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Texas Education Agency

The latest Texas Education Agency news from The Texas Tribune.

  • Dropping In

    By Brian Thevenot

    After much hand-wringing by public officials and business leaders over the dropout crisis, a patchwork of last-resort schools and programs has emerged statewide. Gauging their performance is tricky, but there's no question that the students they serve might otherwise be on the street or in jail. Full Story 

    Dr. Joe Gonzales, principal Austin Can
    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Super Salaries

    By Matt Stiles and Brian Thevenot

    School superintendent salary data offers a unique window into the vast diversity of Texas districts, from massive to miniscule, and the way they pay their chief executives. One new trend: Performance pay. Full Story 

    Superintendent salaries often, but not always correlate with district enrollment. The top earner in Texas, Beaumont ISD's Carrol Thomas, is the exception. He earns $334,212 for managing a system one-tenth the size of the state's largest, Houston ISD.
    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Race to the Bottom Line

    By Brian Thevenot

    The feds want Texas to sign onto a movement toward national education standards in order to get up to $700 million in "Race to the Top" money. Texas officials say our students —and our curriculum — aren't for sale. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    It was a political week, with a full-court press from our staff on Bill White's switch to the governor's race and all of the fallout; the moves during the first week of filing for political races; Philpott's look at Republicans challenging Republicans; Hu's latest in the popular Stump Interrupted series; Ramshaw on emergency rooms, family doctors, and child protection; Stiles and Grissom mapping payday lending locations juxtaposed with family income data; Rapoport on the state budget and education; Thevenot on KBH's plans for schools; and Hamilton on the power (or not) of political endorsements. The best of the best from November 28 to December 4, 2009. Full Story 

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  • Beyond Textbooks and Tests

    By Brian Thevenot

    Hoping to push a wide array of digital content and teaching tools to public schools, the Texas Education Agency has cut a deal with a division of The New York Times for an electronic curriculum portal and searchable access to the newspaper’s content since 1851. Full Story 

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    Credit: Ante Vekic

  • Hidden Force

    By Emily Ramshaw

    School district police departments use tasers, pepper spray, dogs and drawn handguns to control crime on campus. But most don't keep data on the incidents, leaving parents no way to track them. Many even refuse to turn over their “use of force” guidelines, saying parting with their policies could create a security threat. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • State (Board) of Agitation

    By Abby Rapoport

    The State Board of Education, which has showcased some intense philosophical fights, has drawn scrutiny for becoming a partisan battleground. For now, members are just trying to get along — but the rifts are as big as ever. Full Story 

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    Credit: Abby Rapoport

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Evan Smith

    KBH resigns herself to staying in the Senate, Grissom investigates the broken border, Ramshaw outs IT contractors who make gigabucks from state agencies, Hu gives Hutchison and Perry the Stump Interrupted treatment, the new head of the Foresenic Science Commission faces his critics, Stiles posts a searchable database of fines levied by the state ethics commission, and Hamilton discovers the consequences of party switching (none): The best of the best from November 9 to 13, 2009. Full Story 

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    Credit: Bob Daemmrich, Elise Hu

  • Fail-safe?

    By Abby Rapoport

    Districts prepare to go to court with the TEA over minimum grades policies, prompting the question: How much should schools emulate the real world? And how many second chances should students get? Full Story 

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