Senate Education Committee passes school choice legislation
In a 7-3 vote, the Senate Education Committee passed a bill that would create two public programs subsidizing private school tuition and homeschooling expenses. Full Story
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![State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, chair of the Senate Education Committee, directs a witness during testimony on March 21, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Can Abbott assemble an army for this session’s pre-K fight?
Gov. Greg Abbott has hit tough sledding with his call for more spending on early education in Texas. Lawmakers aren't warm to the idea, to say the least, and the governor hasn't assembled an army of supporters to back up his position. Full Story
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School choice bill proponents, foes debate what's best for families
Tuesday's Senate Education Committee debate on private school subsidies lasted more than seven hours and saw experts on both sides arguing they knew best how to educate black and Latino Texas students. Full Story
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![Opponents of Senate Bill 3 — and other proposed school choice legislation — rally on the Capitol's south steps on March 21, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
School leaders welcome proposed changes to A-F system
During a House Public Education Committee hearing, education experts and activists testified on legislation related to the state's A-F accountability system for public schools and districts. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, at a House Education Committee meeting on March 7, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Senate panel OKs bill requiring schools to teach teens about interacting with police
The proposal, Senate Bill 30, is a bipartisan response to deadly encounters between law enforcement and civilians seen in recent years throughout the country. Full Story
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Watch Senate Education Committee discuss school choice legislation
The Senate's public education committee will hear testimony on the leading "private school choice bill" for the first time this session, Tuesday at 9 a.m. Full Story
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![Sen. Larry Taylor discusses school choice legislation during a press conference on Jan. 25, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Former education commissioners on Texas' public ed future (video)
Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith talks about the future of public education with two former Texas education commissioners, Jim Nelson and Robert Scott, at the Tribune's March public education symposium. Full Story
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Analysis: State boosts local accountability while eroding local control
At about the same time this week, one set of Texas lawmakers was working on ways to limit the growth of property taxes that fund local governments while another was considering legislation that could cost local governments a lot of money. Full Story
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Trump budget cuts would hit Texas education service programs hard
President Trump's proposed budget would cut about $14 million from Texas programs designed to provide tutoring, mentorship and counseling for low-income students. Full Story
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Credit: Corporation for National and Community Service -
Is Texas failing special education students? (video)
Houston Chronicle reporter Brian Rosenthal discusses the state's special education policies with a panel of experts at The Texas Tribune's March public education symposium. Full Story
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New in Trib+Edu: School funding fix floated in House
In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: The House Public Ed chairman floats a $1.6B school funding plan, voters in New Mexico weigh soda tax to fund a pre-K program and an interview with Kelly Williams of the University of Texas at Austin. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Jacob Villanueva -
Education committee chairs push major edits to A-F ratings for schools
House Public Education Committee Chairman Dan Huberty and Senate Education Committee Chairman Larry Taylor filed bills to help make the A-F accountability system more palatable to educators, who say grading their schools won't help them serve students better. 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 -
Senate panel tentatively votes to defund Abbott's pre-K program
The Senate Finance Committee gave initial approval to budget items that would cut $180 million from state-funded pre-K in favor of a $40 million public-private partnership. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott signs HB4, which adds funding for pre-K, into law at the Anita Uphaus Early Childhood Center in Austin Texas May 28, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Are Texas schools and students making the grade? (video)
Texas Tribune reporter Aliyya Swaby weighs testing and accountability standards with a panel of experts at the Tribune's March public education symposium. Full Story
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Should the Texas Legislature pass a school choice program? (video)
Texas Tribune reporter Aliyya Swaby interviews advocates and opponents of school vouchers at The Texas Tribune's March public education symposium. Full Story
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House and Senate education chairs weigh in on vouchers, school finance (video)
Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith interviews state Rep. Dan Huberty and state Sen. Larry Taylor — their chambers' respective education chairman — on the 85th Texas Legislature's approach to public ed. Full Story
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Analysis: A week to test local powers in Texas
The Texas Legislature is going to be busy this week with issues that ordinarily belong to other governments, as it considers the wisdom of local ordinances on restrooms, ride-hailing, short-term rentals, sanctuary cities and plastic bags. Full Story
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![A large crowd of transgender advocates opposed to SB 6 the bathroom bill converge on the Capitol Extension Rotunda during the Senate State Affairs Committee hearing on the bill March 7, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Public charters fight uphill battle for facilities funding
Charter schools, seeking more state money, want the public to know that they're public schools, too. Full Story
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![Children from charter and private schools all over Texas turned out for the 85th legislative session's National School Choice Rally on Jan. 24, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The Texas Legislature giveth — and taketh away
Local governments and school districts battling the Texas Legislature over property taxes have a couple of things in common: They want local control over taxes and a more reliable partner in the state government. Full Story
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![State Rep. and Public Education Chairman Dan Huberty, R-Houston, speaks at a press conference unveiling the school finance bill on March 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
School leaders ask House not to cut state aid program in finance fix
School districts urged House lawmakers on Tuesday not to create winners and losers as they work to revamp the state's public school funding system. Full Story
![State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, at a House Education Committee meeting on March 7, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune