A bill in the Legislature aims to adjust the formula for assessing completion and dropout rates at dropout recovery charters, which supporters say penalizes the schools who serve challenging populations.
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
Schools Consider Legal Action Over Budget Cuts
With school districts across the state passing belt-tightening budgets due to cuts expected at the Legislature, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports that some districts are gearing up for legal challenges.
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Economy
Full Video: TPPF’s Higher Ed Reform Panel
At a panel hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, UT president Bill Powers, TPPF senior fellow Ronbald Trowbridge and speaker of the A&M faculty senate Robert Strawser discussed the conservative think tank’s seven proposed reforms to higher education. Here is the full video.
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Public Education
Did Former SBOE Member Violate State Ethics Law?
Did former State Board of Education member Rene Nunez violate state law when he encouraged four current board members to extend the contract with the company managing the state’s $25 billion Permanent School Fund?
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Public Education
AUDIO: Rene Nunez Voicemail
Did former State Board of Education member Rene Nunez violate state law when he encouraged four current board members to extend the contract with the company managing the state’s $25 billion Permanent School Fund?
Posted in
Economy
Senate Budget Debate: Education Funding
The Texas Senate talks education funding, revenue and Rainy Day spending as members debate suspending the rules to bring up their substitute for House Bill 1, the proposed budget for the next biennium.
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Public Education
Anti-Bullying Bill Tentatively Passes House
On Tuesday night, House Bill 1942 by state Rep. Diane Patrick, R-Arlington, which seeks to reduce bullying in schools by providing what the bill analysis calls “a minimal framework” for how to address incidents of bullying, was tentatively approved by the House with a vote of 102-34.
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Public Education
Is Poverty, Not Teacher Quality or Charters, Key to Student Outcomes?
Michael Marder, the co-director of the University of Texas’ UTeach program, which trains secondary school math and science teachers, looks at public education data and explains the significance of poverty, why he thinks charter schools are not necessarily the answer and how public education is like a Boeing airplane.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aguilar and Weber on a subdued debate over homeland security, Galbraith on rising concern about natural gas drilling, Grissom on a controversial psychologist, Hamilton on the aftermath of the Rick O’Donnell episode, Philpott on the comptroller’s apology, Ramshaw with more on the statewide database of child abusers, E. Smith interviews Lance Armstrong, M. Smith on what House budget cuts would mean for school districts, M. Stiles on how redistricting would change things for each House member, Tan on the Senate’s wobbly attempts to approve a budget and my interview with David Dewhurst: The best of our best content from April 25 to 29, 2011.
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Public Education
SB 4 Sparks Quarrel Between Shapiro, Teachers Groups
A bill authorizing a major rethink of teacher evaluation in Texas public schools has teachers organizations scuffling with Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro, R-Plano.