The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton demanded Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent Scribner turn over a copy of a sixth-grade health curriculum that includes lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity. Full Story
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Texas voters aren't satisfied with the state's handling of public education and don't always agree on whether paying for it should be a state or local duty, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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The private contractor housing migrant children separated from their families is considering partnering with a charter district it founded and with a local school district to educate kids in its Brownsville facilities. Full Story
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As a recent spate of school shootings has provoked nationwide panic, some advocates and parents are worried school and state officials' response to the May massacre at Santa Fe High School could harm some students more than it protects them. Full Story
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State Sen. Sylvia Garcia referred to the warehouse — which most recently housed families displaced by Hurricane Harvey — as a planned "baby jail." Full Story
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We've updated our Texas Higher Ed Outcomes app with a new year of data showing the percentage of Texas eighth-graders who earned degrees or certificates within six years of graduating from high school. See the education outcomes of Texas students by gender, ethnicity and economic status. Full Story
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Education Commissioner Mike Morath said Wednesday that 41,702 students were affected by slow connectivity during testing in April, while another 58,743 experienced slowdowns or had trouble logging into computerized tests in May. Full Story
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During a hearing on Tuesday, dozens of Mexican-American educators and activists implored the board to change the name of the course from “Ethnic Studies: An Overview of Americans of Mexican Descent” to “Mexican-American Studies." Full Story
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Republican State Board of Education member David Bradley proposed the new course title in April, saying he found "hyphenated Americanism to be divisive.” On Tuesday, another board member, Democrat Ruben Cortez, called Bradley “the most mean-spirited” person on the board. Full Story
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In a state that doesn't require counselors in schools, Abbott is recommending school districts find money to hire more counselors and allow them to focus on student mental health rather than administrative tasks like scheduling and college admissions. Full Story
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At a Senate hearing Monday, members of a select committee discussed mental health training and security cameras. But they failed to reach consensus on school architecture and metal detectors. Full Story
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We livestreamed a meeting of the Texas Senate Select Committee on Violence in Schools & School Security. Full Story
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The Texas Education Agency and the state's main testing vendor are investigating how more than 100 students in a high-performing Houston-area high school received zeros on their English essays. Full Story
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Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Wednesday released criteria that schools affected by Hurricane Harvey will have to meet to be exempt from state ratings. School administrators have argued that all schools in the disaster area should automatically get waivers. Full Story
We livestreamed our conversation on Hurricane Harvey’s effect on public education. Read the recap and watch some highlights from the event. Full Story
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Homeless for a month and a half after the hurricane, Justin Williams had to put his life back together while teaching Alief ISD sixth graders. Tiffany Robinson pushed students even harder to pass state tests after teachers lost 11 school days to Harvey. Full Story
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Both chambers hope to have certain fixes in place before students return to school in August. Full Story
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A 2017 law offers school districts a temporary reprieve from state sanctions if they partner with nonprofits or charters to overhaul chronically underperforming schools. But logistical challenges and local backlash has made the law difficult to use this year. Full Story
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The poll was conducted in the days immediately following a deadly school shooting in Southeast Texas. Full Story
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The plan includes new gun laws, training for school officials and an app. Full Story
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