The feds want Texas to sign onto a movement toward national education standards in order to get up to $700 million in “Race to the Top” money. Texas officials say our students —and our curriculum — aren’t for sale.
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.
TribBlog: El Paso ISD Embraces Honest Grading, Sort Of
The El Paso school board this week dumped a controversial policy requiring teachers to give automatic grades of 50 to students who didn’t earn them. But teachers are still allowed to do so at their discretion.
2010: Survival of the Fittest?
Even if Cynthia Dunbar doesn’t seek reelection to the State Board of Education, another conservative Republican stands ready to take up the cause.
The Charter School Waiting Game
Nearly 130,000 students attend Texas charter schools, but 40,000 more are waiting to get in.
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
It was a political week, with a full-court press from our staff on Bill White’s switch to the governor’s race and all of the fallout; the moves during the first week of filing for political races; Philpott’s look at Republicans challenging Republicans; Hu’s latest in the popular Stump Interrupted series; Ramshaw on emergency rooms, family doctors, and child protection; Stiles and Grissom mapping payday lending locations juxtaposed with family income data; Rapoport on the state budget and education; Thevenot on KBH’s plans for schools; and Hamilton on the power (or not) of political endorsements. The best of the best from November 28 to December 4, 2009.
TribBlog: Federal “Takeover” of Texas Schools?
Texas school chief calls requirements to adopt national curriculum standards “unprecedented intrusiveness”
Grading KBH’s Education Plans
Education has emerged as one of the more contentious fronts in the gubernatorial campaign, with Kay Bailey Hutchison this week releasing a barrage of school proposals and attacks on the status quo. But the differences between the candidates have more to do with execution than with design.
Stymied by Stimulus?
The stimulus money increased funding for education last session. But can the state keep it up next session without more federal money?
Beyond Textbooks and Tests
Hoping to push a wide array of digital content and teaching tools to public schools, the Texas Education Agency has cut a deal with a division of The New York Times for an electronic curriculum portal and searchable access to the newspaper’s content since 1851.
The Brief: November 25, 2009
When students get back from Thanksgiving break, the problems with their education system may not be fixed yet — but there’s no need to worry because the gubernatorial candidates are on the case.

