The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.
Experts say many of the changes will bolster school safety but some requirements may be challenging for public schools to implement by the upcoming school year with limited funding and staffing constraints. Full Story
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Lawmakers this year didn’t approve extra money to help schools pay for raises despite having an unprecedented $32 billion surplus — even after Gov. Greg Abbott commissioned a task force last year to improve teacher pay and retention. Full Story
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Mike Miles said the cuts will be mostly from academics-related departments with more positions to be cut in coming weeks, he said. Full Story
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The state police agency had been withholding nearly all of its records on law enforcement’s botched response to Texas’ deadliest school shooting. DPS will have an opportunity to redact the files before they are released. Full Story
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Many Texas residents can opt for a variety of different educational programs that are shorter, more appropriate to their needs and often cost less than a bachelor’s degree. Full Story
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Mike Miles has wasted no time in restructuring schools and proposing administrative layoffs. The changes are designed to pay teachers at struggling schools more if their students show improvement. Full Story
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The state recently took over the Houston school district. The new officials restricted the number of people allowed in the board room, requiring many people to watch from an overflow space. Full Story
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State law that limits transgender student athletes’ participation in sports runs afoul of the updated federal civil rights law, which was expanded to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ students, potentially putting Texas schools at risk of losing federal funding. Full Story
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Phelan announced the formation of a House committee that could set the tone in favor of vouchers ahead of an expected special session on education. The move comes weeks after Abbott sided with Phelan on a plan to lower property taxes. Full Story
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What a Houston-area school district calls a mistake points at deeper problems related to dress codes. Advocates say it also amounts to systemic racism. Full Story
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Threat assessment teams were created to prevent the next school shooting. However, confusion surrounds how these teams operate and what they even do with a child exhibiting threatening behavior. Full Story
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A 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel in New Orleans heard oral arguments Wednesday for an appeal to overturn a judge’s order that Llano County officials return to shelves books they had removed. It was not clear how or when the appellate panel would rule. Full Story
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On this week’s episode, we speak to the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s James Quintero, who has been at the center of the debate over property taxes this week. Full Story
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Lawmakers sacrificed school funding to block school vouchers, but the issue could be debated again in a special session. Districts will get new funds for school safety, though Uvalde families were ultimately left disappointed with inaction on gun restrictions. Full Story
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The former Dallas ISD superintendent and a state-appointed board of managers will replace Houston’s elected school board in response to years of poor academic outcomes at a single campus in the district. Full Story
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At a Texas Tribune event, Republican state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione said his vote to impeach Ken Paxton was akin to being a grand juror who found enough evidence to warrant a trial in the Senate. Full Story
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In a live edition of TribCast, the Tribune’s weekly podcast, we discussed the outcomes of the regular session, what’s happening in the current special session and more. Full Story
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Abbott noted many bills that were passed during the regular session, which ended around 6 p.m. Monday, but he added that “many critical items remain” and will require multiple special sessions. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott over the weekend signed into law a bill prohibiting race-based hair discrimination in Texas workplaces, schools and housing policies. It goes into effect in September. Full Story
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The bill comes in response to the Uvalde school shooting last year that left 19 children and two adults dead. Full Story
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