The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.
The massive trial involving more than two-thirds of the state's school districts and most of its charter schools has been under way for two weeks now — and while the evidence will continue to pour in until January, the arguments of all seven parties, including the state, have taken shape. Full Story
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To track attendance and avoid losing state funding, some school districts have begun electronically monitoring students' whereabouts. Two San Antonio schools have added electronic chips to student ID cards, while some in Austin have issued students phones with GPS systems. Full Story
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Economic and immigration issues remain top concerns in the state, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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State leaders may be reluctant to tackle school finance in next year's legislative session because of a major lawsuit. That leaves room for legislators to fight over school vouchers, a controversial issue already stirring fierce debate. Full Story
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At a Tuesday hearing, lawmakers discussed giving more discretion to teachers, law enforcement and judges when it comes to dealing with disciplinary violations at schools. Full Story
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The top 10 percent rule at Texas colleges wasn't all about higher education — it was about the inequities in public schools that are still being litigated today. Full Story
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State Sen. Dan Patrick says he is ready to champion public schools at the Capitol when the 83rd Legislature convenes in January. Whether the education community is ready to embrace him in that role is another matter. Full Story
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A report on government debt from Comptroller Susan Combs examines colleges and public school districts, the latter of which are responsible for a third of the money owed at the local level. Full Story
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The scandal in El Paso ISD is the worst to come along under the high-stakes testing regime that rules our schools, but we have no right to act surprised in Texas. Full Story
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After school district lawyers attacked Texas for underfunding public schools, an attorney for the state shot back, saying that decisions made at the local level — not the state — were to blame for school districts’ failures. Full Story
As the trial over how Texas funds its public schools kicks off, we've compiled all our school finance coverage — from the battles of the last legislative session to the latest developments in the case — in one place. Full Story
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Opening arguments begin Monday in a major school finance case pitting more than 500 school districts against the state in a legal battle that could reshape how money is distributed to classrooms across Texas. Full Story
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The decision that comes from the school finance trial that will begin on Oct. 22 will set the tone for the next round of reforms. But there’s a separate conversation happening outside the courtroom that could be equally instructive — and indicates funding for schools may face challenges not only at the state but the local level. Full Story
An East Texas judge has allowed the Kountze cheerleaders to continue carrying banners bearing Bible verses on the football field until a trial over the issue set to begin on June 24. Full Story
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Kountze has become the latest setting in a string of lawsuits over where students' rights to religious expression end and the constraints on Texas public schools as governmental entities begin, showing the fine line administrators must walk. Full Story
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In a video that ponders potential threats to the viability of high school football, Progress Texas PAC urges Texans to fight plans to institute school voucher programs. Full Story
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At the 2012 Texas Tribune Festival, New York Times reporter Manny Fernandez talked about educating the emerging Hispanic majority with Sarita Brown of Excelencia in Education, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD Superintendent Daniel King, South Texas College President Shirley Reed and University of Texas at Brownsville President Juliet Garcia. Full Story
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A San Antonio district has implemented a pilot program to track students while on campus, having them wear radio frequency identification chips on cards around their neck. Administrators say it's the best way to make sure they get all the state money they're entitled to. Full Story
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The state's biggest education deficit is in its fastest-growing population. If that persists, Hispanics will have problems operating at full potential in the Texas of the future. Full Story
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Some consequences of the Legislature's more than $5 billion budget cut to public schools — like a loss of morale and stress levels in the classroom — aren't easily measured. But the pressure on teachers may have more complex origins. Full Story
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