Texas A&M board takes next step toward Fort Worth expansion
The board agreed to spend $85 million on a law and education building and another $85 million on a research and innovation center. Full Story
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![John Sharp, Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, speaks during a press conference in between an A&M Board of Regen…]()
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Texas will resume grading public schools based on students’ STAAR test results
For the first time since the pandemic, Texas schools will again be rated based on standardized tests. But for one year only, schools that receive a D or F will get a “not rated” label. Full Story
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![Students work at laptops on their desks at Chapa Middle School in Kyle on Aug. 24, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas librarians face harassment as they navigate book bans
As communities and school districts push for book bans, some Texas librarians are nearing their breaking point. Full Story
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![Suzette Baker was given a list of books to take off the shelves of Kingsland Library in Llano County. Baker refused, and she…]()
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TribCast: Grassroots conservatives in Texas are having a banner month
On this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Karen and Brian about the energy among Texas conservatives around abortion and schools. Full Story
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![Protesters approach the Texas Capitol during the Texas Rally for Life on Jan. 22, 2022.]()
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George P. Bush’s family name proves to be key obstacle in his race against Ken Paxton for attorney general
George P. Bush is running for attorney general as a Trump-supporting, hard-right social conservative. But voters associate his family name with the party’s moderate wing. That could hurt him in the Republican primary runoff. Full Story
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![President George W. Bush hugs his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, while Jeb's son George P. Bush looks on, in Palm Be…]()
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Conservatives’ school board victories could give Texas GOP momentum for November elections, 2023 legislative session
State Republicans say conservative wins in local school board elections on Saturday mean parents are taking a stand against “left-wing” ideologies. Full Story
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![Students line up outside the cafeteria for lunch at Linder Elementary School in Austin on Jan. 14, 2022.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott voices clear support for school voucher program
Abbott said he supports giving parents the option to attend private school “with state funding following the student.” Such measures have failed in the Legislature in the past. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a rally in Conroe on Jan. 29, 2022.]()
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Candidates backed by conservative PAC sweep Tarrant County school board elections
All but one of the 11 Tarrant County conservative school board candidates, who were backed this year by several high-profile donors and big-money PACs, defeated their opponents during Saturday’s local elections, according to unofficial results. Full Story
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![The Carroll ISD Administration Building in Southlake on Nov. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott says federal government should cover cost of educating undocumented students in Texas public schools
Abbott expanded on comments he made about how he wants to “resurrect” the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe, which guaranteed that public schools would educate all students regardless of citizenship status. Full Story
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![Students learn about Martin Luther King Jr. in Rosa Ramirez's second grade class at Linder Elementary School in Austin on Ja…]()
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With piles of campaign cash, Christian activists make North Texas school board races a state battleground
In Tarrant County, conservative PACs animated about the teaching of race and sexuality are flooding school board races with hundreds of thousands of dollars. Full Story
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![Visitors attend a Keller ISD school board meeting in Keller on April 25, 2022.]()
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Texas moves one step closer to adopting a new, more rigorous teacher certification exam
The State Board of Education must still approve use of the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment, which was dropped by two states that had adopted it. Full Story
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![Kindergarten teacher Angie Hogan reads a book to her class on the first day of in-person classes at Highland Village Element…]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas is great — and ought to be better
Texas is a great state, but there’s a lot of work to do, and it starts with the public — and what Texans really want. The political class isn’t going to do this on its own. Full Story
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![An aerial view of the Capitol in Austin on Jan. 6, 2022.]()
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Facing a teacher shortage, Texas considers a more rigorous teacher certification exam
Two states have dropped the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment, and three others passed on it or want it gone. Full Story
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![Fifth graders at Jacob’s Well Elementary School in Wimberley lineup at the door as they prepare to walk back to their classr…]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The case for big ideas in Texas government
Texas political leaders usually settle for caution. The big stuff is risky, but it’s also possible — and even inspiring — to see leaders ignoring the small stuff and aiming higher. Full Story
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![United States astronaut Buzz Aldrin salutes the American flag on the surface of the Moon after he and fellow astronaut Neil …]()
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Here’s how two Texas constitutional amendments could lower some property taxes
The propositions on the May 7 ballot would lower property taxes by shifting more public school costs to the state. But the measures’ language can be hard to understand. Full Story
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The pandemic showed some Texas universities that they didn’t need the SAT. They might never go back.
Many Texas public universities have committed to accepting students who do not submit SAT or ACT standardized test scores, signaling that test-optional policies could be here to stay. Full Story
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![Viky Cruz at Alvin High School's graduation ceremony on June 6, 2020.]()
Credit: May-Ying Lam for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas lawmakers listen to the voters who show up
Politicians are always listening to voters — but the ones who actually select the state’s elected officials have a lot more clout than those who stay home. You can see it in the way lawmakers govern. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line at the Lakewood Branch Library in Dallas on Feb. 25, 2022, the last day of early voting in the Texas pri…]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
As Texas home values skyrocket, state officials wrestle with how to slow property tax increases
Texas school districts, cities and counties rely heavily on property taxes to pay for roads, libraries, police, firefighters and public schools. But lowering tax bills has long been a difficult endeavor. Full Story
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![An Aerial image of a suburban neighborhood in San Marcos on October 18, 2021.]()
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Pushing for “school choice,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz splits with Gov. Greg Abbott in his endorsements for Texas House runoffs
Typically political allies, two of the state’s top Republicans have endorsed different candidates in six GOP primary runoff races. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abbott shook hands with then-U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz as Cruz's wife Heidi Cruz looked …]()
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Amid a teacher shortage, some Texas educators are losing their licenses for quitting during the school year
The policy sidelines educators, often for two school years, at a time when districts are already struggling to keep teachers in the classrooms. Full Story
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![Staci Crosswell, second grade teacher at Lakeshore Elementary School, sits at the desk from which she has been teaching onli…]()
Credit: Briana Vargas for The Texas Tribune