
Top Texas officials named 11 of 15 appointees to the newly created public education Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability, authorized through the passage of House Bill 2804 during the 84th legislative session. The short-term 15-member commission’s sole purpose is to write a report that develops and makes recommendations “for new systems of student assessment and public school accountability” which is due by September 1, 2016.
by Merrill Hope12 Nov 2015, 6:08 AM PST0

Texas House leadership squashed education reform legislation that would have sped up the time to “repurpose” chronically failing public schools during the recent 84th Legislature. Instead, they aggressively pushed for progressive community schools.
by Merrill Hope13 Aug 2015, 8:22 AM PST0

Texas Governor Greg Abbott vetoed an estimated $193,000 annual membership to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) as part of the state’s discretionary spending budget last month.
by Merrill Hope26 Jul 2015, 3:36 AM PST0

Four Texas State House Republicans sided with Democrats yesterday and voted against a pro-life amendment to H.B. 2510 which would have banned abortions after 20 weeks where there is an alleged genetic disability of the fetus. The amendment, offered by Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler), passed by a vote of 83-46.
by Lana Shadwick25 Apr 2015, 6:05 AM PST0

The daughter of a Texas State Representative has withdrawn her registration as a lobbyist, after an outcry over the potential for conflicts of interest between her work lobbying for education clients and her father’s role as chair of the House Public Education Committee. The announcement was made on a Friday afternoon, just two days after a Breitbart Texas article describing the conflict.
by Sarah Rumpf30 Jan 2015, 1:49 PM PST0

The increased prominence of a Texas State Representative’s daughter as a lobbyist on education issues is raising questions about the propriety of him serving as chair of the House Public Education Committee.
by Sarah Rumpf28 Jan 2015, 10:09 AM PST0