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.
Texas Education Agency
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.
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.
Posted in
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.
Posted in
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.
