Texas education board nears compromise on evolution standards
Texas education board members have reached some consensus on language that relates to challenging scientific theories about evolution. Full Story
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![Barbara Cargill, State Board of Education.]()
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School districts beg Senate panel to keep expiring state aid program
The Senate Education Committee is considering extending a decade-old state aid program for small, vulnerable school districts that depend on it for vital operations. The program is set to expire in September. Full Story
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![Sen. Lois Kolkhorst proposed a bill that would extend a state aid program to help struggling school districts that say they depend on it.]()
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Texas made a school district take in more students. But will it help fund them?
As lawmakers debate possible reforms to the school finance system this week, they might decide whether to continue offering extra funds to districts like Texas City ISD, which last year was forced to annex a struggling district next to it. Full Story
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![Myritha Lenor, a senior at La Marque High School, wears her Sears badge — she works there part time — while studying at Texas City ISD's Challenge Academy.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas education board to consider compromise on evolution standards
The State Board of Education will take a final vote this week on whether to modify language in high school biology curriculum standards that would require students to challenge evolutionary science. Full Story
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![State Board of Education member Barbara Cargill attends a meeting of the board on Feb. 1, 2017, in Austin.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
New in Trib+Edu: Playlists come to the curriculum
In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: Software companies aim to personalize learning, Idaho experiments with online accounts for students to defray college prep costs and an interview with Candace Walkington of Southern Methodist University. Full Story
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Texas parents fear being outed for seeking vaccine exemptions
Under House Bill 2249, the state would require reports on the number of vaccine exemptions at each public school. But parents say it could make it easier for people to publicly shame them for not vaccinating their children. Full Story
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![Nicholas Nunez, 4, sits with his mother, Elizabeth Trejo, while he receives his shots at the Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County in Fort Worth on August 30, 2013.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill / The Texas Tribune -
Senate panel weighs alternate graduation route for students who fail exams
The Texas Senate Education Committee heard Tuesday from supporters, and a few critics, of a bill that would make permanent a 2015 law that allows students to graduate even if they haven't passed their required exams by going before a graduation committee. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, discussed higher education issues during a Texas Tribune event on April 4, 2017. Seliger is chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Here’s what the Texas school choice bill means in plain English
Despite lobbying from Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the leading private school choice bill of the session is facing strong resistance in the Texas House. We've updated our annotation of Senate Bill 3 to reflect the version that passed out of the Senate. Full Story
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![Children from charter and private schools all over Texas turned out for the 85th legislative session's National School Choice Rally on Jan. 24, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
"David's Law" would criminalize cyberbullying, mandate school policies
A Texas senator wants to criminalize cyberbullying when it leads to a minor's serious injury or suicide. Critics of the bill say prevention is more effective than punishment. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Tim Park for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: A state school finance system that can choke a city’s growth
A state that wants to grow by freeing economic engines from regulations and taxes is throttling its cities and school districts with regulations and taxes. Full Story
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Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Dan Patrick asked for a House vote on school choice. He got it.
Top House education official Dan Huberty has said private school choice is dead in the House. Representatives showed they overwhelmingly support that sentiment, in a 103-44 budget amendment vote. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks during a rally at the Capitol for school choice January 24, 2017. Both Gov. Greg Abbott and Patrick spoke in favor of expanding school choice options. Students, educators, activists and parents marched on the south lawn to show their support for expanding school choice options during National School Choice Week.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Four things Texans want the Legislature to know about special education
Last month, The Texas Tribune asked parents and educators what they think lawmakers should do before the Legislature adjourns. Here’s what they said. Full Story
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![Kara DaRocha of Houston was among several parents who attended The Texas Tribune's roundtable discussion event on public education at the University of Houston-Downtown. DaRocha urged legislators to reach out to their constituents. “We can’t always go to them, especially if we don’t live in Austin,” DaRocha said. “That’s just not a realistic expectation for many of us parents.”]()
Credit: Spike Johnson for The Texas Tribune -
House Education Committee backs bill overhauling A-F system
The House Public Education Committee passed a bill to overhaul a proposal to give schools and districts grades between A and F, to try and get educators on board with the accountability system. Full Story
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![House Committee on Public Education Chairman Dan Huberty at a hearing on March 21, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes private school choice bill
The Senate voted 18-13 Thursday to pass a major private school choice bill, creating two public programs that would subsidize private school tuition. Full Story
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![State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, looks over the close vote totals on Floor Amendment 10 to SB 3 debated in the Senate on March 30, 2017. The amendment was later pulled down by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
New in Trib+Edu: Schools investing in cyber defenses
In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: Schools on the defense against student hackers, tackling the black student achievement gap and an interview with Sara Jones of the University of Houston. Full Story
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Private school choice bill likely to get makeover on Senate floor
Legislative staffers Tuesday received a one-page report detailing changes to Senate Bill 3, which would exclude rural counties from participating in the private school subsidy programs and limit overall participation. Full Story
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![State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, chair of the Senate Education Committee, directs a witness during testimony on March 21, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
House committee approves $1.6 billion school finance measure
The House Public Education Committee voted 10-1 to approve Chairman Dan Huberty's school finance bill, which would mean gains for most, but major losses for some. Full Story
![House Committee on Public Education Chairman Dan Huberty at a hearing on March 21, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Is this Texas state budget trick constitutional?
The Texas Senate is proposing a new accounting trick to balance its 2018-19 budget. The contrivance would work, mathematically speaking, but it raises constitutional questions and faces derision from the House. Full Story
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![Road crews were prolific in the Midland region in 2016 following an oil boom, when heavy truck traffic obliterated highways.]()
Credit: Jerod Foster for The Texas Tribune -
Senate Education Committee passes school choice legislation
In a 7-3 vote, the Senate Education Committee passed a bill that would create two public programs subsidizing private school tuition and homeschooling expenses. Full Story
![State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, chair of the Senate Education Committee, directs a witness during testimony on March 21, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Can Abbott assemble an army for this session’s pre-K fight?
Gov. Greg Abbott has hit tough sledding with his call for more spending on early education in Texas. Lawmakers aren't warm to the idea, to say the least, and the governor hasn't assembled an army of supporters to back up his position. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Robin Jerstad