At a recent forum titled “Improving Productivity in Public Education,” former U.S. Secretaries of Education Rod Paige and Margaret Spellings under George W. Bush took time to discuss the state’s looming budget cuts, the Bush legacy, the Obama administration and what they believe needs to change in public education.
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
Ed Commissioner: Don’t Lose Cool Over Cuts
“Now is not the time to point fingers and scream and yell. Now is the time to solve the problem,” Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott told more than 6,000 public school leaders from across the state today.
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Public Education
Gail Lowe Reappointed as Education Board Chair
Pending Senate confirmation, Gail Lowe will serve another term as head of the State Board of Education.
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Public Education
TribBlog: Superintendents Speak Out
Leaders from school districts across Texas had tough words for lawmakers as they gathered this morning to denounce the “devastating” cuts to state public education funding.
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Higher Education
Business: Hands Off Public Education
Lawmakers will soon take an ax to the state budget, but business leaders are hoping one big-ticket item will be spared. At its annual conference in Austin this week, the Texas Association of Business sounded warnings about potential cuts to public education. Erika Aguilar of KUT News reports.
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Economy
The Pre-K Predicament
Just how important is full-day pre-kindergarten for the state’s youngest and most disadvantaged kids? Is it more important than after-school tutoring? Than canceling music and art classes? As public school officials brace for a proposed $10 billion less in state funding, that’s one decision they’ll have to make. “It’s choosing between bad and worse and bad and bad,” says one superintendent. “It’s definitely not a good day when we are sitting around talking about whether class size going up could help salvage all-day pre-K, or vice-versa.”
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Public Education
Closing Time
Texas public schools are facing what could be $10 billion less in state financing — a stark prospect that could empty school buildings across the state as districts consolidate campuses to reduce costs. What should happen to these structures, which are built with taxpayer money?
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Public Education
TribBlog: Charles Miller Has a Plan
If you were $10 billion in the hole, would you fork over $6 million for a chance at billions in savings? That’s the modest proposal that businessman and former chairman of the UT System regents is offering the state’s public education system.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
The Trib staff on the sweeping cuts in the proposed House budget, Grissom on what’s lost and not found at the Department of Public Safety, Galbraith on the wind power conundrum, Hamilton on higher ed’s pessimistic budget outlook, Stiles and Swicegood debut an incredibly useful bill tracker app, Ramsey interviews Rick Perry on the cusp of his second decade as governor, Aguilar on a Mexican journalist’s quest for asylum in the U.S., Ramshaw on life expectancy along the border, M. Smith on the obstacles school districts face in laying off teachers and yours truly talks gambling and the Rainy Day Fund with state Rep. Jim Pitts: The best of our best from January 17 to 21, 2011.
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Criminal Justice
A Stiff Cocktail of Budget Cuts
The Texas House has unveiled a $156.4 billion budget that’s $31.1 billion smaller than the current two-year spending plan — a drop of 16.6 percent. The proposed budget came with $1.2 billion in recommendations for savings and new revenue from the Legislative Budget Board.