To track attendance and avoid losing state funding, some school districts have begun electronically monitoring students’ whereabouts. Two San Antonio schools have added electronic chips to student ID cards, while some in Austin have issued students phones with GPS systems.
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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University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
UT/TT Poll: Economic Issues Are Top Concerns
Economic and immigration issues remain top concerns in the state, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
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Public Education
Updated: Lawmakers Discuss School Discipline Methods
At a Tuesday hearing, lawmakers discussed giving more discretion to teachers, law enforcement and judges when it comes to dealing with disciplinary violations at schools.
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Public Education
Battle Lines Forming Over School Vouchers
State leaders may be reluctant to tackle school finance in next year’s legislative session because of a major lawsuit. That leaves room for legislators to fight over school vouchers, a controversial issue already stirring fierce debate.
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Higher Education
In College Entry Rule, Reality Can Trump Logic
The top 10 percent rule at Texas colleges wasn’t all about higher education — it was about the inequities in public schools that are still being litigated today.
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Public Education
As New Public Ed Chair, Patrick Focuses on Expanding School Choice
State Sen. Dan Patrick says he is ready to champion public schools at the Capitol when the 83rd Legislature convenes in January. Whether the education community is ready to embrace him in that role is another matter.
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Higher Education
Comptroller’s Report Examines College, Public School Debt
A report on government debt from Comptroller Susan Combs examines colleges and public school districts, the latter of which are responsible for a third of the money owed at the local level.
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Public Education
Guest Column: High-Stakes Tests Breed Schools for Scandal
The scandal in El Paso ISD is the worst to come along under the high-stakes testing regime that rules our schools, but we have no right to act surprised in Texas.
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Public Education
Updated: School Districts, State Trade Blame in First Day of Finance Trial
After school district lawyers attacked Texas for underfunding public schools, an attorney for the state shot back, saying that decisions made at the local level — not the state — were to blame for school districts’ failures.
Posted inPublic Education
Texas’ School Finance System Goes on Trial
As the trial over how Texas funds its public schools kicks off, we’ve compiled all our school finance coverage — from the battles of the last legislative session to the latest developments in the case — in one place.