Texas Weekly Newsreel: Property Tax, Speed Limit, PAC Money
This week on the Newsreel, a look at property taxes versus sales taxes, 85-mph speed limits and Super PAC contributions from Texas. Full Story
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Comparing School District Expenses Has Challenges
Because of the complexity of school finance, it’s tempting to turn to per-student spending to understand how well — or how poorly — a district is spending its money. But that approach has its perils. Full Story
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![Because of the complexity of school finance, it’s tempting to turn to per-student spending to understand how well — or how poorly — a district is spending its money. But that approach has its perils.]()
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Property Tax Easy to Hate, Tough to Mess With
Property tax bills are big, but they have a couple of political advantages for legislators. For one thing, they don't take most of the blame over those levies. Full Story
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Weekend Insider: Pocket Prairies, School Spending
Houston conservationists reintroduce native plants to the area, and we examine how much money school districts spend per student. Full Story
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In Hard Times, Staffing at Schools Closely Watched
How school districts manage personnel costs will be increasingly monitored as debate over efficiency progresses — as will the ways they have coped with the loss of roughly 25,000 employees they shed before the 2011-12 school year. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
A New Run at School Choice
Despite a half-hearted attempt at the end of the 2011 legislative session, the last real grasp lawmakers made at passing private school vouchers was in 2007. But that could soon change. Full Story
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Testing Firm Hits Back Against Claims of Flaws
After a UT-Austin professor's research suggested a flaw in the design of the state's standardized tests, an official with the testing vendor said the firm welcomes an "open dialogue" based on well-founded evidence — but not what he called "wild conclusions." Full Story
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Design Flaw Suspected in Standardized State Tests
Researchers believe they have uncovered a glitch in the DNA of the state's standardized exams that suggests, because of the statistical method used to assemble them, they are virtually useless at measuring the effects of instruction in the classroom. Full Story
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Land Board Vote Cuts $300 Million Out of Texas Public Schools Budget
A little-watched board that operates out of the General Land Office cast a vote last week leaving public schools $300 million short — and the lawmakers who put that money into the 2012-13 budget scratching their heads. Full Story
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Texas High Schools Graduating More of Their Students, but Why?
As the latest round of school finance litigation goes to trial this fall, it appears there is reason for optimism about the number of Texas students leaving high school with a diploma. But it's hard to know what's responsible for the success. Full Story
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Weekend Insider: Cruz and the Supreme Court; Schools Explorer
Ted Cruz has argued more cases before the U.S. Supreme Court than any practicing lawyer in Texas, reporter Aman Batheja explains. And reporter Morgan Smith discusses how to track Texas schools with the Tribune's Public Schools Explorer. Full Story
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The School Finance Lawsuit Cheat Sheet
Texas' latest round of school finance litigation adds some new players to the courtroom, with interests that are more varied than ever before. We've created a cheat sheet to help you keep all six lawsuits — and the plaintiffs' basic arguments — straight. Full Story
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An Updated Guide to the School Finance Lawsuits
Texas' latest round of school finance litigation adds some new players to the courtroom, with interests that are more varied than ever before. We've put together a cheat sheet to help you keep all six lawsuits straight. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
San Antonio Considers Tax for Pre-K Initiative
An eighth-of-a-cent sales tax increase is being proposed in San Antonio to fund full-day pre-kindergarten for primarily low-income children in the city. Full Story
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![Teacher Silvia Corado works with students in her pre-kindergarten class as they learn syllables and word identification, part of the Summer Bilingual Academy at Wilson Elementary School in San Antonio.]()
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Workforce Commissioner: Education Testing System is Broken
Texas Workforce Commissioner Tom Pauken said he disagrees with a coalition of business leaders who said it would oppose any additional funding to public education if the existing accountability system is rolled back. Full Story
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Charter Schools to File School-Finance Lawsuit
Texas is now about to face six lawsuits targeting the way it funds public schools. The Texas Charter School Association announced Tuesday it would join in legal action against the state over school financing. Full Story
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Cruz Accuses Dewhurst of "Deliberate Falsehood"
Former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz said Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst made a "deliberate falsehood" when he said that he had never supported a payroll tax. Dewhurst's campaign says the allegations are "false and misleading." Full Story
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STAAR Retakes Mean Big Expense for Districts
A new state requirement that students must retake standardized tests if they do not achieve a minimum score has landed hundreds of thousands in summer school, carrying a hefty price tag for school districts. Full Story
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Primary a Mixed Bag for Public Ed Candidates
Tuesday night was a wash for candidates hoping to capitalize on a backlash against the 2011 Legislature's deep budget cuts to public schools. Some won and some lost, and there wasn't a definite guiding narrative as to why. Full Story
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Progress Texas Report: Virtual Schools Failing, Unaccountable
A report out Tuesday from Progress Texas blasts virtual schools for having high dropout rates, high student-teacher ratios and low academic performance — and using state money to fund schools run by for-profit businesses. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman