At Thursday’s TribLive conversation, state Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, the chairman of the House Public Education Committee, talked about correct number of tests a student should take and how he’d revise the state’s accountability system.
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.
Posted in
Public Education
TribLive: Aycock on School Choice
At Thursday’s TribLive conversation, state Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, the chairman of the House Public Education Committee, talked about the prospects for school choice legislation this session — and why a business tax credit might not pass muster.
Posted in
University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
UT/TT Poll: Texans Favor Surcharge to Help State Pay for Water Projects
Water is a top issue with lawmakers, if not quite there with voters, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. And voters prefer adding a surcharge, based on water usage, to help pay for water projects.
Posted in
Public Education
Senator Files Tax Credit Scholarship Bill
State Sen. Ken Paxton has filed a bill that would enact a business tax credit scholarship program touted by state Sen. Dan Patrick and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst at a December media conference.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Updated: Chief Justice Pushes for “Innocence Commission”
Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson pushed lawmakers to establish a commission to investigate wrongful convictions at his biannual State of the Judiciary speech on Wednesday.
Posted in
Public Education
Guest Column: Choice is the Way to Save Our Schools
Choice would empower parents to select the best schools for their children and would empower teachers to earn more. Our failing schools would improve.
Posted in
Public Education
Guest Column: A Voucher is a Voucher is a Voucher
Just as death and taxes are certainties, we can be sure that several cloaked voucher bills will be introduced by the Legislature. No matter how it is sliced and diced, no matter its moniker, if passed it will result in public dollars going to private schools.
Posted in
Higher Education
TribuneFest: Building a Better Teacher
At the Trib’s February 25 symposium on public education at Rice University, Morgan Smith talked about what it takes to find and retain great teachers with Linda McSpadden McNeil of Rice University, Elisa Villanueva Beard of Teach for America, Gayle Fallon of the Houston Federation of Teachers and former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige.
Posted inPublic Education
Texas Tribune Public Schools Explorer 2.0
In the latest iteration of our one-of-a-kind Public Schools Explorer, compare individual schools and districts to one another, cross-filter by metrics like performance and spending, and check out the latest data on everything from TAKS to enrollment.
Posted in
Public Education
TribuneFest: Ex-Commissioners Confidential
At the Trib’s February 25 symposium on public education at Rice University, I talked choice, testing, school finance and the intersection of policy and politics with four former state commissioners of education: Mike Moses, Jim Nelson, Shirley Richardson and Robert Scott.