As state Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, detailed his objections to House Bill 5 on Tuesday, what he did not mention is that whether students enroll in challenging courses and the number of state exams they must take could affect his livelihood.
Public Education
Explore The Texas Tribune’s coverage of public education, from K-12 schools and funding to teachers, students, and policies shaping classrooms across Texas.
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Higher Education
Guest Column: Education in Wonderland
Getting rid of standardized tests in public education would make it impossible to find out whether students have mastered the basics or acquired the skills necessary for success. Tests are the best way to measure results for students.
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Higher Education
Guest Column: Texas Leads in Testing, but Not in Education
Texas outspends every state in the nation on testing and leads in the number of tests it requires students to pass to graduate from high school. But that has not translated to a lead in students’ education performance.
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Health care
Hot Seat: A Conversation with Fraser and King
At last Friday’s Hot Seat conversation at Abilene Christian University, state Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, and state Rep. Susan King, R-Abilene, talked about public education, health care, water, the state budget and other issues in play in the 83rd session.
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Public Education
Battle Lines Forming as Texas House Tackles Education Testing Bill
As House lawmakers prepare for their first major education policy debate, they have pre-filed 165 amendments. Supporters of reform say the current system is too restrictive, but opponents worry proposed changes could reverse advancements.
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Public Education
A Test for Education — and for Texas Businesses
When the House takes up its first major education policy bill on the floor Tuesday, it could provide an indication of where the battle lines are drawn on an increasingly contentious division within the business community.
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Public Education
Sequester Cuts Could Hit Special Ed, Poor Students
The automatic federal spending cuts known as the sequester could hit special education and programs for low-income students hardest. And state lawmakers are unlikely to come up with cash to fill the federal hole.
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Public Education
TribLive: Freshman Lawmakers on Vouchers
At this morning’s TribLive conversation, Ross Ramsey talked to state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, and state Reps. Scott Turner, R-Frisco, and Gene Wu, D-Houston, about the prospect of school voucher legislation.
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Public Education
House Committee Backs Budget That Includes More School Funding
The $193.8 billion budget approved by the House Appropriations Committee includes an extra $2.5 billion for public education. The bill is smaller than the Senate budget by about $1.7 billion.
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Public Education
Gains on State Exams Don’t Translate to Improved National Tests
When the state closes a decade’s worth of testing under the TAKS exams in April, it will mark the end of a period that saw students’ scores on the standardized tests soar. But that success hasn’t translated to improvement on national measures.