public education

Once-Stalled Education Bills Live On as Amendments

By Morgan Smith May 24, 2011

Legislation on textbook funding approved by the Senate today breathed new life into left-behind education bills, including three languishing charter school measures. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Budget Notes: The Race to Fix School Finance Without a Special Session

By Morgan Smith, Thanh Tan and Jay Root May 24, 2011

One day after the education fiscal bill, SB 1581, died on the floor of the House, lawmakers are scrambling to reach a deal and keep the budget bill, HB 1, on track for approval by both chambers before the weekend deadline. The governor is among the optimists who think they'll finish their work without going into overtime. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Time Dwindling, Another Lost Chance at School Finance

By Morgan Smith May 23, 2011

The death of a key education fiscal matters bill on the House floor tonight ensures that any changes to school finance formulas will happen in a conference committee — and adds fuel to speculation of a special session this summer. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Inside Intelligence: The Political Climate is...

By Ross Ramsey May 23, 2011

For the latest installment of our unscientific survey of political and policy insiders, we asked some questions about the political atmosphere in Texas, about the job performance of leaders and institutions and about whether immigration is good or bad for the country right now. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith May 21, 2011

Root and Galbraith on a Dallas billionaire's radioactive waste dump victory, Grissom on the passage of eyewitness ID reform, Hamilton on the old grudges bedeviling the debate over higher ed, Philpott on the status of congressional redistricting, Ramsey on Rick Perry's un-campaign for president, Ramshaw on why medical schools are the scorned children of the state's education budget, my session-wrap interview with three veteran Democrats, M. Smith on why Rob Eissler can't pass mandate relief for school districts and Stiles on who's giving what to which Texas candidates in 2011-12 congressional races: The best of our best content from May 16 to 20, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Struggle Over Education Bill Breaks Old Alliances, Creates New Ones

By Morgan Smith May 20, 2011

State Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, is a widely liked Republican chairman with a supermajority to back him up. So why has his signature education bill this session, a mandate relief package for school districts, stumbled so badly? Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 80

By Ben Philpott, KUT News May 18, 2011

In this week's TribCast, Evan, Ross, Morgan and Ben talk budget drama, stalled education legislation and the renewed Rick-Perry-for-president buzz. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
Update: What $7.8 Billion Less Looks Like for Your District

By Morgan Smith May 16, 2011

A new version of Rep. Scott Hochberg's school finance plan limits the total reductions in state funding for any individual district to 10 percent in 2012. Check our searchable database to see what the cuts will look for your district. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Ryan Murphy / Morgan Smith / Todd Wiseman
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey May 14, 2011

Aaronson on pork choppers, Aguilar on sanctuary cities legislation, Galbraith on Brownsville's ban on plastic bags, Grissom on Delma Banks and prosecutorial misconduct, Hamilton on a tough week for higher education in Texas, Philpott on wildfires and politics, Ramshaw on the state's pursuit of a federal Medicaid overhaul, M. Smith on what would happen if lawmakers don't rewrite school finance formulas, yours truly on the Lege as schoolyard and Stiles with interactive graphics on how the proposed Senate redistricting maps compare with current ones: The best of our best content from May 9 to 13, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
House Finally Kills Class Size Bill

By Morgan Smith May 13, 2011

In what may be the Democrats' first concrete victory of the session, the House at last sent HB 400 to its grave when it failed to take up the controversial education legislation before its midnight deadline. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Interactive: What $830M in Federal Aid Means for Your School District

By Morgan Smith and Ryan Murphy May 12, 2011

Since the repeal of the Doggett amendment on the use of federal education stimulus dollars, $830 million has been rolling in to Texas schools. Use our interactive maps to see which districts benefited and which lost out under the money's new terms. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Ryan Murphy / Todd Wiseman
"Spanking" Bill Passes After Being Reconsidered

By Julián Aguilar May 12, 2011

A controversial bill that would require parental permission before school administrators are allowed to paddle unruly public school children passed the House today after failing on Wednesday. Full Story
What Happens if There's No School Finance Bill?

By Morgan Smith May 12, 2011

Nobody wanted to think about it in January. But as the middle of May approaches, with little more than two weeks left in the 82nd legislative session, a growing chorus of voices is asking: What happens if lawmakers can’t agree on school finance reform? Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
House Says No to Parental Consent for Spanking

By Ross Ramsey May 11, 2011

Texas lawmakers voted against parental approval for corporal punishment Wednesday, allowing schools to spank students with or without parents' say. Full Story
Wendy Kopp: The TT Interview

By Morgan Smith May 10, 2011

The founder of Teach for America and Highland Park High School alumna on why she's (generally) positive about the direction of public education in America and how Texas school districts should cope with deep funding cuts. Full Story
Amendments Piled Onto Education Finance Bill

By Becca Aaronson May 9, 2011

Senators today amended an education finance reform bill to allow community college students to carry concealed handguns on campus, increase the cost of cigarettes and allow drastic changes to university administration. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith May 7, 2011

Aaronson on the latest attack on Planned Parenthood, Aguilar previews the sanctuary cities debate, Grissom on a death row inmate's unsuccessful appeal, Hamilton on the UT System's faculty "productivity" data dump, Philpott on the prospect of lawsuits over education cuts, Ramsey on puppies and other distractions, Ramshaw on a tobacco fight, my interview with the presidents of UT-Austin and Texas A&M, M. Smith on a former State Board of Ed member who may have violated state ethics law, Stiles interactively displays the effects of House redistricting and Tan on the Senate budget end game: The best of our best content from May 2 to 6, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Attempt to Lift Class Size Ratio Stumbles Again

By Morgan Smith May 6, 2011

Lawmakers in the House took a second swing at state Rep. Rob Eissler's school mandate relief bill late Friday night. And once again, they whiffed. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Schools for Troubled Students Can Often Face Long Odds Too

By Morgan Smith May 6, 2011

A bill in the Legislature aims to adjust the formula for assessing completion and dropout rates at dropout recovery charters, which supporters say penalizes the schools who serve challenging populations. Full Story

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller
Schools Consider Legal Action Over Budget Cuts

By Ben Philpott, KUT News May 5, 2011

With school districts across the state passing belt-tightening budgets due to cuts expected at the Legislature, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports that some districts are gearing up for legal challenges. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman