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The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Evan Smith

    Aaronson interactively asks if stimulus funds created jobs in Texas, Aguilar on new voter registrar rules that could decrease voter turnout, Galbraith on a UT professor's debunking of climate change "myths," Grissom on an epic clash of El Paso political titans, Hamilton on the right's new higher ed guru, Murphy maps household data from the 2010 Census, Ramsey on a coming rules fight in the Texas Senate, Root and M. Smith on Rick Perry's performance at the New Hampshire debate and M. Smith talks public ed cuts with the state's Superintendent of the Year: The best of our best content from October 10-14, 2011. Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • Online Classes Booming, But With Red Flags

    By Morgan Smith

    As the popularity of online learning grows, public schools are grappling with how to most effectively integrate it into their classrooms — and some in the education community worry about the increasing influence of for-profit companies. Full Story 

    Eagle Scout and high school graduate Will Clarkston, 20, logged in to The Bridge School from his bedroom in Houston on Tuesday, October 4, 2011. He is taking online classes now and planning to attend community college in the spring.
    Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune

  • Frustrated by Legislature, Schools Go to Court

    By Ross Ramsey

    The lawsuits are back for the sixth time in the last 40 years, carrying the issue that dominated Rick Perry's first years as governor: Is the state spending enough money, and distributing it fairly enough, to ensure that every kid in the state has a shot at an adequate public school education? Full Story 

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  • John Folks: The TT Interview

    By Morgan Smith

    The outspoken head of the state's fourth-largest school district— newly crowned as Superintendent of the Year — on school finance lawsuits, the impact of cuts to public education funding and the upcoming transition to end-of-course exams. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jeff Heimsath

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    Murphy, Ramshaw and Root on Rick Perry and race, Philpott on Perry's vague economic plans, Tan and Wiseman on Barack Obama's foray into Texas to defend his jobs plan, Aguilar on Perry's proposal to send U.S. troops to Mexico, Ramshaw on efforts to leash rising health care costs, M. Smith on upcoming legal challenges to the state's school finance system, Aaronson interactively explores Medicare spending proposals, Galbraith on efforts to pass — and to oppose — a $6 billion water program, Grissom on the release of a man wrongly convicted of murder and Hamilton on efforts to let the public write some legislation: The best of our best content from October 3 to 7, 2011. Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • School Finance Suit Takes Shape

    By Morgan Smith

    Within the education community, there have been rumors about a possible school finance lawsuit since well before the legislative session got under way. Now, with $4 billion less in public funding and a daunting new student assessment program on the horizon, those rumors have become a reality. Full Story 

    Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio
    Credit: Reeve Hamilton

  • Schools, Textbook Publishers Adjust to Power Shift

    By Morgan Smith

    A new state law decentralizing the selection and purchase of instructional materials for Texas students has sparked debate about how it will affect the politically charged State Board of Education's power to control what’s taught in Texas classrooms. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • Texas Still Undecided on No Child Left Behind Waiver

    By Morgan Smith

    Despite more details from the Obama administration today about how it would exempt states from complying with the law's signature requirements, the Texas Education Agency has yet to decide whether it will apply for a waiver on federal accountability requirements under the 2001 act. Full Story 

    Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott speaks at the TASA midwinter conference in Austin, Texas February 1st, 2011
    Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Evan Smith

    Aaronson on the rise in the state's unemployment rate, Aguilar on the push to mandate use of an electronic employment verification program, Galbraith on fears about the drought's impact on lake levels, Grissom on the latest in the Duane Buck case, Hamilton on the possible end of physics (academically speaking), Murphy updates our public employee pay app, Ramsey on David "Mitt" Dewhurst, Ramshaw on Rick Perry's campaign swing through Virginia and Iowa, Root on the deletion of gubernatorial emails and M. Smith on the teaching of safe sex where you'd least expect it: The best of our best content from Sept. 12-16, 2011. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • Interactive Map: Teen Birth Rate by County, 2009

    By Ryan Murphy

    From West Texas to the suburbs of Houston a number of schools are moving toward “abstinence-plus” education at the urging of health advisory committees made up of community members. To get a sense for which parts of the state have the most teen pregnancies, use our map to view the birth rate for girls ages 13 to 17 in 2009 by county. Full Story