The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.
Penny Schwinn, who oversees Texas Education Agency policy on special education, is a finalist for Massachusetts education commissioner — a month after a special education contract she spearheaded took a nosedive. Full Story
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In the wake of a federal report finding Texas was failing its kids with disabilities, educators say the state is to blame and that Texas legislators first suggested cutting back special education services to keep costs low. Full Story
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A U.S. Department of Education investigation concluded Thursday that Texas violated federal law by failing to ensure students with disabilities were properly evaluated and provided with an adequate public education. Full Story
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Take a look back at our 2017 public education coverage and read about how the Texas Legislature failed to overhaul the school finance system, how several Texas students and teachers are still recovering from a devastating hurricane, and more. Full Story
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Use our Texas Higher Ed Outcomes Explorer to track the educational milestones of every student who started eighth grade in a Texas public school between 1997 and 2005. You can see figures broken down by county, ethnicity and other factors. Full Story
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Now that the Texas Education Agency has terminated a controversial no-bid contract aimed at improving special education services, critics are questioning how a relatively unknown Georgia company got the job in the first place. Full Story
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As state cuts to public education become more common, school communities must frequently debate where and how to trim their limited budgets without harming students or teachers. Full Story
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After pushback from special education advocates, the Texas Education Agency is terminating a no-bid contract with a company to analyze thousands of personal records of students with disabilities — and reviewing agency contract processes. Full Story
A state lawmaker is seeking a legal opinion on whether an educator group is encouraging improper use of public funds to get out the vote. Teachers say they are modeling civic engagement for their students within legal limits, and the letter is motivated by a backlash against public education. Full Story
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Disability rights advocates are urging the Texas Education Agency to hit pause on a contract with a company to mine data on how schools are serving students with disabilities. Full Story
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A number of Texas day care centers are in rough shape after Hurricane Harvey, adding one more challenge for parents trying to get back home and find work — they're unable to find a safe place to leave their children. Full Story
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The TEA says it fired its new special education director because she didn't reveal that she had been accused of covering up sexual abuse allegations in a previous job. Laurie Kash believes she was fired because she uncovered an illegal agency contract. Full Story
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Texas' special education director is facing allegations from her old job in a small Oregon school district that she tried to cover up sexual abuse of a special education student. A civil suit was filed against her last Tuesday. Full Story
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Homeless youth in Texas are inadequately supported due to a spotty system of programs and resources, according to a new report released Wednesday. Full Story
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At a House Public Education Committee hearing, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath argued that waiving school accountability ratings for Harvey-damaged school districts could harm student learning. Full Story
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Hundreds of Texans across the state are organizing around policy issues they care about including education, immigration and guns. Based on reader input, we've added dozens of more groups to our directory of grassroots organizations. Full Story
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The Texas State Board of Education rejected yet another Mexican-American studies textbook in a preliminary vote. But members said they were open to the idea of creating an official elective course. Full Story
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The Texas State Board of Education is set to vote this week on whether a Mexican-American studies textbook and a Jewish Holocaust memoir should be the first state-approved materials for ethnic studies courses. Full Story
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The current debate on protests during the national anthem ignited in 2016 and as the conversation continues there’s a new layer of debate at the grade school level. Full Story
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Dallas ISD has pioneered a localized system of merit pay for teachers. Would it work elsewhere in the state? Read what Superintendent Michael Hinojosa had to say. Full Story
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