The latest education news from The Texas Tribune.
Leaving behind their focus on the spread of the coronavirus, Texas leaders now say hospitalizations will guide their decisions on how to regulate social distancing at businesses and cultural centers. Full Story
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The state's first effort to publicly report coronavirus data from schools shows low statewide infection rates. Breakdowns by school districts should be reported next week. Full Story
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Many families with students learning at home can't access the free breakfasts and lunches they depended on when their children were attending school in person. Full Story
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As students across Texas return to schools for in-person classes, there will be masks, distancing and lunches eaten at desks. Many students will remain at home, joining in on laptops and phones. Full Story
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The letter comes two weeks after a federal judge blocked the Barbers Hill Independent School District from keeping a dress code policy that advocates have called racist. Full Story
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Voters who still haven't decided which candidates to support in November might be uncertain for a good reason: The issues that would help them decide — pandemic, recession and all the rest — are shifting rapidly. Full Story
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Ten percent of Texas public school students need special education resources, and many were left stranded when schools closed abruptly in the spring. Educators and parents face challenges again this fall reconnecting kids with the therapists and specialists they need. Full Story
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There are 347,700 Texans losing federal supplements to unemployment insurance. And 716,000 students getting laptops and tablets for virtual school. And 11,395 COVID-19 deaths. Each statistic has a human face. Full Story
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Amy Mason says there are just too many unknowns for her to feel comfortable sending her 4-year-old to school at this point. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
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The school allowed up to 675 students into its indoor Johnson Coliseum to watch comedian Tiffany Haddish on the first day of classes. Full Story
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The decision comes a month after the Barbers Hill Independent School District board of trustees voted to keep the dress code policy, which advocates have deemed racist. Full Story
In the weekend edition of The Brief podcast, listen to why Ambra Hernandez felt compelled to launch a Facebook group to help teachers fulfill their longer-than-normal wish lists. Full Story
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In a state where an estimated 30% of the state's 5.5 million public school students don't have the right technology for online learning, switching to virtual classrooms is daunting. And expensive. Full Story
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Abbott’s decision to curb the role of local health authorities in school reopening decisions has added to the ongoing conflict between him and local governments during the pandemic, with mayors and judges voicing frustration over having their hands tied by the state’s response. Full Story
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Dependent on tuition money, private schools are eager to get children back into their classrooms. But they know inadequate safety measures could make them vulnerable to lawsuits. Full Story
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Abbott said local health authorities can't shut down in-person instruction before school starts, but an outbreak on campus once students have arrived could prompt a closure. Full Story
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Texas schools employ almost as many support staff members as they do teachers, often in hourly or part-time jobs with low pay. The state has offered limited guidance on how to protect them on the job. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to formally announce a definitive plan for reopening Texas schools safely, but two actions Tuesday effectively force districts to have students back in classrooms after eight weeks of the school year's start. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that Texas students must take the state standardized test next spring, but fifth and eighth graders can graduate without passing it. Full Story
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Now that the first official estimate of the coronavirus' effect on the Texas economy is out, the hard work starts. Legislators have to figure out which parts of the state budget to cut and which parts to keep. Full Story
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