As culture wars envelop schools, North Texas sees a superintendent exodus
Several departures come after months of contentious fights over teaching about slavery, requiring pandemic precautions and limiting what books kids can access. Full Story
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![Former Richardson ISD Superintendent Dr. Jeannie Stone left the superintendent position to focus on advocacy and closing achievement gaps through organizations she is involved in, such as the Texas School Alliance. "After 33 years, it was time for me to lend my passion and purpose to some other areas where I could make a larger impact," Stone said.]()
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In pandemic’s isolation, an alarming number of teenage girls are attempting suicide
Hospital admissions for teenage girls who may have attempted suicide have increased 50% nationwide. Texas does not have sufficient mental health resources to help them. Full Story
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![Michelle Tennen holds a photograph of herself and her daughter Charley at her home in El Paso on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. Charley died by suicide in July 2020.]()
Credit: Emily Kinskey for The Texas Tribune -
Texas students, frustrated by limited COVID-19 protocols, turn to petition drives and walkouts
The omicron variant has resulted in record-high COVID-19 cases in Texas schools. Despite student and staff absences, one Round Rock student said schools are remaining open for in-person learning “while everything around us is falling down.” Full Story
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![Student Eliana Smith stands in front of Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock on Tuesday, Jan. 25th, 2022. Smith was one of the organizers of local high school protests in favor of greater COVID-19 regulations in schools.]()
Credit: Miranda Lipton for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott taps into parent anger to fuel reelection campaign
Abbott promises a “parental bill of rights” amendment to the Texas Constitution. Current education code already provides an array of parent protections when it comes to schools. Full Story
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Analysis: Texas politicians await our instructions, but what do voters want?
If Texas politicians seem to be tinkering at the edges of major issues like the pandemic, electric blackouts and education, an election year is the best opportunity to set them straight. Full Story
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Trans kids and supporters say new Texas law will keep them out of school sports
School districts have said they will abide by the law, but it’s still unclear how they will determine whether a student’s birth certificate was issued near the time of birth. Full Story
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![Protestors participate in a rally against Anti-Trans legislation at the southern steps of the state Capitol on April 28, 2021.]()
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Texas schools struggle to stay open as teachers and bus drivers call in sick with COVID-19
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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![Teachers guide students outside of Linder Elementary School in Austin on the first day of classes after the winter break on Jan. 5, 2022.]()
Credit: Miranda Lipton for The Texas Tribune -
A Texas charter school had to remove an anti-racist quote from its website before it could open
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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![Akeem Brown, the superintendent of Essence Preparatory Charter School in San Antonio. The school, which focuses on an antiracist curriculum, has encountered pushback due to anti-CRT legislation in Texas.]()
Credit: Anthony Francis for Chalkbeat -
Omicron’s swift emergence tests Texas public schools as a new semester begins
Many schools are pushing through with plans for in-person classes despite a surge in COVID-19 cases as they try to reassure parents and students they are prepared to open safely this week. Full Story
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![First-grader Martin Domingos receives a COVID-19 rapid antigen test on Jan. 03, 2022, as he prepares to return to in-person learning at Eastside Early College High School in Austin.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Omicron is surging, but most Texas schools are resuming classes as planned
School officials are putting a greater emphasis on testing, vaccinations and masking to combat the variant’s spread. Full Story
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Texas schools rethink gender-based dress code policies after discrimination claims raise new legal issues
Recent high-profile incidents and lawsuits have led some districts to make their dress code policies more gender- and race-neutral. Full Story
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Analysis: The Texas storms — actual and political — of 2021
Here are a dozen of my columns from 2021: highlights on the winter storm, redistricting, the state’s finances and on issues that could figure into this next round of elections. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on June 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
The push to ban books in Texas schools spreads to public libraries
Some Texas residents are asking for greater say in what titles appear on public library shelves. Full Story
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![Books on shelves at the Llano Public Library on Dec. 14, 2021. The Commissioners Court for Llano County voted to close the public library to conduct "inventory and catalog" their books after community pushback related to books that some deemed offensive. The pushback also led to a decision to immediately shut down an online library of thousands of books out of fears that children could access material not appropriate for children.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
After governor’s veto, parents now must opt-in for students to learn about dating violence, child abuse
Advocates are worried that a last-minute law change means that students who need information about dating violence and child abuse will be the least likely to receive it. Full Story
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![Students arrived at Morehead Middle School in El Paso on Aug. 19, 2021.]()
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Analysis: Some Texas lawmakers are worried about the wrong reading problem
Some Texas Republicans are busy raising questions about what's in the books in the state's public school libraries. The real problem isn't in the books. Full Story
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![The library at Blanco Vista Elementary in San Marcos on Nov. 4, 2021.]()
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Death threats and doxxing: The outcomes of mask mandate and critical race theory fights at a Texas school board
The fight over race and how to deal with the pandemic has split the Fort Worth community, showcasing what’s being seen across the state and country. Full Story
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![Roxanne Martinez, District 9 trustee on the Fort Worth Board of Education, was elected to the position in June of this year. Dec. 13, 2021.]()
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Houston-area school district drops gender-based policy on long hair
The change comes after Magnolia ISD was sued by six boys and a nonbinary student for alleged discrimination. Full Story
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![Danielle Miller hugs her child as the family prepares for school in their home in Magnolia on Oct. 21, 2021.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Texas education officials investigating whether Keller school district has books with sexually explicit content
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 library at Blanco Vista Elementary in San Marcos on Nov. 4, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas' multibillion-dollar corporate tax incentive program is slated to end in 2022. Will state officials let it die?
Critics of the Chapter 313 corporate tax incentive program say it lacks accountability and is burdensome to taxpayers in the state. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott shakes hands with Samsung CEO and Vice Chairman Ki Nam Kim at an economic announcement at the Texas Governor's Mansion on Nov. 23, 2021, in Austin. Greg Abbott was joined by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Samsung CEO and Vice Chairman Ki Nam Kim to announce a new $17 billion chip plant in Taylor, the third such plant in the area.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
As critical race theory and mask mandate debates heat up, Texas GOP takes aim at local school board and municipal races
The Republican Party of Texas announced Monday it had launched a new Local Government Committee to work with county parties on backing candidates for nonpartisan local offices. Full Story
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![The Carroll ISD Administration Building is photographed in Southlake, TX on November 18, 2021. The U.S. Department of Education has opened three investigations into allegations of racial and gender discrimination at Carroll Independent School District.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune
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