The first two parts of M. Smith’s series on failing school districts (plus Murphy and Seger’s interactive on how districts’ characteristics relate to ratings), Root on lagging GOP candidates for president trying to shore things up in Texas, Ramshaw on a “fiscal switcheroo” to get federal money for women’s health programs, Galbraith talks to a West Texas farmer about crop insurance and climate change and Aguilar on the money behind a lawsuit on long rifle sales: The best of our best content from April 2 to 6, 2012.
school finance
Posted in
Public Education
North Forest Lives On, But So Do Its Struggles
North Forest ISD has gotten what amounts to a stay of execution. But the question of whether students would be better off attending different schools still lingers.
Posted in
Public Education
Weekend Insider: Workers Comp, Houston School Closure
Wal-Mart looks to provide a cheaper alternative to workers compensation for their employees, and a Houston school district struggles with the possibility of closure.
Posted in
Public Education
Texas School District Closures Are Rare, But Should They Be?
There’s little research that indicates closing districts will improve outcomes for students, but letting chronically low-performing and financially mismanaged schools stay open doesn’t work either.
Posted in
Public Education
Citing Resources, Several Districts Steer Clear of School Funding Suits
Already facing budget cuts, almost half of the school districts in Texas haven’t signed on to one of the five school finance lawsuits filed against the sate.
Posted in
Public Education
Slideshow: Save Our Schools Rally at Texas Capitol
Hundreds of educators, lawmakers and parents descended on the Capitol Saturday to protest cuts to public education. Here are some images from the scene.
Posted in
Public Education
Who Will Lead the Senate Education Committee?
Sen. Florence Shapiro’s departure means the end of a nearly two-decade-long tenure in the state Senate — and an opening in the top position on the Senate Education Committee for the first time since 2003.
Posted in
State Government
Districts Take Advantage of STAAR Rule Change
School districts are taking advantage of the Texas Education Agency’s decision to waive the requirement that STAAR exams count for 15 percent of students’ grades for the 2011-12 school year.
Posted in
Public Education
Schools Cope as Classes Expand and Staffs Shrink
As state spending contracted in the 2011-12 school year, classroom sizes ballooned. And the fastest-growing school districts have been hit the hardest by larger classes.
Posted in
Energy
Weekend Insider: Class Sizes, Groundwater Limits
In this episode of the Texas Tribune Weekend Insider, we look at growing elementary class sizes and limits on groundwater use in West Texas.
