Gov. Abbott signs bill overhauling A-F school, district ratings
A bill overhauling a future system to grade Texas schools and districts on an A-F scale is now law. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Benjamin Hasson -
Straus needles Texas Senate on public education funding, "bathroom bill"
Speaking to hundreds of educators ahead of a special session packed with education bills, House Speaker Joe Straus chastised the Senate for underfunding school finance reform. Full Story
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![Texas House Speaker Joe Straus leaves the stage after speaking at the Texas Association of School Boards' annual summer leadership institute in San Antonio on June 14, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: “Tax relief,” maybe, but no savings for taxpayers
In the midsummer special session, Texas lawmakers will be talking about your rising property taxes again. Don't get excited: That does not mean your tax bill is going to get any smaller. Full Story
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Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Take a closer look at the budget Texas lawmakers just passed
Did the Texas Legislature boost funding for border security? What about public education? Did they dip into the Rainy Day Fund? Here’s a wide-angle look at what's in the $217 billion budget the two chambers ultimately settled on. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Texas school districts cut costs to avoid closure as state funding cuts loom
Superintendents in hundreds of Texas school districts rely on a pot of state funds that expires in September. Without drastic cost-saving measures, some districts are worried they may have to shut down. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Legislature unanimously approves last-minute overhaul of school A-F ratings
The Senate and House negotiated a compromise on how to tweak a statewide plan for grading schools and districts. Educators and advocates are asking why the overhaul happened so late, without their official input. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty (left), R-Houston, and state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Mike Floyd’s first job after graduating high school? Helping run a school district
A high school senior reflects on his unlikely victory over an incumbent school board member, and what his generation is bringing to Texas politics. Full Story
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![Mike Floyd, a senior at Dawson High School in Pearland, on May 16, 2017. Floyd recently ran for and won a seat on the Pearland ISD school board.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Abbott signs crackdown on inappropriate student-teacher relationships
The bill Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law on Thursday requires principals and superintendents to report cases of teachers having inappropriate relationships with students or face a state jail felony or a fine of up to $10,000. Full Story
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![After signing it into law on May 25, Gov. Greg Abbott displays Senate Bill 7, which toughens the penalties for inappropriate student-teacher relationships. In the background: Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath, State Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, State Rep. Tony Dale, R-Cedar Park and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
New in Trib+Edu: Trump slashes K-12 education in budget
In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: President Donald Trump calls for deep cuts in education spending in his proposed budget, an appreciation of a pioneer in teacher evaluation and an interview with Jonathan Schwartz of the University of Houston. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Jacob Villanueva -
Texas Senate approves bill tweaking A-F school grades
The Texas Senate approved a bill that would tweak a plan to grade school districts — well past a midnight deadline for passing legislation. Full Story
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![State Sen. Larry Taylor walks across the Senate floor on May 24, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
House backs Giddings measure targeting "lunch shaming"
After several failed attempts and compromises during the legislative session, Rep. Helen Giddings finally succeeded in getting the House to pass a measure that targets "lunch shaming" in schools. Full Story
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![State Rep. Helen Giddings, D-Desoto, holds up a sample of a piece of cheese given to students who lack money to pay for school lunches in Dallas area schools during a personal privilege speech on the House floor May 9, 2017, where she chastised House Freedom Caucus members for killing her bill on school lunches for poor kids.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
School finance legislation is pronounced dead
Senate Education Chairman Larry Taylor on Wednesday afternoon said that he would not appoint conferees to negotiate with the House on a proposed school finance overhaul. “That deal is dead,” he said. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, chairman of the House Public Education Committee, speaks about his school finance bill on May 24, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Lawmaker announces donation page to address “lunch shaming”
Rep. Helen Giddings announced the launch of a donation page that allows the public to contribute money to clear the debt of schools that feed schoolchildren when their lunch accounts are empty. Full Story
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![State Rep. Helen Giddings, D-De Soto, speaks during a press conference regarding the "lunch shaming" bill on May 23, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas business leaders stayed neutral on "bathroom" amendment
Pro-business forces, which had for months warned that a "bathroom bill" could be disastrous for the state's bottom line, held their fire during Sunday's debate over a bill amendment dealing with the controversial issue. Full Story
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![Representatives look at the board as a vote is taken on a bill amendment that would require schools to provide single-stall restrooms, locker rooms and changing facilities to students who don't want to use facilities designated by “biological sex" at the state Capitol on Sunday, May 21, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Texas might keep the standards, cut funding for Abbott's pre-K program
Gov. Greg Abbott demanded the House and Senate fund his pre-K grant program holding school districts to quality standards. So they came up with a budget proposal that keeps the standards, but cuts the grants. Full Story
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![A pre-kindergarten student learned syllables and word identification during a summer bilingual academy at Wilson Elementary School in San Antonio on June 26, 2012.]()
Credit: Lisa Krantz for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House passes bill extending alternative high school graduation route
The Texas House on Monday passed a bill extending a program that lets students who fail a couple of required exams take an alternative route to graduation. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, discusses a bill in the Texas House on May 3, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate puts voucher-like program in school finance bill
The Texas Senate voted to approve a bill that would simplify funding formulas for public schools and let parents use state money to send their kids with disabilities to private schools or pay for homeschooling. Full Story
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![State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, discusses a bill amendment in the Senate on March 30, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate will consider many bills in one for school finance vote
The Texas Senate will consider a version of the school finance bill, as soon as Sunday, that now includes an assortment of other House and Senate education bills — according to a notice Senate staffers received Saturday. Full Story
![State Rep. Dan Huberty (left), R-Houston, and state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
School lunch bill revived as an amendment; no longer mandatory
After being denied by the House Freedom Caucus multiple times, a measure to let schools give meals to students without money in their accounts was revived as an amendment to another bill. Full Story
![State Rep. Helen Giddings, D-Desoto, holds up a sample of a piece of cheese given to students who lack money to pay for school lunches in Dallas area schools during a personal privilege speech on the House floor May 9, 2017, where she chastised House Freedom Caucus members for killing her bill on school lunches for poor kids.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Third time not the charm for House rep's school lunch legislation
Rep. Helen Giddings failed a third time to pass a bill that would prevent school districts from identifying students without money in their school lunch accounts — again when a member of the Freedom Caucus killed it. Full Story
![State Rep. Helen Giddings, D-Desoto, holds up a sample of a piece of cheese given to students who lack money to pay for school lunches in Dallas area schools during a personal privilege speech on the House floor May 9, 2017, where she chastised House Freedom Caucus members for killing her bill on school lunches for poor kids.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune