Watch: Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on educating students during a pandemic
Morath spoke with The Texas Tribune about on-campus and virtual instruction, school funding and the STAAR exam. Full Story
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There aren't enough substitute teachers to step in when coronavirus keeps Texas teachers out of the classroom
Administrators, school staff and uncredentialed stand-ins are being sent into classrooms to cover for teachers who fall ill or have to isolate. But even those improvisations aren't keeping classrooms fully staffed. Full Story
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![Students in Mrs. Cazares' third-grade class on the first day of in-person classes at Highland Village Elementary on Sept. 8, 2020.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Republican Texas lawmakers reviving push to end in-state tuition for undocumented college students
Activists worry that if the bill becomes law, many undocumented students will lose opportunities to further their education. They also say it could hurt the state’s economy. Full Story
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![Students walk through an area known as “The Quad” on the first day of the fall semester at Texas State University in San Marcos on Aug. 24, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas prepares to test for lead in schools’ drinking water for the first time
An updated EPA rule requires drinking water in elementary schools be tested for lead and copper — a mandate that emerged from the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. Full Story
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![Water fountains at Northside ISD in San Antonio on Aug. 11, 2020.]()
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Where parents and students in Texas can turn for help with mental health concerns
Reports of depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide among Texas students are rising as the pandemic drags on. Here is a resource guide for those seeking help. Full Story
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![A Texas elementary school student works on a laptop.]()
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A grieving daughter, a dedicated teacher and a former bar owner: We check back in with Texans about the pandemic and 2020
Like so many people, everyone we spoke to for this special edition of The Brief podcast said they're ready for this year to be over. Full Story
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Watch: Here’s what you should know heading into the 2021 Texas legislative session
We surveyed some of The Texas Tribune’s reporters and editors about what they’d be watching come Jan. 12, when state lawmakers are scheduled to gavel in the new session. Full Story
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![Exterior of the Texas State Capitol on Nov. 19, 2020.]()
Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribune -
Texas school leaders urge state not to cut funding as they struggle with declining enrollment
Enrollment has fallen as schools and families grapple with pandemic closures and health concerns. Next semester, the declines could start hitting district budgets. Full Story
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![Desks are seated six feet away from each other at Premont Collegiate High School on Aug. 4, 2020 in Premont. Some desks, marked with yellow Xs, were used as placeholders to maintain a socially safe distance.]()
Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune -
Listen: She’s tutoring her siblings while learning remotely. How one Texas high school senior navigates the pandemic.
Spend a day with Isabel Suarez, an 18-year-old Pflugerville High School senior who's taking on the challenges of virtual school as well as tutoring her two younger siblings during the pandemic. Full Story
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![Isabel Suarez works on homework at her home in Pflugerville. Dec 9, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
This high school senior plans to be the first in her family to attend college. She has to finish virtual school first.
Isabel Suarez, a Pflugerville High School senior, cares for her two younger siblings while their mom is at work. She balances that with completing piles of homework assignments this fall during the pandemic. Full Story
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![Before the start of the school day, Isabel Suarez works on homework from her home in Pflugerville. Dec. 9, 2020.]()
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Texas students will still take STAAR tests in 2021, but schools won't be rated on them
State lawmakers had previously asked the Texas Education Agency to seek a federal waiver to cancel the standardized tests. Full Story
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![Desks are spaced out in a classroom at Ott Elementary School on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune -
At least three Texas Board of Education members test positive for the coronavirus after in-person meeting
One of the board members said the state needs to be more cautious about getting back to normal — especially with a new legislative session set to begin next month. Full Story
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![The State Board of Education meeting on January 29, 2019.]()
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68 members of the Texas House call for STAAR exams to be canceled this year
The state has yet to decide how the STAAR exam will be administered and used to rate school districts as the pandemic continues. Full Story
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![A calculator and a test sheet on a desk at Elsik High School in 2018.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
In this San Antonio classroom, a teacher divides her time between "roomies" and "zoomies"
Third grade teacher Abigail Boyett is responsible for simultaneously educating 10 students in person and 11 at home. It's a challenge many Texas teachers face this fall as schools adapt to the pandemic. Full Story
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![Ms. Boyett demonstrates her student, Annabelle Lara, how to solve multiplication problems. Nov. 4, 2020.]()
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Families of some special education students in Texas may be eligible for $1,500 in aid to offset pandemic challenges
The state program will help families pay for services like tutoring, therapy and digital resources. It is not a replacement for services students get through their school as part of their individualized education plan. Full Story
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![Students sit at socially distance intervals in the lunch room at Jacob’s Well Elementary School in Wimberley on Sept 4, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Watch: Lawmakers, faculty and students discuss the future of higher education
Margaret Spellings, Harrison Keller, Archie Holmes and more than a dozen others discuss student enrollment, college sports and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at The Texas Tribune’s symposium on the future of higher education. Full Story
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Watch: Local officials, legislators and residents discuss the future of rural Texas
Broadband access, hospital closures, supporting students in rural schools and the challenges posed by COVID-19 were top of mind at The Texas Tribune’s symposium on rural Texas. Full Story
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Some Texas school districts are requiring in-person instruction again, leaving parents scrambling for options
As the numbers of people infected and hospitalized by the coronavirus tick back up across the state, dozens of Texas school districts eliminated the option for remote learning and forced students, faculty and staff to return to the classroom, with few exceptions. Full Story
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![Kasey Evans with her children, Hunter Vandeberghe (cq), 7, Bella Evans, 3, and Michael Evans, 3, at her home on Oct. 17, 2020 in Livingston.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Fears about the coronavirus dip from April peak, but remain high, UT/TT Poll says
Amid the apprehension that Texans expressed about the spread of infections, there are partisan differences about how serious a problem the coronavirus is, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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![A Kroger pharmacist explains how to administer the self-swab test at a COVID-19 testing site in the Fifth Ward in Houston on June 27, 2020.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: COVID-19’s almost incomprehensible toll in Texas
We’ve lost a lot of Texans already and will surely lose more to the coronavirus. Doesn’t it seem like there should at least be a moment of silence? Full Story
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![Val Verde Memorial Gardens in Donna. July 17, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune