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.
Texas Education Agency
Posted in
Public Education
TribBlog: El Paso ISD Embraces Honest Grading, Sort Of
The El Paso school board this week dumped a controversial policy requiring teachers to give automatic grades of 50 to students who didn’t earn them. But teachers are still allowed to do so at their discretion.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Texas’ Charter School Law Gets a “D”
The pro-charter National Center for Education Reform cites state’s lack of financial support for facilities, a cap on the number of charters and a restrictive regulatory environment.
Posted in
Economy
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
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.
Posted in
Public Education
TribBlog: Federal “Takeover” of Texas Schools?
Texas school chief calls requirements to adopt national curriculum standards “unprecedented intrusiveness”
Posted in
Economy
Beyond Textbooks and Tests
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.
Posted in
Public Education
Hidden Force
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.
Posted in
Public Education
TribBlog: Texas Sidelined in Race for the Top?
Texas will not adopt national school curriculum standards, risking its ability to get a $700 million federal grant.
Posted in
Demographics
Soul Search: Dallas churches unite to right historic wrongs
The Dallas church community has vowed to forge 25 partnerships with high-poverty public schools and push for 700 units of housing for the homeless — a down payment on a larger effort to heal wounds left by racism and injustice.
Posted in
Public Education
State (Board) of Agitation
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.
