Bender named Executive Director of Texas School Coalition
Missy Bender, a former school board President and a trusted advocate for public education in Texas, has been named the new Executive Director of the Texas School Coalition.
Registering Comments for Upcoming Texas House Public Education Hearing
The Texas House Committee on Public Education will hold public hearings on August 12-13, 2024. One of the topics is education savings accounts. To register your comments electronically, you can visit https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c400
Comptroller Says Texas Has Money
The Texas Comptroller, Glenn Hegar, sent a letter to the Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Dan Patrick, Texas Speaker of the House, Dan Phelan, and members of the 88th Texas Legislature layout out the current state of monies in Texas. To put it simply, Texas has money!
School vouchers were supposed to save taxpayer money. They blew a hole in Arizona’s budget
DALLAS MORNING NEWS – Arizona, the model for school choice programs nationwide, spent so much money paying private schoolers’ tuition that it’s now facing hundreds of millions in budget cuts to critical state programs and projects.
88th Legislative Committees by Ratings
In Texas, public policy begins its journey in legislative committees, with education policy specifically initiated in the Texas House Committee on Public Education and the Texas Senate Committee on Education. Both committees consist of elected representatives dedicated to shaping the future of education in the state.
The hidden impact of underfunding on Central Texas school districts
COMMUNITY IMPACT – While Gov. Greg Abbott is sharing news that Texas will kick off the 89th Legislative Session in January 2025 with an estimated $20 billion budget surplus, school districts across the state are running out of funds and preparing to file deficit budgets for the 2024-2025 school year.
Marlin ISD was failing. Now this superintendent is changing trajectories
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION – When Superintendent Darryl Henson took the helm, Marlin ISD had been a low-performing district longer than any other school system in Texas. It had failed academically for 10 straight years and has now experienced more than 4,000 days of state intervention.
2024 Party Platforms Compared
Education policy is a cornerstone of any state’s political landscape, and Texas is no exception. Understanding the stances of the major political parties on K-12 education is crucial for voters looking to make informed decisions. In this post, we delve into a side-by-side comparison of the current party platforms in Texas, sourced directly from the Texas Democratic Party and Texas Republican Party websites.
How Public Schools in Texas are Funded
RAISE YOUR HAND TEXAS – Schools in Texas receive funding from numerous sources including local property taxes, state funds derived from sales taxes, business taxes, and lottery proceeds.
Generative Artificial Intelligence May Help Teachers. Does It Work for Students?
THE 74 – The public release of ChatGPT in April 2022 sparked a wave of fear and excitement among educators. While some expressed hesitation about the ability of generative artificial intelligence to make cheating undetectable, others pointed to its potential to provide real-time, personalized support for teachers and students, making differentiated learning finally seem possible after decades of unmet promises.