Tag Archives: Texas Education Agency

MALDEF files suit over change to recapture

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is a twist. Texas education officials illegally changed how property taxes are calculated in wealthy school districts, with the effect of substantially reducing the funds available for schools in poorer districts, a lawsuit filed Thursday charged. The change would … Continue reading →

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The updated bill for recapture and detachment

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the numbers as we now face them. Houston ISD voters will face a choice of either paying the state’s $77.5 million recapture fee, or risk losing $98.4 million in tax revenue over the next fiscal year, according to … Continue reading →

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Recapture re-vote will happen

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars for May 6. On Thursday, the board voted 5-3, with one abstention, to put another referendum on recapture on the May 6 ballot. Placing a second referendum on the May ballot will cost the district $800,000, according … Continue reading →

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HISD Board to discuss recapture re-vote today

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We should find out today if a re-vote on recapture is in our future. At their monthly meeting Thursday, trustees for the Houston Independent School Board will consider putting recapture back on the ballot. […] In November, HISD voters rejected … Continue reading →

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A re-vote on recapture?

Posted on February 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is very interesting. After reconsideration of an 18-year-old law, state education officials are adjusting their school finance calculations in a way that could save several dozen school districts roughly $100 million — while costing the state the same amount … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit threatened over special education limits

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The clock is ticking. Disability advocates on Monday threatened to sue the Texas Education Agency unless the state permanently ends its special education enrollment benchmark within the next month. The advocates said immediate action is necessary because of the “devastating … Continue reading →

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Senate to begin studying school finance changes

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what this looks like. Leaders in the Texas Senate are vowing to find ways to overhaul the state’s school finance system, saying a recent Texas Supreme Court decision granted them a prime opportunity to shake up the heavily … Continue reading →

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New school grading system looks pretty harsh

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves. Schools in poor neighborhoods overwhelmingly received the worst grades under Texas’ new rating system — but even typically high-performing districts got C’s and D’s, according to scores that will be released Friday. The “what if” grades show how … Continue reading →

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“Denied”: HISD and special education

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There are problems here as well. Superintendent Richard Carranza announced Thursday that the Houston Independent School District has decided to conduct a detailed review of the way that it serves students with disabilities. The effort will include asking “independent, third-party … Continue reading →

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Here’s your chance to give feedback on special education

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The feds are coming to Texas to hear what you have to say about it. The U.S. Department of Education is sending representatives to tour Texas and take comment from school community members on special education, continuing to look at … Continue reading →

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TEA officially backs off special education limits

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see about that. Facing increasing criticism over its special education enrollment benchmark, the Texas Education Agency this week told schools that they must provide services to all eligible students with disabilities and that they will no longer be penalized … Continue reading →

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“Denied”, continued

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s Part 2 of the Chron’s reporting on special education limits. A few days before school began here in 2007, district administrators called an emergency staff meeting. The Texas Education Agency had determined that they had too many students in … Continue reading →

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TEA says no more special ed limits

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see about that. The Texas Education Agency has agreed to stop auditing school districts that give specialized education to more than 8.5 percent of students, officials announced Wednesday, cheering experts, advocates and lawmakers outraged by the policy. In a … Continue reading →

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Feds intervene in Texas special education mess

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The federal government on Monday ordered Texas state officials to eliminate an 8.5 percent benchmark on special education enrollment enforced in the state’s 1,200 school districts unless they can show that it had not kept children with disabilities from … Continue reading →

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Superintendents begin speaking out against special education limits

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The leaders of two of the state’s biggest school districts are calling on the Texas Education Agency to stop penalizing districts for giving specialized education to more kids than the agency has deemed prudent. Superintendents Michael Hinojosa … Continue reading →

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School district to join lawsuit over STAAR test

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Ben Becker, the Houston father who helped organize a legal fight over last year’s STAAR exams, has repeatedly challenged superintendents over the last few months to join him in court to fight for their students. Becker describes his group … Continue reading →

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HISD board members against the HISD ballot item

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I missed this when it first appeared. Three Houston school board members on Thursday evening publicly urged voters to oppose a measure that would authorize the district to forfeit $162 million to the state. Trustees Jolanda Jones, Harvin Moore and … Continue reading →

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TEA will review special ed limits

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said Wednesday that his office is reviewing a monitoring system that sets an 8.5 percent benchmark for special education enrollments and strictly audits school districts with enrollments that exceed that rate for … Continue reading →

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Some officials take note of special education funding restrictions

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. The vice chairman of the State Board of Education, a Houston school board member, a key state senator and scores of parents and disability advocates all expressed strong opposition on Monday to a Texas Education Agency performance-based … Continue reading →

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“Denied”

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This is worth your time to read. During the first week of school at Shadow Forest Elementary, a frail kindergartner named Roanin Walker had a meltdown at recess. Overwhelmed by the shrieking and giggling, he hid by the swings and … Continue reading →

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STAAR test lawsuit survives motion to dismiss

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

On to trial. After a group of parents sued the Texas Education Agency over the 2016 administration of STAAR exams, state lawyers argued this summer that the parents had no standing and asked the courts to drop the case. This … Continue reading →

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Strange HISD referendum to be on the ballot

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This will be weird. Because of the state’s byzantine financing system, HISD will have to either send almost $162 million in local taxpayers’ money to the state or stand by to see some of the district’s most valuable properties assigned … Continue reading →

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La Marque ISD lawsuit tossed

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The end of the line for La Marque ISD. A Texas appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to halt the annexation of the La Marque school district by Texas City ISD. The 3rd Texas Court of Appeals on Friday … Continue reading →

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TAB says it wants better pre-K in Texas

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The Texas Association of Business wants the state to offer a full school day of taxpayer-funded pre-K and plans to push lawmakers in that direction next year, the group announced this week. … Continue reading →

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AG opposes parents in STAAR lawsuit

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. The Texas attorney general says parents suing to get the state to toss out student test scores lack standing and should have taken their complaints to the Texas Education Agency rather than a court. Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office … Continue reading →

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STAAR screwups

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the Observer: Texas’ standardized testing program wasn’t exactly popular before the 2015-2016 school year, but this year’s State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) has been an especially frustrating experience for Texas students, parents and school officials. New … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over STAAR exams

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. A backlash against this year’s STAAR exams escalated Monday when a group of parents sued the state in an attempt to keep schools from using 2016 test scores to rate students — including deciding whether students should advance to … Continue reading →

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TEA Commissioner has no opinion yet on federal transgender bathroom directive

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Tuesday praised the state Supreme Court’s recent opinion upholding the state’s public school funding system and demurred on questions about bathroom use by transgender students. “Last time I checked, it … Continue reading →

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Lawsuits filed over teacher evaluations

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. A statewide teachers group filed a lawsuit Wednesday in an attempt to block the state from implementing a controversial system that for the first time ties assessments of educators to student performance on standardized tests. … Continue reading →

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Alma Allen for HISD Superintendent?

Posted on March 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It could happen. State Rep. Alma Allen, a former school principal, has emerged as a high-profile contender for the HISD superintendent’s job during the early stages of the search. The Houston Democrat, who retired from the Houston Independent School District … Continue reading →

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More on the UIL ban of transgender athletes

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From ThinkProgress: Transgender rights in Texas took another step backward last month, when public school superintendents voted 586-32 in favor of a rule that requires schools to use birth certificates to determine the gender of student-athletes. This law is seen … Continue reading →

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School districts vote to approve new UIL policy restricting transgender athletes

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate. Despite strong opposition from LGBT advocates, representatives from Texas school districts have overwhelmingly endorsed a proposal aimed at barring transgender boys and girls from participating in athletics alongside their cisgender peers. District superintendents and athletic directors voted 409-25 in … Continue reading →

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New La Marque ISD trustees want to stop lawsuit against the TEA

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure about this. Last month, the La Marque Independent School District’s board of trustees voted to mount a legal challenge to the state’s decision to close the troubled Galveston County district after years of academic and financial problems. Now, … Continue reading →

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New school board for La Marque selected

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another step in the process. The Texas education commissioner on Friday announced the appointments of a new superintendent and a board of managers for the troubled La Marque school district, replacing a board that is legally challenging an order for … Continue reading →

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