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The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.

  • Guest Column: The 2010 Agenda: Business

    By Bill Hammond

    To restore jobs lost during the recession and to prepare for those ready to enter the job market, Texas must create more than two million jobs in the next decade. A key factor in achieving this target is having educated employees available to fill positions as they become available. Full Story 

    Bill Hammond is the CEO of the Texas Association of Business.

  • Still Restrained

    By Emily Ramshaw

    Texas educators forcibly pinned down students with disabilities as many times in 2009 as they did in 2008, despite efforts to curb the practice. Full Story 

    Restraints of disabled students used in Leander, Northside, Austin, Garland and Pflugervile independent school districts.
    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Hijacking History

    By Brian Thevenot

    Was America ordained by God to lead the world? Are our public school students taught enough about the African American and Hispanic experiences? Was Joseph McCarthy an American hero? The always controversial State Board of Education meets this week to take up such questions as it revises Texas' social studies standards. Full Story 

  • Guest Column: The 2010 Agenda: Public Health

    By Eduardo Sanchez

    Three strategies can move Texas in the right direction, health-wise: a statewide indoor smoking ban, statewide universal K-12 coordinated school health programs, and the serious consideration of all available options to reduce the number of uninsured Texans. Full Story 

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  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    Roll your own political videos ... interactive travel maps of your federal and state legislators ... scary movies, to keep the kids out of the border's scary drug wars ... puttting dropouts back in class ... rates squeezing families out of home health care ... how many lobby and trade associations do teachers in Texas need? ... enjoying the silence before an expected two-month siege of political advertising ... the dean of Texas political writers gets shut out of the gubernatorial debates ... and we have an interactive database of the state's best and worst public schools. The best of our best for a short news week, from December 19 to 26, 2009. Full Story 

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  • TribBlog: Hunger Season

    By Brandi Grissom

    More than 2.5 million Texas students are enrolled in the School Lunch Program, but just a fraction of those participate in the federally funded Summer Food Program, according to a report the Center for Public Policy Priorities released toay. Full Story 

  • Dropping In

    By Brian Thevenot

    After much hand-wringing by public officials and business leaders over the dropout crisis, a patchwork of last-resort schools and programs has emerged statewide. Gauging their performance is tricky, but there's no question that the students they serve might otherwise be on the street or in jail. Full Story 

    Dr. Joe Gonzales, principal Austin Can
    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    Stiles and Thevenot collaborate on the salaries paid to superintendents, and even compare them on price per student… Ramsey’s look at redistricting and next year’s elections… Aguilar’s report on jails, brought to you by the federal agency that’s in the ag business… Rapoport’s peek at the power behind Texas pre-kindergarten programs… Smith’s conversation with Dan Patrick, in three parts… Grissom’s narrative on a circular immigration and deportation route financed by two governments… Ramshaw finds doctors agreeing on public policy and split on strategy and tactics… Hu’s latest Stump Interrupted puts the camera on Farouk Shami… Hamilton’s story on two retired cops who are taking on cargo theft in Texas… And Kreighbaum and Stiles pop open the itineraries of your folks in Congress. The best of our best from December 12 to 18, 2009. Full Story 

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  • Super Salaries

    By Matt Stiles and Brian Thevenot

    School superintendent salary data offers a unique window into the vast diversity of Texas districts, from massive to miniscule, and the way they pay their chief executives. One new trend: Performance pay. Full Story 

    Superintendent salaries often, but not always correlate with district enrollment. The top earner in Texas, Beaumont ISD's Carrol Thomas, is the exception. He earns $334,212 for managing a system one-tenth the size of the state's largest, Houston ISD.
    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Outbound Brains

    By Julián Aguilar

    Border communities struggle to keep younger, educated residents when larger cities dangle economic and quality-of-life opportunities. They're afflicted with the reputation of being black holes of talent — where escape is necessary in order to prosper. Full Story 

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    Credit: Bob Daemmerich

  • Race to the Bottom Line

    By Brian Thevenot

    The feds want Texas to sign onto a movement toward national education standards in order to get up to $700 million in "Race to the Top" money. Texas officials say our students —and our curriculum — aren't for sale. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva