Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, throwing some red meat to conservatives after his bruising defeat at the hands of Tea Party darling Ted Cruz, has put private school vouchers and expanded “parental choice” back on the legislative agenda.
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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Public Education
Curtis Culwell: The TT Interview
The outgoing superintendent of Garland ISD on how to prepare students for college and the workplace, the weighty decisions coming up for state leaders, and standardized tests’ potential for “cognitive bludgeoning.”
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Public Education
Michael Williams to Head Texas Education Agency
Gov. Rick Perry is slated to name Michael Williams the new commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, a source close to the governor said Monday.
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Updated: Back to School Explorer Data App
To mark the beginning of a new school year at many campuses across the state, we’ve added some new features to our comprehensive public education database, including maps of districts and campuses statewide and four-year graduation rates.
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Public Education
Senate Hearing Tackles Vouchers, School Choice
In a preview of a likely battle in the upcoming legislative session, state lawmakers on Friday heard testimony on school choice programs, including vouchers that would allow students to use public money to attend private schools.
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Economy
The Search for a Less Unpopular School Tax
As the state and its independent school districts head to court again in October to debate school financing, it’s still possible that the issue of a statewide property tax could be revisited.
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Public Education
ACT Report: 24 Percent of Texas High School Grads Are College Ready
Only about a quarter of the state’s Class of 2012 students are college ready, according to a new report by the ACT. Texas Education Agency officials attribute the numbers to an increase in students taking the test.
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Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: About the Next Legislative Session…
For this week’s nonscientific survey of government and political insiders, we asked what will dominate the next legislative session and about the odds for school vouchers, high-stakes testing and a Medicaid expansion.
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Guides
Texplainer: What if Texas Schools Don’t Meet Federal Benchmarks?
Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Texas public schools are supposed to have 100 percent passing rates in reading and math by 2014. The chances of meeting that benchmark are slim. So what happens next?
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Public Education
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Property Tax, Speed Limit, PAC Money
This week on the Newsreel, a look at property taxes versus sales taxes, 85-mph speed limits and Super PAC contributions from Texas.