In the latest clash between the Houston Independent School District and those who question its use of “value-added data” to grade and sometimes fire teachers, state Sen. Mario Gallegos Jr., D-Houston, grilled an HSID representative at Tuesday’s Senate Education Committee hearing over what he decried as a transparency issue for the district.
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.
Posted in
Demographics
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 37
In this week’s TribCast, Ross, Elise, Ben and Brandi discuss the issues framing Texas politics this week — education, immigration and campaign finance numbers.
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Public Education
The Brief: July 14, 2010
Don’t look now, but things just got substantive in the governor’s race.
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Public Education
TribBlog: Not Cool With School
Texans overwhelmingly reject the way the State Board of Education sets requirements for textbooks and curriculum, which ignited a nationwide controversy earlier this year, according to a statewide survey the Texas Freedom Network released today.
Posted in
Economy
Ads Infinitum: Education PAC’s Anti-Perry Ad [Updated]
A new political action committee is attacking Gov. Rick Perry with a television ad playing on a familiar theme: Perry’s high-class living. The ad starts airing tonight in markets across Texas.
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Public Education
State Board of Landlords?
Hoping to tackle the long-standing challenge of financing charter school facilities, the State Board of Education is considering taking on a novel and controversial role: landlord. SBOE member David Bradley, R-Beaumont, wants to use $100 million from the $23 billion Permanent School Fund to buy properties and then lease them back to charter schools, which have historically struggled with capital costs. Critics say the elected board can’t possibly fulfill the mandate of the Fund — to invest for maximum return — while at the same time cutting charters a good deal.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
M. Smith’s interview with the new chair of the Texas GOP, Philpott on Republicans and Tea Partiers living in harmony, Aguilar on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s not-yet-released strategic plan, Ramshaw’s tragic tale of out-of-state kids in Texas treatment centers, Grissom on how budget cuts could impact juvenile justice, Stiles’ awesome new population app, Galbraith on the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer, Hamilton’s interview with the commissioner of higher education and the debut of Hu’s new video debate series: The best of our best from June 14 to 19, 2010.
Posted in
Economy
Scott McCown vs. Talmadge Heflin
The executive director of the progressive Center for Public Policy Priorities and the director of the Center for Fiscal Policy at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, debate the best way to dig out of Texas’ multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall.
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Public Education
TribBlog: Special Needs in Need
The Senate Committee on Education got a painful preview today of the problems in special education that they’ll have to tackle during the 2011 legislative session.