The latest Texas Education Agency news from The Texas Tribune.
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
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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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Biden said he will use the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights enforcement authority to deter states from blocking mask mandates in classrooms. Full Story
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For the second straight year, schools must worry about keeping their staff and their children safe and ensure that they’re providing the best possible education during a pandemic that has killed more than 50,000 Texans. Full Story
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Dallas ISD and Austin ISD announced Monday they will require masking, while Houston ISD will vote on a mandate this week. A nonprofit group has also sued to block Abbott’s order. Full Story
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The new guidance will allow for remote learning for up to 20 days for students who are sick with COVID-19 or have been exposed to it. Full Story
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Public health experts and medical professionals are sounding the alarm over the highly transmissible delta variant of COVID-19. The governor has stood firm on his ban against masking mandates in schools. Full Story
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For years, educators have disagreed over the most effective method for teaching reading. In Texas, one side thinks remote learning during the pandemic has strengthened its argument in the Reading Wars. Full Story
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Texas educators say they’re concerned they won’t be able to have open conversations about what’s happening in the world if the Texas Legislature approves a bill that restricts how teachers can discuss current events in the classroom. Full Story
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The bill previously lacked the votes to advance out of House committee. After House Democrats spiked one of his bills, Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, revived it. Full Story
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In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to LaTonya Goffney, the superintendent of Aldine Independent School District, about public education’s disrupted year — pivoting online, learning loss, budget woes, and what it will take to put the whole thing back together by fall. Full Story
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As Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders continue to delay the arrival of billions in education stimulus funding for Texas schools, Texas Democrats in Congress asked the Department of Education to pressure the state to send federal funds to schools as quickly as possible. Full Story
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Earlier this school year, the Texas Education Agency established guidelines that each school district must follow to qualify for the state’s hold harmless funding. Some districts, like Austin, are now at risk of losing funds. Full Story
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In an academic year scrambled by the pandemic and a deadly winter storm, Texas school students face makeup work and rounds of standardized testing. Many parents and teachers say it's unnecessary. Full Story
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Patty Young, a middle school language arts teacher, says the state assessments are causing kids unnecessary stress. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
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Three federal stimulus packages passed during the pandemic included more than $19 billion for Texas public schools, but state leaders have yet to distribute most of the money. Local districts say they need it to cover pandemic-related costs. Full Story
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With more students going back to classrooms and no more statewide mask mandate, nurses say their jobs are set to become even more challenging. Full Story
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