education
Interactive: Children at Risk Budget Cuts Survey
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.
Posted in
Higher Education
Speaking to SBOE, Perry Talks of Need for More Charters
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.
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Public Education
Proposed Charter School Would Focus on Adults
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.
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Public Education
Senate Hearing Will Target Curriculum System
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.
Posted in
Public Education
TEA Chief: Don’t Give Up on Accountability System
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.
