A new state requirement that students must retake standardized tests if they do not achieve a minimum score has landed hundreds of thousands in summer school, carrying a hefty price tag for school districts.
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
Criminal Justice
Both Sides in Skinner Case Ask Court for DNA Testing
Attorneys for the state of Texas and death row inmate Hank Skinner have filed a joint motion with the Court of Criminal Appeals to send his case back to district court so he can obtain DNA testing.
Posted in
Demographics
For Texas GOP, a New Position on Immigration Reform
There’s something new in the Texas Republican Party platform: a call for a national guest-worker program.
Posted inState Government
Santorum Addresses Texas GOP After Campaigning With Cruz
Rick Santorum avoided aggravating an already divided group of fellow Republicans on Friday night and instead regaled the crowd with tales of campaign misadventures and hopes for the party’s future.
Posted inState Government
At Convention, Romney Booed, Dewhurst Gets Some Cheers
After some at the GOP state convention booed Thursday at Gov. Rick Perry’s mention of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, he got a mostly positive reception Friday during his own speech. That wasn’t the case for Mitt Romney, whose name drew jeers from the audience during a speech from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Posted inState Government
Straus Opponents Active at GOP Convention
House Speaker Joe Straus, booed at the Republican state convention two years ago, is bracing for another chilly reception from the GOP faithful on Friday.
Posted inState Government
Perry to GOP Convention: Not Riding Into Sunset
Gov. Rick Perry, speaking at the state’s Republican convention on Thursday, fueled speculation that he’ll run for re-election, saying he was “not riding into the sunset” but “mounting up for the next operation.”
Posted inState Government
GOP Convention Arrives in Midst of Runoff Season
The Republican Party of Texas gathers in Fort Worth on Thursday to start a three-day convention that will feature candidates, national conservative figures and party officials.
Posted in
Public Education
Primary a Mixed Bag for Public Ed Candidates
Tuesday night was a wash for candidates hoping to capitalize on a backlash against the 2011 Legislature’s deep budget cuts to public schools. Some won and some lost, and there wasn’t a definite guiding narrative as to why.
Posted inState Government
Trial Lawyers Sink Money Into Republican Primary Races but See Little Payoff
If the 2012 primaries are any guide, the plaintiffs’ bar is becoming less shy about investing in the Republican side of the ballot — and Republican candidates are not being bashful about accepting the money.
