With Plan to Seek Pre-K Grant, State Changes Gears on Federal Funding
In a shift for a state that has shunned other federal education initiatives, Texas will participate in an Obama administration early learning program. Full Story
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![Pre-kindergarten students at the Dallas Independent School District's Cesar Chavez Learning Center.]()
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Inside Texas Politics: Lawyering Up
On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, we talked about Thursday's ruling that the state's school finance system is unconstitutional, the delay in raising standards on school tests, Gov. Rick Perry's newest lawyer and more. Full Story
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![Texas Tribune Executive Editor Ross Ramsey on WFAA-TV's "Inside Texas Politics" on August 31, 2014.]()
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Education Commissioner: "The System Needs to Catch Up"
UPDATED: Asked why the state had delayed a transition away from lower passing standards on state exams, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams told state lawmakers Tuesday that classroom instruction had failed to meet the rigor demanded by the new tests. Full Story
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![Education Commissioner Michael Williams, a former railroad commissioner, is shown at a TribLive event on Jan. 27, 2011.]()
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Davis Calls for Expanded Technical Job Training
Saying she wants to expand Texas high schoolers’ access to technical job training programs, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis on Tuesday announced a plan to create a Career-Technical Coordinating Board. Full Story
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![Senator Wendy Davis addresses the Texas Democratic Women’s Convention in Austin, TX.]()
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A Pass on State Math Exams for Fifth- and Eighth-Graders
Texas' education commissioner announced on Friday that the state would suspend a law that requires fifth- and eighth-graders to pass end-of-year math exams to advance to the next grade level. Full Story
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In Texas, Efforts to Raise Teacher Certification Standards Falter
For-profit teacher certification companies are flourishing in Texas. But as the industry grows, so do questions about the state's ability to control the quality of training the programs provide. Full Story
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Nearly All Texas School Districts Meet State Ratings
In the second year of a new school accountability system, nine out of 10 Texas districts met state standards, according to ratings released by the Texas Education Agency on Friday. The 2014 ratings show a slight decline from last year. Full Story
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Charter Schools Push Back Against New State Law's Measure on Closures
In December, the Texas Education Agency moved to shutter six charter school operators under a new law. Nearly 10 months later, three of those schools remain open — fighting a process they say is overly simplistic. Full Story
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Texas Posts Top High School Graduation Rates, Again
As Texas education officials announced the third year of record-breaking high school graduation rates on Tuesday, critics continued to raise questions about the method the state uses to calculate them. Full Story
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With Uncertainty, Schools Prepare for New Arrivals
Many unaccompanied minors fleeing violence in Central America remain in Texas, and public school administrators face the challenge of providing an education for them. Full Story
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![On June 24, 2014, volunteers gather at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, where the Rio Grande Valley Catholic Charities have a makeshift shelter to help handle the surge of immigrants who have crossed into the U.S. in recent weeks.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Technical College System Looks to Break Mold on Workforce Development
With the launch of a new initiative on Monday, the Texas State Technical College System could help revolutionize how colleges align their curriculum with workforce demands and help their students match up better with employers’ needs. Full Story
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![Keith Plantier lectures in a "Wind Safety" course at Texas State Technical College in Sweetwater, Texas, on July, 22, 2013. The college is placing more of an emphasis on courses that will help their students find employment in the growing number of oilfields and wind farms in West Texas.]()
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Texas Delays Rollout of New Teacher Evaluations
Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams told federal education officials the state would take an additional year to pilot a new teacher evaluation system based in part on student standardized test performance. Full Story
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Williams Discusses Decision to Approve Charter After SBOE Veto
UPDATED: Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams told State Board of Education members Wednesday that said that when he approved a charter school's expansion into the Dallas area, he was following the spirit of a 2013 law. Full Story
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As Teacher Pay Lags, Attrition, Class Size Grow
Stacked up against other states, Texas public schools could win the best-bang-for-your-buck competition. The state spends less than most others, and its students perform better than many. But the commitment to fiscal restraint has come with its own burdens for teachers. Full Story
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![A study released by Sam Houston State University in October 2013 that was commissioned by the Texas State Teachers Association showed a marked increase in teachers reporting that they had taken second jobs during the school year to make ends meet.]()
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Academic Gains Slowing; No Consensus on Why
Over the last decade, Texas students have made steady progress on a number of academic measures. But in recent years, that improvement has begun to stall. Full Story
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![Texas' improvement on national academic measures has begun to stall in recent years. In 2013, for the first time in 15 years, math and reading scores went down or stayed the same for black and Hispanic students in both fourth and eighth grades. The scores also went down for Anglo students in some areas.]()
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Texas Gets Company in Position on Common Core
State legislatures are scrambling to renounce Common Core standards as a grassroots movement builds against them. But their most vocal and earliest opponent was Texas. Full Story
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![Former TEA Commissioner Robert Scott speaks at Save our School's rally at Texas Capitol on February 23rd, 2013]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
TEA Chief Circumvents State Board Charter School Veto
Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams has effectively overruled a vote by the State Board of Education to deny an Arizona-based charter school's expansion into the Dallas area. Full Story
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![Parents look over books and ask questions about curriculum during a parent information session for the new Great Hearts Monte Vista Charter School to open in San Antonio at Temple Beth-El, October 29, 2013.]()
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Lawsuit: Texas' English Language Programs "Grossly Deficient"
Inadequate supervision from the state has led to "grossly deficient" English language instruction for Texas public school students, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. Full Story
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Battle Brewing Over Teacher Evaluation Rules
A new state policy that ties teacher evaluations to student performance on standardized tests is drawing criticism from a range of sources. It is likely to be a topic of discussion Wednesday at a Texas House Public Education Committee hearing. Full Story
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Houston Teachers Sue District Over Test-Based Evaluation
Seven teachers, backed by the Houston branch of the American Federation of Teachers, are suing the Houston school district over a new approach tying standardized test results to pay and employment decisions. Full Story
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![A public education rally at the Capitol on March 11, 2013, sponsored by the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
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