Gov. Greg Abbott suggested over the weekend that Texas public school teachers should not be allowed to dress outside of traditional gender norms, sparking calls among some GOP leaders to ban transgender educators from the classroom. “A man, dressing as a woman, in a public high school in the state of Texas, he’s trying to normalize the concept that this type of behavior is OK,” Abbott said at the Young Conservatives of Texas convention in Dallas, according to a report by Texas Observer correspondent Steven Monacelli. “This type of behavior is not OK and this type of behavior we want to make sure we end in the state of Texas.” view article

HOUSTON – As the school year comes to an end, we can’t help but discuss the plethora of changes across the Houston Independent School District campuses, starting with the appointment of Superintendent Mike Miles. The Texas Education Agency said its goal was simple, to improve teacher effectiveness and better prepare the kids of HISD for the future. The problems in the district didn’t go unnoticed as several campuses were “underperforming” for years. But since the state takeover, has much changed? ‘I am concerned for my now former colleagues:’ Former HISD principal shares what he’s learning from employees view article

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Thousands of Tesla employees in Austin were left scrambling to find a job after recent layoffs. Earlier this month, KXAN reported about the Austin-based company laying off more than 10% of its workforce globally. According to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification letter sent to the Texas Workforce Commission, Tesla fired 2,688 of its Austin employees. view article

The Mathis school board met Monday night to discuss the employment of its superintendent and athletic director. In a unanimous decision, the school board announced superintendent, Tim Norman and athletic director, Roger Masters will be on administrative leave with pay. The news, causing confusion and upset among the community. view article

College Station ISD sent an email to parents Monday night addressing staffing changes within the district after rumors of layoffs spread across social media. The district said in the email that intervention positions are being ‘restructured’ to better serve students and address overarching budget concerns. However, it’s left parents with more questions than answers. view article

A 56-year-old man who taught in Southside ISD is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student, according to court records. Ernest Orlando Herrera, a former 8th-grade teacher at Losoya Middle School, was arrested on Monday. An arrest warrant affidavit from Southside ISD police states Herrera had sexual contact with a 13-year-old who was a student in his classroom. view article

A Granger ISD teacher has been placed on administrative leave following allegations of inappropriate behavior. Granger ISD said district officials have received reports of inappropriate behavior by a teacher in the classroom. Upon learning of the allegations, Granger ISD said it immediately contacted Child Protective Services (CPS) and placed the teacher on administrative leave. view article

The Bryan ISD school board hears from the husband of an educator who was assaulted by a student. During the public comment portion of the BISD board’s April 15th meeting, James Long said his wife sustained a traumatic brain injury. Among other things, Long said “Bryan ISD teachers are being assaulted and victimized across the district. And it appears that the district is not only not doing anything about it, but they are actively trying to cover it up.” view article

Prosper ISD leaders have approved the largest pay raise in the district’s history.  The district’s board of trustees unanimously approved a compensation plan for district employees that included a 3.5% raise for full-time staff to encourage retention and recruitment April 15.  “This is the biggest raise that has ever happened in the history of Prosper ISD,” Superintendent Holly Ferguson said. view article

Melissa Kelly was appointed as the new director of human resources by the Celina ISD board members March 25. Before joining CISD, Kelly served as the associate superintendent of learning and leading in Fort Worth ISD, according to a district news release. She will lead the expansion of the human resources department’s support for district staff as CISD undergoes significant growth. "Her experience as an educational leader in districts of excellence and her personal understanding of our Celina community position her as an invaluable asset to our district,” Superintendent Thomas Maglisceau said in the release. “We look forward to the innovative contributions she will bring as we continue to strive for excellence in serving our students, staff, parents and community." view article

As administrators scramble to comply with new limits on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, students and faculty worry more tumult is coming.  In his first public comments since the University of Texas at Austin laid off around 50 employees that used to work in diversity, equity and inclusion programs, President Jay Hartzell tried to explain the fragility of the moment.  Like universities across the state, UT-Austin has scrambled to comply with Senate Bill 17, the new state law banning DEI offices, programs and training at public universities. After closing a multicultural center and ending a scholarship for undocumented students, Hartzell believed the flagship university was in compliance when the ban went into effect in January. view article

Educators at nearly half of campuses will see soon if they’re proficient enough to keep jobs Parents protest the firing of teachers who spoke against HISD’s New Education System-aligned model in September. NES teachers must pass two screenings developed by HISD to keep their jobs.  Houston ISD teachers at about half of the district’s campuses will learn on May 6 whether they are eligible to keep their jobs under a proficiency screening process, even after the district reversed course on using a similar process for principals following community backlash. view article

KRIS 6 News was recently made aware of a special board meeting being held by Mathis Independent School Board officials on Monday night. The meeting is being held to discuss the employment of Mathis ISD Superintendent Tim Norman and Athletic Director Roger Masters. view article

When Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles took over last year, he said one of his biggest goals was to change how teachers and principals in the district are evaluated and paid. "I was heartbroken when I left. My classroom was heartbroken," Carly, a former teacher at HISD's Benbrook Elementary, said. view article

Both Round Rock ISD and Pflugerville ISD approved salary increases at their recent board meetings. At its meeting Thursday night, Round Rock ISD approved a 1% pay increase for most staff members. “Obviously I want to give more than 1%, and I know that’s just not in our future right now,” President Amber Landrum said. “ We’ve even gotten emails, or I have, that 1% is a slap in the face. But 1% is better than 0% in my opinion.” view article

As the school year comes to an end many districts across Central Texas will now look to fill vacant positions for the upcoming year. In Del Valle ISD, District officials tell KXAN they are looking to fill 90 teaching positions. “Math and science has always been a huge need and now English, language arts, secondary teachers is a big need,” said Del Valle ISD Superintendent Annette Tielle. view article

As the school year comes to an end many districts across Central Texas will now look to fill vacant positions for the upcoming year. In Del Valle ISD, District officials tell KXAN they are looking to fill 90 teaching positions. “Math and science has always been a huge need and now English, language arts, secondary teachers is a big need,” said Del Valle ISD Superintendent Annette Tielle. view article

A Houston-area couple is in custody, accused of taking thousands of dollars from home renovation clients and never finishing the work. Aleck Steven Miller, 55, and Andrea Pierce Miller, 52, were contracted to complete home renovation projects across Katy, Friendswood, Sugar Land and Cypress. Investigators say the couple pocketed tens of thousands of dollars in payments for the work, and the jobs were never completed. view article

An appeals court has yet again dealt a blow to a controversial book-rating law that would have required Texas booksellers to individually rate books they sell based on whether the works contain depictions or references to sex.  The move came on April 16, when the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 9-8 not to rehear the case after a three-judge panel ruled that the law, known as the Reader Act, was unconstitutional. view article

Houston ISD's state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles was the district's highest-paid employee this year, earning a $380,000 salary in his first year at the helm of Texas' largest school district. His predecessor, former Superintendent Millard House II, made $360,000 as HISD's top earner when he left the district last year. Miles' 12-person cabinet, along with select central office administrators and senior schools directors, round out HISD's 25 highest earners. Notably, 37 employees now earn at least $200,000, up from just 12 last year, according to Texas Education Agency staffing data. view article

Officials with Levelland ISD have opened up an investigation after allegations that district employees and students may have “engaged in misconduct.” A release from the school district did not specify the nature of the allegations. However, multiple employees were placed on paid administrative leave on Monday. On April 10, Levelland ISD leadership received the allegations and launched an internal investigation. The following day, local law enforcement was informed of the situation. view article

CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Hundreds ofCorpus Christi ISD(CCISD) teachers will receive a raise after earning respected designations through the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) process. Grounded in the Texas Education Code, the TIA was built for Texas schools to recognize teachers for outstanding performance in the classroom, offering them a pathway to a six-figure salary. The district said 1,026 teachers hoped to be on the list of educators that received a salary increase. However, only 305 of them made the cut. view article

An undisclosed number of teachers working at Great Hearts, a charter school with locations in San Antonio, have been placed on administrative leave after the Texas Education Agency found that background paperwork, including fingerprinting, had been improperly filed with the state.  In an email sent to parents earlier this week, interim superintendent of Great Hearts Texas Kurtis Indorf said the issues were discovered during a review of HR-related compliance measures by the agency, which is currently investigating the district. view article

Aspiring educators with a bachelor's degree, but no teaching certification, will soon have a new inroad to the classroom in Georgetown ISD after trustees approved an amendment to the District of Innovation plan.  During an April 15 board meeting, GISD administrators approved three amendments to the district's DOI plan. As a DOI, GISD can be exempted from some state laws listed in the Texas Education Code, said Wes Vanicek, the district's chief strategist for assessment and feedback, during an April 2 board workshop. However, the district cannot be exempt from federal laws, he said. view article

Following an executive session during their meeting on Monday, Brenham ISD trustees unanimously approved the hiring of Darrell St. Clair for the CFO position. His official start date is May 6th. A graduate of Texas A&M University, St. Clair taught for 13 years before transitioning into a CFO role in 2006. He joins Brenham from Snook ISD. A press release from Brenham ISD stated that St. Clair received an “A/Superior” rating from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) for 15 years. He holds certifications as a Registered Texas School Business Administrator, as well as TEA certifications in mathematics and computer information systems. St. Clair said he is “thrilled” to join the Brenham ISD team and looks forward to serving alongside the board, administrators and staff to “ensure fiscal responsibility and support student success.” Board President Natalie Lange said St. Clair’s “proven track record of fiscal responsibility and commitment to excellence will be invaluable as we work together to support the success of our students and staff.” Superintendent Clay Gillentine said Brenham ISD is “fortunate to have him as part of our team and look forward to the positive impact he will make.” view article

The suburban school district official reportedly created a hostile work environment and made sexual comments about coworkers' bodies and clothing.  A former Houston area school official is facing backlash after recent controversial comments emerged last week leading to his abrupt retirement. Former Humble ISD Athletic Director Troy Kite is being accused of creating a hostile work environment and making sexually explicit comments toward coworkers, according to a recent report by the Houston Landing.  view article

The management of the many substitute teachers who work for the Killeen Independent School District will be handled a little differently. The Killeen school board unanimously voted on Tuesday to approve an exclusive contract with ESS South Central, LLC for substitute staff placement, effective immediately. A nationally known company based in Paragould, Arkansas, ESS partners with school districts to provide full-service management of substitute systems. view article

Faced with a nagging mental health provider shortage, the state psychologists’ licensing board is looking into whether the state should devise its own exam to get professionals licensed more quickly.  On Thursday, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists moved to begin researching the cost of a cheaper state exam instead of requiring applicants to take a new $450 “skills” test offered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, known also as ASPPB.  Applicants already take a required $800 knowledge exam from the national board. The new skills exam was approved by the national board in 2016 but it notified states last October that it would now be required to complete certification by the national body.  Refusing to adopt this additional test would mean psychologists in Texas would be ineligible to use the existing exam, something the state licensing board has used to license psychologists here since 1965. view article

An Allen High School teacher is on “indefinite administrative leave” while police investigate allegations of inappropriate behavior with a student. Science teacher Albert Najera “potentially engaged in inappropriate interactions” with a high school student, according to a notice released by Allen Independent School District officials on Wednesday. The notice indicated that district officials learned of the allegations on the evening of April 9 and immediately notified Allen police, who are investigating. view article

The terms “diversity” and “equity” are used repeatedly in a program the Biden administration funded with federal taxpayer monies.  In October 2022, it was widely reported that the Biden administration gave Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M a $12.2 million grant to develop a PreK-12 teacher and principal recruiting and training program. The number of prospective teachers for this program was set at 105, and the number of prospective principals at 60. Both universities are under the umbrella of the Texas A&M University System. view article

Over the past few years, Texas Hill Country school districts have grown alongside the rising population. One district is now considering approving staffing needs for next school year. view article

A teacher at Cy-Fair High School has been arrested and accused of having sex with a student on multiple occasions. The allegations were brought to light when Burbank’s girlfriend found text messages between him and the student on his phone. view article

A Cy-Fair ISD teacher resigned Tuesday after being accused of having an improper relationship with a student. The district identified the teacher as Kayden Burbank. He taught at Cy-Fair High School. Burbank was placed on administrative leave on April 2 after campus administration became aware of allegations that he was having an improper relationship with a student. Burbank then resigned on April 9. view article

Dr. Kade Griffin has been selected as the next principal of La Porte High School.   The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the appointment on Tuesday. Dr. Griffin’s official start date is this summer, though he will spend time on the La Porte High School campus prior to then so that he can meet the staff and students.   Dr. Griffin will succeed Carlin Grammer, who recently announced his retirement. The district has already begun its search for his successor at Lomax Jr. High School, where he has successfully served as principal for the past six years. view article

Kedria Grigsby, 42, a cosmetology teacher at Klein Cain High School was arrested Monday, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, via X (formerly known as Twitter), along with her son, Roger Magee, 21. The latter was arrested back in November 2022 for trafficking and prostitution. view article