Ten percent of Texas public school students need special education resources, and many were left stranded when schools closed abruptly in the spring. Educators and parents face challenges again this fall reconnecting kids with the therapists and specialists they need.
education
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Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: Those aren’t just COVID-19 numbers. They’re Texans.
There are 347,700 Texans losing federal supplements to unemployment insurance. And 716,000 students getting laptops and tablets for virtual school. And 11,395 COVID-19 deaths. Each statistic has a human face.
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Coronavirus in Texas
For this working mom, the risk of her son contracting coronavirus outweighs the need for him to be in class
Amy Mason says there are just too many unknowns for her to feel comfortable sending her 4-year-old to school at this point. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Sam Houston State University canceled its in-person graduation and fall sports — but hosted a Tiffany Haddish comedy show
The school allowed up to 675 students into its indoor Johnson Coliseum to watch comedian Tiffany Haddish on the first day of classes.
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Public Education
Texas school district’s dreadlocks ban discriminatory, federal court rules
The decision comes a month after the Barbers Hill Independent School District board of trustees voted to keep the dress code policy, which advocates have deemed racist.
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Coronavirus in Texas
When sharing pencils isn’t safe, this San Antonio teacher is helping crowdfund extra school supplies
In the weekend edition of The Brief podcast, listen to why Ambra Hernandez felt compelled to launch a Facebook group to help teachers fulfill their longer-than-normal wish lists.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: Shopping for students without schoolrooms, Texas is spending $250 million to narrow the digital divide
In a state where an estimated 30% of the state’s 5.5 million public school students don’t have the right technology for online learning, switching to virtual classrooms is daunting. And expensive.
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Coronavirus in Texas
With school reopening, Gov. Greg Abbott sets off another debate over whether local or state officials are in control
Abbott’s decision to curb the role of local health authorities in school reopening decisions has added to the ongoing conflict between him and local governments during the pandemic, with mayors and judges voicing frustration over having their hands tied by the state’s response.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Private schools in Texas limit enrollment as they aim to reopen classrooms
Dependent on tuition money, private schools are eager to get children back into their classrooms. But they know inadequate safety measures could make them vulnerable to lawsuits.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott says local health officials can shut down schools only in limited circumstances
Abbott said local health authorities can’t shut down in-person instruction before school starts, but an outbreak on campus once students have arrived could prompt a closure.
