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.
Texas Education Agency
Posted in
Public Education
TribBlog: Imagine the Controversy
A for-profit company hopes to get approval to start two charter schools in Texas. Thursday’s SBOE meeting will set the precedent for dealing with this murkier side of the charter school system.
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Health care
TribBlog: Physical Education Requirements Soon to be Gone
Amid handwringing over child obesity, SBOE likely will eliminate health and physical education requirements at this week’s meeting.
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Demographics
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
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.
Posted in
Public Education
Fail-safe?
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?
Posted in
Economy
Is Texas in the Race?
The federal government is giving away $4.35 billion to state education systems through Race to the Top. But is Texas already out?
Posted in
Public Education
Robert’s Rules
State schools chief Robert Scott recently failed to get the Legislature to increase the cap on charter schools — then found a legal way to do it anyway, much to the dismay of state Democrats and teachers unions.
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Politics
TribBlog: A Chip Off the Old Bloc
The SBOE’s Don McLeroy might miss Rick Agosto more than he thought.
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Politics
The Brief: November 10, 2009
If Williamson County DA John Bradley is sick of the spotlight, then he got appointed to the wrong commission. Of course, many people would argue that regardless.
Posted in
Higher Education
Texas Reading Exams Fail the National Test
Federal officials say Texas’ testing standards in reading are below the “basic” proficiency standards — and that low bar means those passing the TAKS may not be as proficient as advertised.