The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.
The House’s chief budget writer on Thursday praised a proposal to overhaul the school finance system by grouping the state’s 1,026 regular school districts into a few "school finance districts" — a tax move aimed at equalizing per-student funding statewide. Full Story
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The debate over the expansion of rights to carry guns onto university campuses and openly with a permit moves from rallies outside the Capitol to legislative hearings inside the building today. Full Story
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Joined by the father of a Texas high school student who died of sudden cardiac arrest, three state lawmakers on Wednesday proposed requiring heart screenings for high school athletes. Full Story
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Education Commissioner Michael Williams said Wednesday that the state does not have the authority to satisfy federal officials’ desire for a more overarching system. Full Story
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As we follow bills on public ed during the 84th legislative session, we'll keep you updated on legislation addressing school choice and vouchers. Stay caught up with our 84th Lege page, and subscribe to our Trib+Edu newsletter for more education news. Full Story
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Rick Perry had some choice words in an interview Thursday with the Tribune and the Washington Post on what separates him from Ted Cruz. Full Story
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More than 38,000 Texas students — about 0.75 percent of the state's overall school-age population — had nonmedical exemptions to school immunization laws in the 2013-14 school year, according to state data. Search our table to see the totals for your district or private school. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: Lawmakers float incentive payments for districts offering full-day pre-K, a new magazine teaches kids financial literacy and an interview with Sarah Powell, a University of Texas assistant professor in the Department of Special Education. Full Story
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The ability of Austin tech firm 21CT to secure a $20 million Medicaid fraud software contract through a no-bid program run by the state's Department of Information Resources drew intense scrutiny from Senate budget writers on Tuesday. Full Story
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As we follow bills on public ed during the 84th legislative session, we'll keep you updated on legislation addressing educator quality. Stay caught up with our 84th Lege page and subscribe to our Trib+Edu newsletter for more education news. Full Story
Two lawmakers in the Texas House have presented a plan for a major overhaul of early education in the state. The measure would create an incentive payment system for school districts offering full-day pre-kindergarten programs. Full Story
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During the legislative session, we're compiling "hot lists" of issues across several policy areas. This week, our Lege page's featured hot list is Public Education. Use it to stay updated during the session, and subscribe to our Trib+Edu newsletter for more education news. Full Story
The weekend saw more lengthy stories on problems in the way the state contracts out services. Full Story
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On Fox News Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott and former U.S. Education Secretary Bill Bennett debated Common Core – standards overseen by the National Governors Association that Texas lawmakers refuse to use. Full Story
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House Public Education Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock announced Friday that his daughter would be stepping down from her role as a lobbyist for education issues for the upcoming legislative session. Full Story
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In a week where the news was driven to a large degree by rallies on the Capitol grounds — from open carry activists to anti-Muslim protesters — it's perhaps fitting that the week closes with another one. Full Story
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Three Texas charter schools will be shut down for failing to comply with the state education code or provisions in their charters, state officials said Thursday. Among their missteps? Failing to file with the IRS and not opening on time. Full Story
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At our 1/27 conversation, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick talked about vouchers — and whether the 84th session's outcome on the issue might differ from that of the 83rd. Full Story
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Nearly two weeks after the House's base budget was released, Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson presented the Senate's plan, which she said sets aside $3 billion for "meaningful" property tax relief for Texas homeowners. Full Story
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Full video of my 1/27 conversation with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who talked about the change in Senate rules, vouchers, tax relief, transportation funding, open carry and more. Full Story
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