In the face of declining enrollment and projected budget shortfalls, the Fort Worth Independent School District plans to cut staff. Superintendent Angelica Ramsey posted the announcement online Monday. "This year, due to continued projections of declining enrollment, coupled with legislative inaction on public school financing, the sunsetting of ESSER funds, fewer federal dollars, and a projected budget deficit, it has become necessary for us to make additional reductions both in budgets and staff," Ramsey wrote. view article

The ad opens with a dramatic message: “Steve Allison failed our teachers and kids.” It says the San Antonio Republican stopped a bill in the Texas House last year that would have raised teacher pay, ended STAAR testing and poured more than $200 million into public schools in his district. “You deserve better,” the narrator concludes. RELATED: Who’s behind the campaign mailers flooding GOP districts? Most lead back view article

A Texas school is once again being exposed by the watchdog account Libs of TikTok for employing a teacher that dresses in drag at school. A video shared on X shows the male teacher, identified as Rachmad Tjachyadi of Hebron High School in Lewisville ISD, roaming the halls of the school wearing a pink dress and a pink cowboy hat. view article

An unknown number of employees in the Fort Worth school district will soon find out if they’re being laid off after Superintendent Angélica Ramsey announced the pending cuts on Monday and the school board finalized the decision on Tuesday. Officials said the cuts are necessary because of the loss of federal dollars such as ESSER funding, which provided temporary relief to districts to help students catch up and return to school safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to declining student enrollment, a projected budget deficit and a lack of state legislative action on public school funding. view article

The Fort Worth Independent School District focused its layoffs this week on its technology division, a move described as unfortunate but necessary amid budget constraints that was finalized by the Board of Education on Tuesday. District officials on Thursday released the resolution that declares Fort Worth ISD’s workforce reduction and additional details behind the staff cuts after notifying impacted employees. The document obtained by the Star-Telegram states that within its technology division, the eliminated jobs include: view article

The departments affected in Fort Worth ISD's layoffs will be the technology and the IT department, freshman success coaches and Leadership Academy Network instructional specialists. view article

Hidalgo ISD named Jason Wheeler as its next athletic director and head football coach during a school board meeting Thursday evening. Wheeler was Mission High’s defensive coordinator in 2023 and previously served as the head football coach at Sharyland Pioneer from 2014-2017. He has also been an assistant coach at programs including Los Fresnos, Port Isabel, San Benito and Hidalgo, where he now takes over. view article

Navasota ISD is expected to name a new athletic director and head football coach next Monday and News 3 Sports has learned it will be either Jordan Gill, the current offensive coordinator at Gunter, or Trey Allen who has been the head football coach at Kirbyville High School the last three years. view article

Midland Independent School District announced Tuesday that they hired from within to fill their executive director of athletics position, and it's former Athletic Director Wesley Torres. Torres has been in the Tall City for over a decade, beginning with his time as the girls basketball coach and girls athletic coordinator at Midland High School. Torres detailed some of the best parts of the athletic department at MISD and his personal leadership style. view article

The Aldine ISD Police Department proudly announces that Commander Marc Harris recently received a Certificate of Graduation from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) upon completing the Homeland Security Leadership Academy (HSLA) conducted at FLETC, Brunswick, GA. view article

LINDALE, Texas (KETK) – A Lindale High School educator has been recognized as a national board certified teacher. Lufkin ISD administrator elected to serve on statewide board According to a release, Renee Ramsey, an English and American history teacher at Lindale High School, has completed the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards program. view article

In a significant stride towards fostering inclusivity and providing specialized support for students with dyslexia, Garland Independent School District’s Dyslexia Therapist Training Center has achieved accreditation, marking a milestone for the GISD Dyslexia Department. “The GISD Dyslexia Therapist Training Center is one of two national training centers, and we are proud to have earned accreditation for our center,” said Dr. Marcy Eisinger, Assistant Director of the Dyslexia Department. “What sets us apart from other local and national centers is that we offer three programming options and can train teachers up to qualified-instructor level. The accreditation allows the department to have a voice in dyslexia instruction in public education on behalf of Garland ISD.” The path to accreditation from the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC) has been a work in progress since 2019 when the department received a grant to develop the center. Eisinger says the district knew there was a need for quality dyslexia training to meet the needs of all students identified with dyslexia, and plans to create the center began. view article

The Corpus Christi ISD Board of Trustees Monday voted against employing chaplains in schools. The board was required to vote on the issue in response to a bill approved by the Texas Legislature last spring allowing public schools to hire unlicensed religious chaplains in mental health roles. The board previously discussed school chaplains and expressed opposition to the idea in January, delaying a vote until this week in order to fine-tune the language for a resolution as required by the state law. view article

In a message to employees on Monday, Superintendent Dr. Angelica Ramsey blamed a decline in enrollment numbers combined with fewer federal dollars along with public school financing from the state. Ramsey didn't say how many employees could be impacted but that they would be informed by the end of the week. Tuesday night, the school board will take up a reduction in force resolution. view article

Fort Worth ISD will reduce budgets and cut staff as the district deals with several challenges. District Superintendent Dr. Angelica M. Ramsey cited an expected decline in enrollment, the failure of the Texas Legislature to increase public school funding, fewer federal dollars, and a projected budget deficit among the reasons behind the cuts. view article

To prepare for the openings of Barbara Bennett Elementary School and Iowa Colony Junior High School, additional staffing positions have been requested to allow time for “extensive planning and hiring” as the schools’ openings are approaching for the 2024-25 school year, according to district documents. Iowa Colony High School will also be considered for additional staffing, as 12th grade will be added to the high school beginning in the 2024-25 school year, according to district agenda documents. view article

Two more students have come forward, accusing a fired Klein ISD elementary school teacher of sexual misconduct, according to prosecutors. Matthew Stegeman, 52, is already facing one count of indecency with a child by sexual contact after being accused of inappropriately touching a 7-year-old student at Klein ISD's Epps Island Elementary School in September 2023. Prosecutors said in the last few weeks more victims have come forward. view article

A Bonham ISD teacher was arrested Thursday morning after being accused of having inappropriate communication with a high school student on social media. In a statement, Bonham ISD Superintendent Kelly Trompler said that a student reported the behavior Wednesday, and the intermediate school teacher was removed from campus and placed on administrative leave. view article

A teacher has been arrested after he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Blake Attaway, 25, was placed on leave as of Wednesday, the school district said, after concerns about his behavior were brought forward by students and staff. On Friday, deputies executed a search warrant on CR 2610 in Alto, where they arrested Attaway on a charge of improper relationship with a student at Alto ISD, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. view article

Living in the community where they work is the idea behind a partnership between Austin ISD and the Austin Apartment Association, which is where the Austin ISD teacher housing program directory comes in. The directory is a curated list of multifamily properties with benefits for AISD employees. view article

Family, friends and students are mourning the loss of a popular East Central ISD teacher. On Thursday, 39-year-old Whitney Weddel was killed in a head-on crash with a wrong-way driver. Jasmine Martinez, a former student of Weddel, said she was more than a teacher, she was like a mother. Martinez said Weddel motivated, pushed and encouraged her students. view article

The eight men were sworn in by UISD Chief of Police Aaron Salazar at a special ceremony at the Bill Johnson Student Activity Complex on Feb. 8. Family members participated in the swearing-in by helping to pin the new badges on their uniforms. Before the police chief and other high ranking department leaders, the new recruits also signed an Oath of Office as the newest members of the UISD Police Department. view article

Bryan Blaha urged Humble Independent School District trustees to sign off on a resolution to allow the district to hire chaplains to support students, a controversial option made available last year by Senate Bill 763. A chaplain himself, the 55-year-old told the board at their recent meeting that he would be quick to volunteer. He already serves as a volunteer chaplain with the Houston Police Department and is an instructor with Houston-based Crisis Chaplaincy of America. view article

A Bonham ISD teacher was arrested Thursday morning after being accused of having inappropriate communication with a high school student on social media. In a statement, Bonham ISD Superintendent Kelly Trompler said that a student reported the behavior Wednesday, and the intermediate school teacher was removed from campus and placed on administrative leave. view article

Pearland Independent School District welcomes Thu Pham as its new Executive Director of Business Services. Pham has served Pearland ISD as the Controller/Director of Accounting for five years. Prior to that, she was a senior accountant for Spring ISD for two and a half years, an accountant for the Harris County Department of Education and Houston ISD, and an accounting specialist for North Forest ISD and Harris County Department of Education. Her professional achievements include successfully managing numerous financial audits and implementing cost-saving measures, such as adopting a paperless accounting office for the district. “I am excited to contribute to ‘Building Pearland Proud’ by enhancing the role the business office plays in that mission through collaboration and strategic planning,” she said. “My motto for my new role is continuous improvement and lifelong learning because in order to support student education and success, we must be prepared to continuously improve our strategies, standards, and processes. Learning is one of the core pillars of our mission, and it shouldn’t be something we only ask of our students.” view article

Carroll ISD is giving its special education professionals a stipend for their service. The board of trustees approved the stipends at a special meeting Feb. 5 along with a hiring incentive bonus aimed at filling and retaining special education positions that have been historically difficult to fill for the district. Stacie Bonner, executive director of special programs, presented the stipend recommendation to the board, who approved it with a 5-0 vote. Trustee Alex Sexton was absent. “Special education teachers are a shortage, and when you're competing with other districts, the pool is smaller, so this is more of a recruitment tool,” Bonner said. view article

Abilene ISD’s Board of Trustees approved policies affecting district volunteers and chaplains at their February meeting. The board approved the adoption of Policy GKG (Local) and a resolution regarding use of chaplains under Senate Bill 763. Alison Sims, Associate Superintendent for the Development of Human Resources, stated to the board the purpose of Policy GKG (Local) specifies how volunteers are used in AISD, which is primarily for support in the classroom for teaching and learning experiences and assistance with welfare of students and staff. view article

FABENS, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Fabens Independent School District was approved for a statewide initiative that awards districts demonstrating exceptional growth and instructional excellence. Fabens ISD announced Tuesday that it has been approved by the Texas Education Agency for the Teacher Incentive Allotment in its second year as a participating district. In a statement, the district said it was "proud" to award stipends to 33 of its TIA-designated teachers. view article

cALLEN — Michelle Cavazos, a McAllen ISD 3rd grade dual language teacher, is one of five finalists in the state of Texas for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Rising Star Award and received a surprise visit by H-E-Buddy and McAllen ISD administration to congratulate her. A teacher at Blanca E. Sanchez Elementary for the last six years, H-E-B and McAllen ISD administration surprised Sanchez Tuesday morning. She had no idea about the nomination prior to the surprise. view article

The charter school system said it had hoped for an increase in state funding, but that didn't happen.  AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Achieve Public Schools has laid off two dozen employees in an effort to save money.  The charter school system said on Feb. 2, it cut 24 jobs "due to projected financial shortfalls" resulting from lower than expected average daily attendance and other factors.  Austin Achieve said it explored all options for reducing costs with minimal impact to staffing, but the cuts were "ultimately necessary and inevitable." view article

A Bryan ISD school nurse wants people to know that there’s more to her job than Band-Aids and ice packs. Fanette Parks, a school nurse at Bryan Collegiate High School, said it’s a stereotype that’s part of a larger issue facing her field. Public schools in Texas aren’t legally required to have a school nurse on staff, according to Laurie Smith, president of the Texas School Nurses Organization. As the school nursing industry faces a nationwide shortage, advocacy groups like this one are looking for solutions. view article

A Corrigan-Camden ISD teacher has been arrested after authorities accused him of an inappropriate relationship with a student. According to information released by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Anthony Jernigan, 35, was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail on multiple charges of online solicitation of a minor, a third-degree felony, and improper relationship with a student, a second-degree felony. view article

A Klein Independent School District teacher was arrested and charged with several crimes in connection to accessing inappropriate images of minors online, Klein ISD announced on Wednesday. Sebastian Baraldi was taken into custody this morning. He is charged with five counts of possession of child pornography and is held on a $250,000 bond. view article

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Despite her love of teaching history, Paula Hoffman left her job at Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School shortly after the winter break. "Everybody has an escape hatch and everybody's thinking about, 'what is my limit? When am I going to leave,'" Hoffman said. Hoffman is among about 600 teachers who have left the Houston Independent School District during the middle of the school year. 13 Investigates found that's twice as many as the roughly 300 HISD teachers who left during the same timeframe last year. We went straight to Superintendent Mike Miles and his head of human resources to find out why. view article

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Canutillo School District continues to see low enrollment numbers across its campuses.  Officials with the district told KFOX14, that the population in the district is growing in areas away from their schools. view article