Tag Archives: Mike Morath

Lots of Harvey waivers out there

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And good for the school districts that got them. The vast majority of Houston-area school districts will be eligible for academic accountability waivers this year due to Hurricane Harvey, meaning they will be labeled “not rated” unless they score an … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lots of Harvey waivers out there

HISD is optimistic about not being taken over (yet)

Posted on July 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I hope it’s warranted. Several of Houston ISD’s longest-struggling elementary and middle schools posted significant gains on state standardized tests in 2018, including all three campuses that must meet Texas academic standards this year to avoid triggering major sanctions, according … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD is optimistic about not being taken over (yet)

“As the Board turns”

Posted on June 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

deep sigh Houston ISD Trustee Jolanda Jones publicly aired personal attacks and allegations against fellow school board members in online posts this week, chipping away at the board’s efforts to present a more collegial front in the face of administrative … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The criteria for Harvey accountability waivers

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here they are. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Wednesday released the criteria he will use to decide how to waive state ratings for schools affected by Hurricane Harvey, more than nine months after it made landfall. Schools impacted by … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The criteria for Harvey accountability waivers

HISD hoping for Harvey waiver

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

That’s what it would take to avoid TEA sanctions this year. Houston ISD’s 10 longest-struggling schools likely would not trigger major state sanctions this year if they all receive academic accountability waivers due to Hurricane Harvey, Texas Education Commissioner Mike … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What might the TEA do with HISD?

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

They have some options, the best of which is probably to put the decision off for a year. A.J. Crabill knows what it’s like to close schools. In 2010, Crabill, then a 30-year-old member of the Kansas City, Missouri, school … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What might the TEA do with HISD?

HISD nixes charter partnership

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

First there was this. Houston ISD board members adjourned late Tuesday without voting on a controversial measure to give up control over 10 low-performing schools after the meeting turned physical and police escorted members of the public — nearly all … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No Houston-HISD partnership

Posted on April 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Probably just as well. Mayor Sylvester Turner has ruled out any partnership with Houston ISD to turn around 10 chronically under-performing schools, saying Wednesday he will not be part of the school district’s forthcoming proposal aimed at avoiding a state … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on No Houston-HISD partnership

Harvey-affected schools may get a break on the STAAR test

Posted on April 14, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas school districts hit hard by Hurricane Harvey may not have to worry as much about how well their students fare in this year’s standardized tests, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath announced Wednesday at a meeting of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, School days | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

One small piece of relief for Harvey-affected school districts

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not much, but it’s something. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath is not changing state standardized test dates for students affected by Hurricane Harvey, but he is waiving some requirements for certain students, his agency said Thursday. Students across the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on One small piece of relief for Harvey-affected school districts

School districts affected by Harvey ask for a break on testing

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One way or another we’re going to have to reckon with this. Leaders of school districts heavily affected by Hurricane Harvey told a legislative panel on Monday that they would like to see Texas’ accountability and testing requirements relaxed in … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on School districts affected by Harvey ask for a break on testing

School districts don’t need gift registries

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

They need to have their needs met by the state. Texas school districts ravaged by Hurricane Harvey still need thousands of textbooks, dictionaries and other instructional resources, so the state’s education agency is borrowing a page from the wedding industry … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on School districts don’t need gift registries

Has Harvey changed anything politically?

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

You’d think it would, but it remains to be seen as far as I’m concerned. A month to the day after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, the reality of the storm was beginning to sink in on the minds … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More on recapture and the Rainy Day Fund

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There are some conditions that have to be met to get our recapture money back. Houston Independent School District won’t have to hand millions of dollars to the state to spend at other schools if HISD needs that money to … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Don’t expect any STAAR slack

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, kids. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said Wednesday morning that the state was not likely to let students displaced by Hurricane Harvey delay a required state test this school year — or to change the way school districts are … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

One last look at the recapture re-vote

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot at stake here, and not a whole lot of people voting on it. For the second time in seven months, voters within the Houston Independent School District will determine how – and if – it should pay … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuit threatened over special education limits

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 →

Posted in School days, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Feds intervene in Texas special education mess

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 →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on STAAR test lawsuit survives motion to dismiss

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 →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on La Marque ISD lawsuit tossed

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 →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Legal matters, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuit filed over STAAR exams

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 →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on TEA Commissioner has no opinion yet on federal transgender bathroom directive

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 →

Posted in Legal matters, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuits filed over teacher evaluations

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 →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on School districts vote to approve new UIL policy restricting transgender athletes

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 →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New La Marque ISD trustees want to stop lawsuit against the TEA