The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.
The session comes as a rift between the Texas House and the Senate grew following Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial, raising questions about the chambers’ ability to compromise on education issues. The governor has threatened to call for more special sessions if lawmakers fail to pass a “school choice” proposal. Full Story
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Here’s a look back at the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival through the eyes of Tribune photographers. Full Story
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State Rep. John Bryant said Democrats will need to work together to block the “school choice” bill in October. Full Story
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Miles said he should be held accountable and be fired if the district doesn’t improve academically in the next two years. Full Story
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Lawmakers at a Texas Tribune Fest panel found common ground on school funding and teacher pay but took starkly different stances on “school choice.” Full Story
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School officials in San Antonio announced earlier this week that they are looking at closing about 20% of their campuses while Plano school officials are starting those discussions. Full Story
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The governor promised political consequences if lawmakers cannot pass legislation allowing for publicly subsidized school vouchers before March primaries. Full Story
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The Barbers Hill school district prompted a new law meant to prohibit schools from punishing students with hairstyles associated with race. A recent student suspension sparks questions about the extent of the CROWN Act’s protections. Full Story
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The Texas House and Senate were already far apart on “school choice.” Anger over the impeachment trial might make it even harder to find common ground. Full Story
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Texas is one of 17 states that still permits hitting, spanking and paddling in schools. Republican lawmakers stood by the practice earlier this year in part because they say it was permitted in the Bible. Full Story
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TEA said it needs to make adjustments to account for changes in students’ academic performance after the pandemic. The delay comes after several school districts sued to stop the agency from releasing school rankings produced under a new rating system. Full Story
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Lawmakers failed to pass legislation on school vouchers or teacher raises this year, but they approved other education-related laws like an $800 million investment in high-quality instructional materials and new rules for students found vaping or using marijuana. Full Story
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House Bill 900 requires book vendors to rate all their materials based on their depictions or references to sex before selling them to schools. Vendors say the law aims to regulate protected speech with “vague and over broad” terms. Full Story
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Texas is one of the few states that don’t already require eighth graders to be taught about climate change. That’ll change next fall. Full Story
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Thousands of Houston-area students returned to radically different campuses Monday as a new era begins in Texas’ largest school district. Full Story
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For decades, the Texas comptroller’s office has double-checked property valuations across the state, which help determine how much school districts can levy in property taxes. But when state and county appraisers disagree, districts can end up with big holes in their budgets. Full Story
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Historically, anti-drug messaging in schools has failed to acknowledge the mental health reasons that youth self-medicate. Without that key lesson, advocates worry House Bill 3908 will be another D.A.R.E. campaign. Full Story
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Test results have gone up since the pandemic in both subjects, but math scores are still below 2019 levels and about half of Texas students read below the level appropriate for most children in their grade. Full Story
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The House blocked school vouchers during this year’s regular lawmaking session, but a report released Friday shows some members might be willing to approve a scaled-back version of the program that doesn’t compete with public schools for funds. Full Story
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Education is arguably the most important issue in Texas, as today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce and innovators. We are committed to expanding and deepening our education coverage. Full Story
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