The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.
Mandy Gutierrez was put on paid leave Monday and responded Wednesday to a Texas House committee’s investigative report about the massacre. On Thursday, her attorney released a letter from the Uvalde superintendent saying she’s no longer on administrative leave. Full Story
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The USDA Food and Nutrition Service announced in May that it would expand its definition of sexual discrimination to include gender identity and sexual orientation. Paxton and other attorneys general are suing in response. Full Story
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Mandy Gutierrez, in her first year as principal, is the third local official to be suspended as a result of the shooting on May 24. Full Story
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The gunman who killed 19 elementary students and two teachers bought the assault rifle he used after turning 18 just days before the massacre. Full Story
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Texas schools have long had too few teachers. The pandemic made the situation worse — but issues like low pay, poor benefits and polarizing statewide politics all have an impact, too. Full Story
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The school district canceled the meeting at the request of Arredondo’s lawyer. A new date has not been set. Full Story
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The school board plans to meet Saturday to vote on the proposal, days after a Texas House committee report highlighted widespread failures in the police response to the Robb Elementary shooting. Full Story
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The switch to four-day school weeks is popular among smaller school districts that don’t always have the finances to attract or retain teachers with pay increases. Full Story
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For about three hours, people demanded the resignation of the school district superintendent and threatened to keep their children out of school until campus security is improved. Full Story
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In total, 376 law enforcement officers descended upon the school, according to the most extensive account of the shooting to date. It says that better-equipped departments should have stepped up to fill a leadership void after the Uvalde schools police chief failed to take charge. Full Story
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Elected officials and law enforcement leaders criticized the leak of the video that was supposed to first be shown to victims’ families. Full Story
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One session on school shootings at the American School Counselor Association’s annual conference in Austin this week drew a large crowd. It discussed the roles counselors play before and after such traumatic events. Full Story
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Mayor Don McLaughlin denied a recent report that said a Uvalde officer passed up a chance to shoot the gunman at Robb Elementary. The officer never saw the gunman, he said. Full Story
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The report by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center says authorities missed other opportunities to stop the gunman before he killed 19 students and two teachers in Robb Elementary. Full Story
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In a letter to the city, Arredondo said he was stepping down from his elected position, citing a desire to “minimize further distractions.” Full Story
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There had been fear that after another school year of COVID-19 disruptions, scores would not improve. Full Story
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Texas School Safety Center officials said they will alert districts and local law enforcement of the audits, where trained staff will try to find access points into school buildings. But school campuses will not be informed ahead of time. Full Story
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Uvalde’s mayor said city officials could be prosecuted for releasing details of the investigation. Pete Arredondo, the City Council member and school district police chief, was absent for the second straight meeting. Full Story
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The Texas State Board of Education is fielding proposals to update the state’s public school social studies curriculum this summer. Full Story
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Uvalde’s school district is one of several statewide using online monitoring of student writing and messaging. But it’s not a perfect solution. Full Story
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