Raymund Paredes, Commissioner of Higher Education at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) threw down the gauntlet in a May 30, 2014 San Antonio Express News opinion piece “Common Core Controversy in Texas Distracting, Unneccessary” in which he declared
FortWorth — In the first major go-round on the official opening day of the Texas State Republican Convention, a strong “Educating our Children”subcommittee resolution to stop Common Core in Texas was initially adopted into the party platform. The following resolution plank
Denton Independent School District (ISD) parent Jenny Williams was stunned by the flyer she found in her son’s fifth grade reading intervention packet–“3 Key Ideas for Parents (about the Common Core).” On May 23, Williams met with Ginnings Elementary administrators
Last week, an inflammatory Top 10 list in an article flagrantly and falsely accused Texas of being “The Most (Overtly) Racist State in America.” The list was published by a non-profit education organization called Empathy Educates. One of this group’s
As the school year winds down, high-stakes testing isn’t the only controversial classroom issue to shelve until the 2014-15 school year. Grade inflation looms in the background. It’s a huge problem from public to private school and colleges and universities. It has
Fort Worth–Tonight at the Stockyards, it was all smiles for Konni Burton (R-Colleyville), the grassroots conservative favorite who swept Senate District 10 in her run-off bid to become the GOP nominee in the state senate race for the November 2014
Picture a state that rejected the Common Core State Standards, yet strangely, Common Core conferences convene around the calendar with some of the biggest names in progressive education reform. Yes, that state would be Texas. In fact, Common Core kick-offs
Inthe midst of the Texas House drafting articles of impeachment against Universityof Texas system regent Wallace Hall, Jr., Governor Rick Perry issued “oneof his strongest statements yet” in support of the Dallas businessman,according to the Washington Times. Perry,who appointed
DALLAS, Texas–Paris Independent School District Superintendent Paul Jones apparently had no idea that when he wrote an open online letter to parents slamming the Texas standardized STAAR test that it would go viral, end up on the local news and
Today is a “time when college hasnever been more important,” according to the U.S. Department of Education(DOE) who announcedits latest $75 million competition–“First in the World (FITW).” It will create grants to “fund thedevelopment and testing of innovative approaches and
There’sno shortage of scandals in Texas education. While in the K-12 world the landscape has been littered with everythingfrom embezzlementto test taking cheating catastrophes and lapdances, the current drama comes from the college front where University ofTexas (UT) Regent Wallace J. Hall, Jr.
Even in light of the firestormthat brought down metadata giant inBloom,data tracking of children is still here. Nationwide,states are required by law to collect and store student data as part of theprime directive to move students down the college and
It’s Texas teacher climate survey season compliments of Rep. MikeVillarreal (D-San Antonio) and the 83rd Legislature that pushed through HouseBill 2012 in 2013. The law requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to “developan online teaching and learning conditions survey to be administered statewidebiennially to
“Creating opportunities for unlimited learning will require newtools, new mindsets and new ways of thinking,” said Greg Abbott, the GOPgubernatorial candidate and current Texas Attorney General, who has beentraveling the state with the third phase of his Educating Texans: High-Quality
TheEducation Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) hascreated quite a stir in Houston ISD. It’sa teacher and principal job performance metric that the district has used previously to award bonuses. However, inthe 2012-13 school year, Houston ISD started using another one of the EVAAScomponents — “value
Allover Texas, the gloves came off and politicalparty lines were drawn for the May 10,2014 public school board elections. Incumbents backed by the Democratic Party cameout swinging to maintain the status quo against grassroots conservative candidateswho jumped into this year’s races.
Digitalliteracy is the main push in 21st century classrooms – smart boards, smartphones, notebooks, Chromebooks and iPads – but now, it’s the teacher’sturn to go back to school and learn how to use all these tools. At PlaydateAustin that’s exactly what
In an open letter to supporters filled with lofty 21st Century education rhetoric, Sen. Wendy Davis is back at it again, continuing her jab-fest directed at Greg Abbott, GOP nominee for governor who is also the current Texas Attorney General. This
The price tag on a college education in the Lone Star state is about to go up on all eleven Texas A&M campuses. Next fall, freshmen will feel the tuition hike the most. In January, the Board of Regents voted
It was destination: college or bust when the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, launched her national Reach Higher Initiative at the University of Texas in San Antonio on May 2. Mrs. Obama spoke to approximately 2,100 San
The Davis for Governor camp couldn’t help but throw all caution to the wind and take yet another swipe at Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, who is also the GOP nominee for governor. Sen.Wendy Davis , the Democratic challenger, has
Guy Bailey, former Texas Tech University president, was selected by the University of Texas (UT) Board of Regents to head up the newly-formed University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The Austin American-Statesman reported that the vote by the nine-member UT System Board
Bastrop ISD is piloting a savvy 21st Century social media learning program, YouTube EDU, to enhance the educational experience. The initiative will run through the end of this school year, according to the Austin American-Statesman. On April 15, the district
The Frisco Independent School District (FISD) early voting date has arrived on a $775 million package that Breitbart Texas has been following since the FISD board of trustees voted unanimously to move it forward. It is an important bond not only
Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Texas GOP gubernatorial candidate, unveiled the second phase of his four-part Educating Texans plan at Houston’s Northbrook High School on April 25. The main focus was governance and a top priority of returning genuine control
Last year, the Laredo ISD pioneered a program that took advantage of the oil and gas boon in south Texas and put practical meaning to college and career readiness at the Sabas Perez Engineering Magnet School, located at Cigarroa High.
U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan is coming to Austin and the Texas PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is delighted to have him. Yes, Duncan, the chief cheerleader of the Common Core State Standards will be the headliner at the
In an unprecedented action, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) filed a petition to hold 11 employees accountable for their roles in the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) cheating scheme, masterminded by the district’s former superintendent Lorenzo García. The El Paso
A fourth grade class assignment left parents in Pasodale Elementary stunned. A worksheet that was assigned in class came home only because some of the students did not finish the assignment. It was not a typical fourth grade worksheet. One of
The South San Antonio Independent School District (SSAISD) Board of Trustees voted to opt-out of the city of San Antonio’s Pre-K 4 SA program. The 6-1 vote was taken at a regular meeting held on April 16. SSAISD was the
There is an interesting dynamic built into the 21st Century education paradigm. At the back end, it’s all about college and career readiness and on the front end, it’s all about early childhood learning. Pre-kindergarten, which is also known as
The embezzlement scandal that rocked the Beaumont Independent School District (BISD) found resolution on two fronts–the employees who were indicted for stealing over $4 million from the district had their day before a U.S. judge and the Texas Commissioner of
The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) wrapped up their decision to maintain Mexican American studies on an elective status and not to elevate it into mandated coursework on April 11 despite a strong push from activists, who also worked
AUSTIN, TEXAS–The role of the federal government in education was the main focus when former George W. Bush Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and California congressman George Miller (D-Concord) sat down for a chat with moderator Bob Scheiffer, CBS-TV “Face the Nation” fixture on
Following her brief closed door, no media allowed meeting with President Obama on April 10, Sen. Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth) is back on the campaign trail proving the old adage that if she tells herself something enough times, at least
Education issues like public school board takeovers by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), out-of-state charter dollars pouring into Texas and or the conundrum of whether to remain an independent school district or opt-out into home rule charter strain the Texas
Party line rhetoric continues to plague Senator Wendy Davis who, in lieu of substance, has again attempted to deliberately mislead Texas voters on education positions taken by Attorney General Greg Abbott, the GOP gubernatorial nominee. In early April, Davis fired
The fictional Ewing family of the Dallas TV series may have seen less scandals in their 35-plus years on South Fork Ranch than Texas independent school districts (ISD) have over recent years. Dallas ISD, Garland ISD, Comal ISD and South
The Republican runoff race is for the key Senate District (SD) 10 features the long-time northeast Tarrant County grassroots leader Konni Burton as a favored conservative candidate. Burton led a five-way race for the party’s nomination, drawing the largest percentage
