A pair of bills approaching a vote in the Texas House will significantly expand state power over local school districts. The bills, authored by Senator Bettencourt and Representative Dutton, are aimed at Houston ISD but will impact all public school districts in the...
Education
back to archiveHorror at Cy-Fair ISD’s reopening plans turns to grim resignation
Cy-Fair Independent School District (CFISD), the third-largest school district in Texas home to more than 114,000 students, is set to begin its fall semester on September 8. With a mix of in-person and virtual learning, teachers across the district are raising alarms,...
Beyond the classroom: does Texas even have a plan for all school employees?
As schools begin to open around the state of Texas, there has been a raging debate about the safety of students and teachers. Lost in this discussion are the hundreds of the other school employees, including custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and other...
Confusing instructions leave Texas educators with many questions
With the start of the fall semester underway, school staff members all across Texas and the country are attempting to adjust to an unusual school year during COVID-19. Schools are reopening—some are holding classes virtually while most are having to open for in-person...
State officials provide little instruction to school districts during reopenings
As the coronavirus pandemic continues on, the Texas Education Agency is providing conflicting instructions on reopening Texas schools next month, which is leaving many teachers, students and parents worried about school accommodations during the pandemic. The...
School recess requires innovation in lesson planning — and child care
With the threat of COVID-19 still spreading in more areas of the country, most schools have canceled classes at least until the end of March. Affected the most by the school closures are students from low-income households; more than 60 percent of Texas students are...
Texas public schools are losing ground under Republican governance
When it comes to public education, the past decade has shown itself to be a lengthy failure in Republican governance. Today, Texas is ranked among the worst states in the nation for per-student funding by the National Education Association. Ironically, its...
State agency says Fort Worth teacher’s derogatory tweets on “illegal students” are protected as free speech
A Fort Worth teacher who was fired over tweets she sent to President Trump won her appeal to the Texas Education Agency last week. The agency ordered her job to be reinstated with back pay and benefits, or a full year’s salary. The tweets in question focused on...
2020 Democratic presidential candidates descend on Houston today for public education forum
Houston has become a top stop in the country for Democratic presidential candidates for policy forums, rallies, and fundraising. On Friday, many of the leading candidates are in downtown Houston to talk public education at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The...