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Morgan Smith was a reporter at the Tribune from 2009 to 2018, covering politics, public education and inequality. In 2013, she received a National Education Writers Association award for “Death of a District,” a series on school closures. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Wellesley College, she moved to Austin in 2008 to enter law school at the University of Texas. A San Antonio native, her work has also appeared in Slate, where she spent a year as an editorial intern in Washington D.C.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has announced a slate of bills he says will provide lasting tax relief to businesses and homeowners in Texas — to the tune of $4.6 billion. But there are signs he could face some opposition within his own party. Full Story
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Texas continues to outpace the national average in high school graduation rates, according to annually released federal data, state education officials announced Friday. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers took aim at the state’s standardized testing system Thursday as they considered a proposal to allow high school seniors to graduate even if they fail state exams. Full Story
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The roughly 28,000 public high school seniors who still need to pass a state exam to get their diplomas this May could get a lifeline from Texas legislators. Full Story
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A crowd of Second Amendment rights activists, survivors of gun violence, students, concerned parents, and law enforcement officers showed up at the Texas Capitol on Thursday to give lawmakers their views on two high-profile gun bills. Full Story
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Gun rights activists haven't been shy about making their presence felt at the Capitol. They'll have their first chance to weigh in on actual legislation on Thursday, when a Senate committee takes up two gun bills. Full Story
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Citing concerns over threats of violence, a group that advocates for stricter firearm laws has retained a security guard to protect members planning to testify at the Texas Capitol on Thursday. Full Story
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Education Commissioner Michael Williams said Wednesday that the state does not have the authority to satisfy federal officials’ desire for a more overarching system. Full Story
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State Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, said Friday he will propose legislation to eliminate "conscientious exemptions" because of the re-emergence of diseases like measles attributed to growing numbers of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. Full Story
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More than 38,000 Texas students — about 0.75 percent of the state's overall school-age population — had nonmedical exemptions to school immunization laws in the 2013-14 school year, according to state data. Search our table to see the totals for your district or private school. Full Story
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