The latest Texas Education Agency news from The Texas Tribune.
School districts are not required to adopt the agency’s recommendations but can use them as guidance as they develop new procedures or alter their policies for selecting or removing library books. Full Story
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K-3 teachers in Texas have until 2023 to complete a 60-hour Reading Academies course to keep the job. It’s taking some 120 hours on their own time to finish. Full Story
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Paxton equated the week of LGBTQ-inclusive activities with sex education in a letter to the district. Austin ISD says it’s about acceptance. Full Story
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Use our database to learn about Texas public school districts and campuses, including hundreds of charter schools and alternative campuses. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the state waived accountability ratings for the 2020-21 school year. Full Story
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Teaching demands during the pandemic have exacerbated the nation’s teacher shortage. Abbott wants a task force to investigate. Full Story
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School district leaders are desperately trying to fill vacant roles to stay open and some say they have no choice but to close. Full Story
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After lawmakers passed a law about how racism was to be taught in Texas schools, Essence Preparatory in San Antonio was sent back to the drawing board. Full Story
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The district appears to be the first one to be investigated since Republicans started raising questions in October about content in public school libraries. Full Story
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The so-called “critical race theory” law prohibits teachers from discussing “a widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs.” Full Story
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It’s unclear why the governor tasked the state's education agency, which does not employ law enforcement officers, to perform the investigation. Full Story
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Abbott targeted two books that have been removed by schools recently that center on LGBTQ characters. One of the books includes a graphic illustration and the other includes depictions of sex. Full Story
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State Rep. Matt Krause, a candidate for state attorney general, asked school superintendents to confirm whether any books on a list of 850 titles are in their libraries and classrooms. Full Story
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Plaintiffs say the governor’s order denies children with disabilities, who are at a high risk of illness and death from the coronavirus, access to public education. Full Story
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Cardona spoke about how students, teachers, schools and districts have fared during the pandemic — and what happens now. Full Story
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The U.S. Department of Education announced the inquiry days after the Texas Education Agency quietly updated its guidance to say school districts can’t require masks. Full Story
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Student and staff COVID-19 cases declined after districts reported their highest levels in January since the pandemic began. But the data is incomplete and likely an undercount. Full Story
The bill would pay for virtual learning until September 2023, but won't fund it for students who have failed their STAAR exams. Full Story
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The bill, which would provide funding through September 2023, will head back to the Senate before reaching Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. Full Story
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There have been 20,256 reported cases among students across the state since the school year began. Full Story
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This is a reversal of the Texas Education Agency’s previous guidance, which didn’t explicitly require school districts to notify parents of a close contact with the virus. Full Story
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