The latest Texas Education Agency news from The Texas Tribune.
It’s unclear why the governor tasked the state's education agency, which does not employ law enforcement officers, to perform the investigation. Full Story
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Abbott targeted two books that have been removed by schools recently that center on LGBTQ characters. One of the books includes a graphic illustration and the other includes depictions of sex. Full Story
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State Rep. Matt Krause, a candidate for state attorney general, asked school superintendents to confirm whether any books on a list of 850 titles are in their libraries and classrooms. Full Story
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Plaintiffs say the governor’s order denies children with disabilities, who are at a high risk of illness and death from the coronavirus, access to public education. Full Story
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Cardona spoke about how students, teachers, schools and districts have fared during the pandemic — and what happens now. Full Story
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The U.S. Department of Education announced the inquiry days after the Texas Education Agency quietly updated its guidance to say school districts can’t require masks. Full Story
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Student and staff COVID-19 cases declined after districts reported their highest levels in January since the pandemic began. But the data is incomplete and likely an undercount. Full Story
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The bill would pay for virtual learning until September 2023, but won't fund it for students who have failed their STAAR exams. Full Story
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The bill, which would provide funding through September 2023, will head back to the Senate before reaching Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. Full Story
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There have been 20,256 reported cases among students across the state since the school year began. Full Story
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This is a reversal of the Texas Education Agency’s previous guidance, which didn’t explicitly require school districts to notify parents of a close contact with the virus. Full Story
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Biden said he will use the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights enforcement authority to deter states from blocking mask mandates in classrooms. Full Story
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For the second straight year, schools must worry about keeping their staff and their children safe and ensure that they’re providing the best possible education during a pandemic that has killed more than 50,000 Texans. Full Story
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Dallas ISD and Austin ISD announced Monday they will require masking, while Houston ISD will vote on a mandate this week. A nonprofit group has also sued to block Abbott’s order. Full Story
The new guidance will allow for remote learning for up to 20 days for students who are sick with COVID-19 or have been exposed to it. Full Story
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Public health experts and medical professionals are sounding the alarm over the highly transmissible delta variant of COVID-19. The governor has stood firm on his ban against masking mandates in schools. Full Story
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For years, educators have disagreed over the most effective method for teaching reading. In Texas, one side thinks remote learning during the pandemic has strengthened its argument in the Reading Wars. Full Story
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Texas educators say they’re concerned they won’t be able to have open conversations about what’s happening in the world if the Texas Legislature approves a bill that restricts how teachers can discuss current events in the classroom. Full Story
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The bill previously lacked the votes to advance out of House committee. After House Democrats spiked one of his bills, Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, revived it. Full Story
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In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to LaTonya Goffney, the superintendent of Aldine Independent School District, about public education’s disrupted year — pivoting online, learning loss, budget woes, and what it will take to put the whole thing back together by fall. Full Story
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