Fort Worth Program Brings Latino, African American History Into Classrooms

Elías Valverde, a social studies teacher at Fort Worth's Paschal High School, spent a recent morning talking to his ninth-graders about the history of La Gran Plaza. The popular Fort Worth shopping mall with more than 200 stores has gone through several changes over the years. Today, it caters to the city's growing Latino population. In a city of 895,000 people, around 35% are Latino. view article  

Fort Worth ISD School Board Votes to Terminate Teacher Who Tweeted to Trump

The Fort Worth ISD school board voted Tuesday to uphold its decision to terminate the contract of a teacher who reportedly sent anti-immigrant tweets to President Donald Trump. The district announced the decision in a tweet Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday's vote to terminate Georgia Clark's contract came after a Sept. 10 meeting at which school board members tabled the vote, saying they needed more time to make a final decision. view article  

Aledo ISD board backs program for violence prevention

The Aledo ISD board of trustees unanimously approved the implementation of a violence-prevention program that will begin next week to help connect and include all students in the district. “In November of 2018, the School Health Advisory Council, also known as SHAC, approved the district-wide implementation of a violence-prevention program called Start With Hello. This program was made available through a non-profit organization called the Sandy Hook Promise. The Sandy Hook Promise was founded by and is still today led by parents of children who were killed in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012,” AISD Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Amber Crissey said. “The Start With Hello program is intended to provide school-wide awareness about the importance of all children being connected with and included at school. It is built as a violence prevention program under the belief that when kids are connected and included, kids are far less likely to commit violent acts.” view article  

Community vigil to be held in observance of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

In observance of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month a Community Vigil will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Los Fresnos United High School on FM 803. There will be a Remembrance Walk as well as luminaries which will be available for those who would like to decorate one in remembrance of a loved one or simply raise awareness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is one death by suicide in the United States every 12 minutes. view article  

North East ISD board censures a fellow trustee — again

Four months after censuring trustee Joseph Treviño, the North East Independent School District board on Tuesday voted to censure him again, extending the time he will be excluded from school board events besides meetings. view article  

Plano ISD staff adjustment policy compares with neighboring districts; mothers raise concerns

Four mothers spoke on issues they had found with Plano ISD’s process for adjusting classroom sizes during the public comment portion of the PISD board of trustees meeting Sept. 3. The parents were affected by a shift at Stinson Elementary School, where a teacher was moved to another elementary following a change in enrollment numbers at the kindergarten level. view article  

Former La Joya ISD superintendent is new owner of Mission eatery

Three months after stepping down from the La Joya school district’s top job, former district superintendent Alda T. Benavides is enjoying retirement as she flexes her business skills. Last week, Benavides officially began working as the owner of Victoria’s Tea Room, a Mission eatery she runs alongside her two sons. view article  

Commerce ISD Accountability Ratings: Good News, Bad News

Commerce ISD Superintendent Charlie Alderman reflects on the the recently announced state accountability ratings, in which the district received an overall rating of B, up from last year's C rating, and Commerce High School received a B, but the Commerce Middle School received an F rating and A.C. Williams Elementary received a D. Alderman says the district and the high school ratings are multi-faceted, while the middle school and elementary ratings are based on a single-day of testing. view article  

Del Valle ISD to start student-run record company

Things are about to get a little more musical at Del Valle Independent School District. Starting this semester, DVISD students will have the opportunity to learn the different functions of the music business with the launch of a student-run record label and company. The goal of "Del Valle Records" is to develop talent from students in any grade at DVISD. view article  

Indoor softball, baseball training facilities will be added to McCombs Field

Baseball and softball players will soon be able to avoid the Texas heat because new extensions to the Red and Charline McCombs Field will add an indoor training facility for both teams. The facility will include a pitching lab, batting cages and a new weight room, said Kevin Rodriguez, assistant sports information director. The project will extend the existing stadium to the northwest, costing an estimated $9.9 million, said Veronica Trevino, media manager for financial and administrative services. She said this project is planned to be complete by July 2020. UT is currently one of the few universities in the Big 12 Conference that does not have an indoor softball and baseball training facility, said John Bianco, senior associate athletics director of communication. view article  

Marshall ISD students hear from ex-con turned motivational speaker

Marshall ISD students recently heard a story of second chances and a warning to make good decisions from author and motivational speaker Damon West. West held multiple lectures at Marshall High School on Tuesday before traveling to Marshall Junior High School to speak to the seventh and eighth graders on campus. view article  

Watch Live: KUT Hosts Discussion About Austin ISD’s School Closure Plan

KUT is hosting a live, one-hour conversation during Morning Edition about the Austin Independent School District's plan to consolidate schools. You can watch the conversation on this page, stream the audio on KUT.org or listen on the radio at 90.5 FM, starting shortly after 9 a.m. view article  

Georgetown ISD students to see big changes thanks to $150M bond project

Students with Georgetown Independent School District are about to see a lot of changes. Voters approved a $150 million bond for the district in November 2018, and some upgrades have already been made as a result. In January, KVUE reported that crews finished installing new football and softball fields at East View High School in Georgetown. view article  

Southeast Texas school closures and start of school delays

• Deweyville ISD closed Sept. 19th
• Kirbyville CISD will be closed Thursday, Sept. 19
• And many more..........

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Changes continue brewing for South San ISD

SAN ANTONIO - Things continue to get shuffled around when it comes to the South San Antonio Independent School District.  The school board was set to fill three seats left vacant following some sudden resignations earlier this month. Only two have been filled so far. view article  

Beaumont:  Walker fraud trial off to combative start

Five years after Calvin Walker was indicted on a charge of defrauding the Beaumont ISD, the electrician’s trial got under way Tuesday with a web of invoices, checks and delivery receipts that culminated in a million-dollar payment.  Two witnesses took the stand in state District Court, and prosecution and defense teams jockeyed to piece together at times contradictory timelines. The events in question occured from around April to May 29, 2009. view article  

Revised funding formula translates to extra cash for Richardson ISD

Recent legislative changes will bring millions of dollars in additional revenue to Richardson ISD this school year. House Bill 3, signed into law June 11 by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, drastically altered the Texas public school funding formula. But some districts fared better than others, RISD Chief Financial Officer David Pate said. view article  

Houston ISD avoids recapture for the first time in three years

Houston ISD was able to avoid a recapture payment for the first time in three years. Texas’ largest school district was paying about $300 million to the state.   The payment was part of the tax revenue redistribution plan, which takes revenue from property-rich districts and gives it to poorer districts.   HISD was deemed a “property-rich district” in 2016, a distinction the district’s board resisted at the time. The lack of a recapture payment means that the district won’t face a funding shortfall when it undertakes a state-mandated property tax cut this year.  view article  

Texas school superintendent denies telling 4-year-old boy to cut hair or wear dress

A special school board meeting was held after Texas parents claimed the school board changed the dress code discriminating against African American boys. The Tatum Independent School special board meeting Monday night addressed recent controversy over what the district said was a dress code violation and parents are saying is racially discriminating. A statement from Tatum ISD comes just one week after parents spoke in front of the board holding signs and demanding change for boys with hair like Kellan’s. view article  

Huntington ISD files answer to lawsuit

The Huntington school district has published its response to a lawsuit filed earlier this year regarding allegations of hazing.The lawsuit was filed Aug. 6 by an individual under the pseudonym John Doe I on behalf of a former student, under the pseudonym John Doe II, who the lawsuit states was sexually assaulted by another student during his freshman year.  The suit alleges the Huntington school district had a culture of tolerance for bullying and hazing, particularly among student athletes, and even made references to incidents throughout the 2018 school year in which students would haze and sexually assault other students. It also noted the effect it had on the victim student.  The lawsuit seeks to hold the district liable under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, which prevents anyone from being excluded in participation, denied the benefits of or subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. According to the lawsuit, HISD failed to take action as needed. In its response, the school district denied violating the plaintiff’s rights, denied the plaintiff being entitled to relief and denied the allegations made in the lawsuit. HISD insisted the burden of proving the allegations levied at the school district is on the plaintiff and not the district. view article  

Analysis: Back on the outs, right where Michael Quinn Sullivan thrives

It helps to remember that Michael Quinn Sullivan was on the outs with the Texas government’s top leaders when the legislative session ended in May.  The governor, lieutenant governor and speaker reached the end of the 20-week session with a checkmark in every box on their legislative to-do list. If they’d been any happier with the results, they’d have hired a marching band and held a parade. view article  

New law adds requirements for text messages about government business

Local attorney Mike Dixon delivered a piece of advice to McLennan County Commissioners and county employees on Tuesday: Don’t send text messages on the job. Talk instead.  Dixon said a new state law that became effective Sept. 1 puts more clout in laws that make job-related text messages, even those delivered after hours or with personal phones, subject to public scrutiny.  Dixon later said he was only half-joking about talking instead of texting but maintained that would be his preferred means of communication on the job. view article  

Central Texas river authority, lakefront property owners reach settlement to avoid draining four lakes — for now

State officials and lakefront property owners north of San Antonio agreed to not drain four lakes whose 90-year-old dams are at risk of collapsing, under the condition that people must stay off the lakes.  Hundreds of property owners, represented by two attorneys, filed suits seeking to stop the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority from draining Lake Placid, Lake McQueeney, Lake Gonzales and Meadow Lake. Two other lakes, Dunlap and Wood, were already drained after floodgate failures on each of their dams in May of this year and 2016, respectively view article  

Galveston could be new home for repaired Battleship Texas

Local interest in bringing the Battleship Texas to Galveston is mounting as a citizen-led committee prepares to release a report outlining recommendations on where to berth the historic ship. The Galveston County Daily News reports Seawolf Park on Pelican Island and Pier 21 on Galveston's harbor have emerged as the top favorites, though there's been no final decision about where the vessel might dock. And whether the World War I-era ship comes to the island at all depends on which Galveston site local officials agree upon and whether they agree at all. view article  

Tatum ISD release statement on recent dress code controversy

Tatum ISD has released a statement regarding a recent controversy involving a student at Tatum ISD breaking the dress code as parents claimed the board discriminated against African American boys. “Recently, social media claims have been made that Tatum ISD’s hair code is racially discriminatory and that District administration suggested a student identify as the opposite sex for purposes of limiting the applicability of that policy. The District vehemently denies these claims,” a press release from Tatum ISD said. view article  

24 People Triaged, 3 Hospitalized After Gas Leaks Into Fort Worth’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy

The Fort Worth Fire Department says two dozen people were treated and three were hospitalized after a strong chemical smell was reported at the Young Women's Leadership Academy Tuesday morning. Firefighters said they were called to the school on the 400 block of E. 8th Street at about 11 a.m. While firefighters investigated the source of the smell, they treated two dozen people who complained of being nauseated; three others required hospitalization. view article  

Teen AK-47 owner arrested for threat to ‘shoot up’ Oklahoma high school

The teen waitress at a pizza restaurant who boasted to a co-worker and friends about her new AK-47 rifle was arrested Monday for what police said was threatening to “shoot 400 people for fun” at the high school. Alexis Wilson, 18, who dropped out of McAlester High School as a freshman, was charged with perpetrating a felony terrorist hoax.  She pleaded not guilty. A judge set bail bond at $250,000. view article  

Joe Straus, Peter J. Holt to Lead Early Education Steering Committee

Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus and Spurs Sports & Entertainment Chairman and co-CEO Peter J. Holt will lead a new steering committee focused on improving early childhood education for San Antonio’s youngest students.  Among the tasks for the temporary group is planning for the reauthorization of Pre-K 4 SA, the City of San Antonio’s tax-funded pre-kindergarten program, and potentially recommending ballot language to City Council. It also is charged with studying the gaps in early education for students up to 8 years old and making recommendations on what an early childhood advocacy group would look like for San Antonio. view article  

Tatum parents speak on hair code controversy, district releases statement

TATUM, Texas — The Tatum Independent School District is responding to criticism that their hair code portion of the dress code is discriminatory.  The district held a special session Monday in front of a packed room to allow families to speak their mind on the issue.  The controversy started during the last regular session of the Tatum ISD board, when Randi Woodley, the grandmother of a 4-year-old student, alleged the superintendent told her that her grandson's hair did not meet the district guidelines. view article  

Spring ISD cancels all after-school activities Sept. 18

Spring ISD officials announced earlier today that the district would be canceling all after-school activities Sept. 18 due to inclement weather conditions from Tropical Storm Imelda.  view article  

Harlandale ISD threatens civil rights lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency

The Harlandale ISD board of trustees is considering a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency as a way to fight a proposed state takeover of the district. The TEA has been taking over districts for decades, and so far the takeovers have been related to financial, academic or governance improprieties. However, Harlandale ISD attorney Kevin O’Hanlon pointed out that the only districts the TEA has taken over have been those where racial minorities are the majority. O’Hanlon believes that this puts the TEA in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act. view article  

Racist yearbook photo investigation cost nearly $368,000

A law firm's investigation into whether Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam appeared in a racist yearbook photo cost nearly $368,000. The Virginian-Pilot reports invoices obtained through a freedom of information request show Eastern Virginia Medical School received the final bill on Aug. 16. view article  

People told the school board not to close schools in this part of Wichita Falls

A succession of Wichitans took the podium Monday to urge Wichita Falls ISD trustees not to close schools in District 2, which includes the east side of town. view article  

Teen ‘Retrains Brain’ as Part of Post-Concussion Recovery

Science into concussions and brain injuries has made big advancements in recent years. Researchers have discovered that keeping the brain working while it's healing from a big blow can help it recover faster, and a Fort Worth teen said she's proof hard work can yield big results. Jordyn Hughes, 15, is no stranger to tough competition, which is why the second-degree black belt decided to join her school's wrestling team last year. view article