Multi-part stories from Ramshaw and Grissom and Stiles on mental health services for detained immigrants and on payday lenders who provide exorbitantly priced credit to people with nowhere else to turn… Twitter, word clouds and the race for governor — a Stiles joint… Farouk Shami is in and Hu was there to watch… Philpott went to Bastrop for a gather of Republican governors… Rapoport finds a State Board of Education that’s trying to control itself… and we have the skinny on legislative races that are likely to be competitive (only about 5 percent of the races on the ballot). It’s the best of The Texas Tribune from November 14 to 20, 2009.
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
State (Board) of Agitation
The State Board of Education, which has showcased some intense philosophical fights, has drawn scrutiny for becoming a partisan battleground. For now, members are just trying to get along — but the rifts are as big as ever.
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Public Education
TribBlog: Imagine the Controversy
A for-profit company hopes to get approval to start two charter schools in Texas. Thursday’s SBOE meeting will set the precedent for dealing with this murkier side of the charter school system.
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Health care
TribBlog: Physical Education Requirements Soon to be Gone
Amid handwringing over child obesity, SBOE likely will eliminate health and physical education requirements at this week’s meeting.
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Public Education
Fail-safe?
Districts prepare to go to court with the TEA over minimum grades policies, prompting the question: How much should schools emulate the real world? And how many second chances should students get?
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Economy
Is Texas in the Race?
The federal government is giving away $4.35 billion to state education systems through Race to the Top. But is Texas already out?
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Public Education
Robert’s Rules
State schools chief Robert Scott recently failed to get the Legislature to increase the cap on charter schools — then found a legal way to do it anyway, much to the dismay of state Democrats and teachers unions.
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Politics
2010: McCall’s for Ratliff
Rep. Brian McCall, R-Plano, is endorsing State Board of Education wannabe Thomas Ratliff, an important move because Collin County is a key part of that race’s geography.
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Politics
TribBlog: A Chip Off the Old Bloc
The SBOE’s Don McLeroy might miss Rick Agosto more than he thought.