At our Hot Seat conversation at Trinity University in San Antonio, state Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, and state Sen.-elect Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, sparred about public education, health care and other issues in play in the upcoming 83rd session.
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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Economy
What if Government Officials Were Scrutinized Like Football Coaches?
Imagine a government as accountable to voters for its performance as football coaches are to the ire of fans and boosters.
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Public Education
TEA Commissioner Strips El Paso ISD Board of Authority
In the wake of a cheating scandal in the El Paso school district, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams announced Thursday that he’s stripping authority from the district’s board and installing a new board of managers.
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Public Education
TEA Chief Will Defer 15 Percent Rule
Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams on Friday announced that he would defer a rule that requires state end-of-course exams count for 15 percent of high school students’ final grades.
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Public Education
Perry Supports Letting Districts Decide on 15 Percent Rule
Gov. Rick Perry has come out in favor of allowing school districts to choose whether to implement a rule requiring that new state assessments count for 15 percent of high school students’ final grades.
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Public Education
Texas High School Graduation Rates Among Top Nationally, But Why?
While skeptics say reporting requirements for state graduation rates contain too many loopholes, other education policy experts say Texas deserves credit for implementing innovative programs to keep students in school.
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Public Education
Case May Affect Future of High-Tech Student IDs
Between a legal challenge and a proposed bill, the usage of radio frequency ID cards — which can track the whereabouts of students while on campus — is coming under increasing pressure.
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Public Education
Texas School Districts, Charters Are Finalists in Federal Competition
A few Texas school districts and charters are finalists for funds through a new version of the Obama administration’s Race to the Top program. Texas had refused to participate in the program at the state level in 2010, citing concerns over federal intrusion into Texas classrooms.
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Public Education
Texas High School Graduation Rates Among Highest in U.S.
According to new U.S. Department of Education data, Texas has the fourth-highest graduation rate in the nation.
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Public Education
TribLive: New State Reps. on Public Education
At this morning’s TribLive conversation, incoming state Reps. Cecil Bell Jr., Giovanni Capriglione and Mary Gonzalez talked about school finance, standardized testing and the prospect of school choice legislation in the 83rd Session.