The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.
“STEM,” an acronym for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math,” is a term that is becoming increasingly common across education circles. But why is it so important? We put the question to several key Texans in the field. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/SanJuanGraduation.jpg)
Texas' latest round of school finance litigation adds some new players to the courtroom, with interests that are more varied than ever before. We've put together a cheat sheet to help you keep all six lawsuits straight. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/SchoolFinanceLawSuits.jpg)
Texas' latest round of school finance litigation adds some new players to the courtroom, with interests that are more varied than ever before. We've created a cheat sheet to help you keep all six lawsuits — and the plaintiffs' basic arguments — straight. Full Story
An eighth-of-a-cent sales tax increase is being proposed in San Antonio to fund full-day pre-kindergarten for primarily low-income children in the city. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-BilingualPreK-012.jpg)
Texas Workforce Commissioner Tom Pauken said he disagrees with a coalition of business leaders who said it would oppose any additional funding to public education if the existing accountability system is rolled back. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/tom_pauken_2_1.jpg)
In a news conference on Wednesday, leaders in the business community said that they would not stand for increased funding for education if it came with any rollback of accountability standards in Texas public schools. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TCCW.jpg)
Texas is now about to face six lawsuits targeting the way it funds public schools. The Texas Charter School Association announced Tuesday it would join in legal action against the state over school financing. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/_CBM2931.jpg)
Former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz said Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst made a "deliberate falsehood" when he said that he had never supported a payroll tax. Dewhurst's campaign says the allegations are "false and misleading." Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/dew-cruz-debate.jpg)
The incoming Dallas ISD superintendent on the transition from Colorado Springs to Dallas, the short-term and long-term challenges for Dallas ISD and the recent debate over salaries. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Miles-Mike.jpg)
At a House Public Education Committee hearing Tuesday, superintendents and students told lawmakers that the new "15 percent rule" regarding STAAR exams should be done away with, and some lawmakers were receptive. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/20100720_Sen_Educ_Comm_MG_5170x.jpg)
For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about some of the runoffs: U.S. Senate, Railroad Commission, Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Senate. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo-Hahn-sponsorship.jpg){kind=logo}
A new state requirement that students must retake standardized tests if they do not achieve a minimum score has landed hundreds of thousands in summer school, carrying a hefty price tag for school districts. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/STARR-Test.jpg)
North Dakotans on Tuesday rejected a controversial measure that would have made their state the first in the nation to abolish property taxes. As Andy Uhler of KUT News reports, while some conservatives in Texas have suggested similar measures, officials have warned the state to proceed with caution. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Mansion-Asherton.jpg)
Courtesy of WFAA-TV in Dallas, here's the full video of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's speech Friday at the state Republican Party convention in Fort Worth. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/DewhurstPoint.jpg)
In initial results from the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, just more than half of students working on a ninth-grade level met the passing standards for writing, while 87 percent passed biology. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TEA-Exams.jpg)
For this week's nonscientific survey of government and political insiders, we asked questions from the most recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll on federal health care laws, Texas public schools and anti-tax pledges. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo_1.png){kind=logo}
Our primary night scoreboard and liveblog, Aguilar on runoff strategy, Root and Batheja on Round two of Dewhurst vs. Cruz, M. Smith on how public education candidates fared, Ramshaw on what surprised pundits and pollsters, Galbraith on concerns over our electric grid, Aaronson on which government entities have access to your personal info, Grissom with the latest on the Hank Skinner case, Ramsey on Hispanic Republicans and part three of Tan's family planning series: The best of our best content from May 28 to June 1, 2012. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/05282012-Tribweek.jpg)
Tuesday night was a wash for candidates hoping to capitalize on a backlash against the 2011 Legislature's deep budget cuts to public schools. Some won and some lost, and there wasn't a definite guiding narrative as to why. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Yearbook.jpg)
Despite losses for moderate Republican candidates in several open seats — and the ousting of three incumbents — the ideological control of the State Board of Education won't be much different after this election cycle. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/SBOE-Elections.jpg)
Texans dislike Congress and rank the courts as their favorite branch of government. They're also hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn all or part of the federal health care law. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/UT-TT-Poll-Thurs-Policy-.123.png)