A Houston Independent School District special education teacher has been recommended for termination after allegedly locking several special needs students in a cabinet. The incident, which took place at Moreno Elementary School and came to light in late May, has sparked outrage among parents and renewed scrutiny of the district’s troubled special education system.  According to FOX 26 Houston, the incident involved an autistic first-grade student whose mother, Mrs. Mejia, expressed shock and anger upon learning about the situation. view article

The WISD Board of Trustees approved the hiring of Katie Willard as the new assistant principal of Blue Hole Primary School (BHP) and Jennifer Cooper as the district’s director of Human Resources. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Assistant Principal of Blue Hole Primary School,” said Willard. “I look forward to partnering with the staff, students, and families of this strong, loving community. Together we will continue the important work of laying the learning foundation of our next generation of Texans!” view article

The Lufkin ISD school board unanimously approved a new pay scale for selected employees for the upcoming school year at Monday’s special board meeting. The starting salary pay for new teachers, librarians, and registered nurses begins at $50,000. The previous starting pay was $47,000, an increase of about six percent. This comes from after a pay system review done by the Texas Association of School Boards. The district voted to close Coston Elementary and Kurth Primary School due to low enrollment rates in February. view article

Houston ISD replaced principals at five schools, according to email and social media posts. South Division Executive Director Sandra Doria announced Sunday that La Kenya Spriggs, Felicia James, and Jamelle Ryan Settles would be placed at Whidby Elementary School, Foster Elementary School and Peck Elementary School respectively. Separately, a May 12 email from the district's North Division sent via a school office manager indicates Patrick Henry Middle School's principal Erika Vigil "made the decision to transition from her position at the end of the current school year." view article

Aldine ISD honored 279 teachers during its annual Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) Reception on May 29, recognizing educators across the district who earned a new or higher designation this school year through the state’s TIA program. This year, Aldine ISD generated more than $8.4 million through the TIA, with more than $7.6 million allocated directly to teachers. Teachers were celebrated for their impact on student achievement and instructional excellence: 152 earned the Recognized designation, 84 were named Exemplary, and 43 reached the highest designation, Master. view article

Two women accused in the abuse of multiple disabled Longview elementary students appeared in court Friday. Cassandra James, 51, of Hallsville and Linda Lister, 63, of Longview, are two of six people accused of abusing 11 students at J.L. Everhart Elementary from 2019 to 2021. A $2.5 million settlement was reached between Longview ISD and the affected families in 2023. view article

Campus administrators at Pease Middle School in the Northside ISD said Friday they are conducting an investigation after a special education teacher brought several cans of Hard Mountain Dew Blast, a drink that contains alcohol, to the school and made them available to students in three classes. This occurred on Thursday, May 29, the last day of school. In a statement, district officials explained that the staff member brought the drinks, not realizing that they contained alcohol, as a treat for students. view article

ABILENE, Texas — Abilene ISD officially named its 2024-25 Elementary Teacher of the Year.  The award was given to Jennifer Crisp, a teacher from Taylor Elementary.  “I was completely shocked, humbled, and honored,” Crisp said. “One of the great things about that event is that you hear all the stories of the excellent teaching happening in our district. It was inspirational, and I wish everyone in our district could have heard those stories. They make you feel good about education.” view article

Gov. Greg Abbott has already said he intends to sign the bill, which will give schools funding for salary increases, special education, teacher preparation and operational costs. view article

Georgina “Gina” Foroi, executive director of family and community engagement for Aldine ISD, has been selected to join Cohort 15 of the Superintendent Leadership Academy, a national program offered by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents. view article

Houston ISD campuses announced principal departures at Madison High School, Jones Futures Academy, and Red Elementary School amid at least 21 principal changes. Madison High School welcomed Janet Orozco, formerly the Jones Futures Academy's principal, into the role that had been previously held by Principal Edgar Contreras. Contreras was Madison's third principal, following Yolanda Bruce and Tanisha Lee, since the June 2023 state takeover of the district. It is unclear whether he is remaining the district. view article

Some new Dallas ISD school employees are likely to see pay bumps as trustees raised its minimum wage and starting teacher salary in its 2025-26 budget. Trustees approved a roughly $1.9 billion budget Thursday night that raises staff minimum wages to $17 an hour and offers $64,000 to beginning teachers. Seven trustees voted yes, with Byron Sanders and Joyce Foreman abstaining. view article

A Canyon Lake High School teacher has resigned amid allegations of inappropriate conduct with a former student, the Comal Independent School District confirmed to KSAT on Friday. Comal ISD said it was notified of the allegations on Monday against Sarah Grudle. The district told KSAT that the alleged conduct occurred during the 2020-21 school year. view article

Substitute Teacher Accused of Showing Students Sexually Explicit Videos view article

Trustee Tobi Jackson has one wish for Fort Worth ISD’s teacher pay. The school board heard plans May 20 outlining the district’s $22 million teacher compensation package for the 2025-26 academic year, including a self-directed bump in starting teacher pay and likely mandated raises from the Texas Legislature. view article

Seven teachers in the Socorro Independent School District who were initially laid off as part of budget cuts have been reinstated. The school board unanimously approved their contracts during a meeting on Tuesday night. These positions were among the 43 that the district had cut earlier this month to address a $38 million budget deficit. view article

Dozens of maintenance and custodial workers in Houston ISD could soon be out of a job, according to the union that represents them. Hector Mireles, president of the Texas Support Personnel Employees Local 1, tells FOX 26, that an estimated 60 to 70 positions — including supervisory roles — are expected to be eliminated as part of a district-wide restructuring effort. view article

Taylor ISD is offering a major bonus to help hire more middle school teachers. A new $10,000 sign-on bonus is being offered for educators who join the middle school with three or more years of experience for the 2025-26 school year. Taylor ISD is also offering a $5,000 bonus for middle school teachers with two years of experience or less. view article

The Canutillo Independent School District, like many across the Borderland, is grappling with a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall. At Tuesday’s board meeting, trustees took steps to begin closing that gap, voting not to renew the contracts of nearly a dozen teachers. view article

In a bold move to attract top-tier educators, Taylor Independent School District (ISD) has announced a substantial $10,000 sign-on bonus for certified middle school teachers with three or more years of experience who join the district for the 2025–26 school year. This initiative is part of the district's strategic effort to expand its pool of qualified middle school teachers. view article

A Spring Independent School District teacher's aide is "no longer employed" by the district after a 10-year-old student left campus undetected on Monday. The girl was stopped by three good Samaritans at the intersection of Ella Boulevard and Castlerock. ABC13 spoke with two of them. view article

Another Texas teacher is accused of a sex crime involving a student, marking the fourth female school employee arrested this month for sexual misconduct.  Darian Christine Rogers was arrested Friday and charged with improper relationship between educator and student, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.  The offense includes sexual contact or sexually explicit communication with a student, regardless of their age.  According to court records, the alleged crime occurred in November 2024. view article

A former employee at Bear Branch Junior High in Magnolia ISD was arrested Saturday in The Woodlands after a teenage student reported sexual assault. Sheila Leticia Valdivieso, 46, was taken into custody at her home by Montgomery County Precinct 5 deputies. view article

Houston ISD asked nearly 50 principals to resign or face board termination in 2024, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said in a Thursday live event with the Houston Chronicle.  The number provides new detail to last year's sweeping principal turnover that led to 76 principals leaving their roles in June. Community members protested the pressured resignations of some beloved principals, including Jessica Berry of Herod Elementary, Jose Auden Sarabia of Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School and Lea Mishlan of West Briar Middle School.  And while seven principals in the district's West Division said they were told to leave — two of which ended in involuntary terminations rather than resignations — the number district-wide is much higher. view article

A former HISD principal is set to appear on a TLC reality dating show, raising questions about whether the filming played a role in her dismissal from the district last fall.  Harvard Elementary School's Shelby Calabrese, whom the district placed on administrative leave and terminated, will appear in "90 Day: Hunt for Love," according to promotional portraits by Warner Bros. Discovery for a May 26 premiere.  Spokespeople for TLC and the streaming platform Max did not immediately respond to questions about when the show was filmed. It is unclear if Calabrese left during the school year to film, or if filming occurred outside of the school year or post-termination. view article

A Magnolia ISD employee has been arrested following accusations of sexually assaulting a teenage student, according to the Montgomery County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office. Officials said Sheila Leticia Valdivieso, 46, a former para-professional of Bear Branch Junior High, was taken into custody at her home in The Woodlands Saturday on charges of indecency with a child/sexual contact. view article

The Lufkin ISD school board moved forward to approve stipends and sign-on incentives for specific roles. Superintendent James Hockenberry said in the meeting this is the first step in developing a broader compensation plan for the district. Certified special education teachers would get an incentive in exchange for a two-year commitment. Stipends will be used for other hard-to-fill positions, specifically-certified secondary math and science teachers. view article

Jasper ISD is mourning the death of Coach David Burt, a longtime educator, mentor and community leader who dedicated more than three decades to Texas public education, including 22 years at Jasper ISD, where he most recently served as principal of Jasper Junior High. Coach Burt, known affectionately by generations of students simply as “Coach,” was widely respected for his strength, compassion and steadfast commitment to putting students first. view article

Lewisville ISD named three new elementary school principals and one middle school principal during a May 12 board meeting. Jennifer Barentine was named principal of Morningside Elementary, Kristen Tufnell was named principal of McKamy Middle School, Leslye Mitchell was named principal of Forest Vista Elementary and April Kenely was named the principal of Donald Elementary. view article

The Killeen Independent School District has named a seasoned leader with more than 25 years of experience in strategic planning, program management and operational oversight as its next deputy superintendent for business and operations. The KISD Board of Trustees approved the hiring of Scott Hequembourg on Tuesday. Hequembourg will oversee human resources, business services, facilities, transportation and technology. view article

Austin ISD is looking to hire dozens of experienced teachers with proven track records in the classroom to help turn around three under-performing schools. The school district says it's looking for "transformative teachers" who can have an immediate impact on student achievement at Dobie, Webb, and Burnet Middle Schools. Those schools have received multiple "F" ratings from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) state accountability rating system. view article

In an effort to improve teacher retention and ultimately student success, UT Tyler educators are working with Tyler ISD teachers to develop a mentorship program for early career teachers. “It has always been hard, but it is harder now than it has ever been,” said UT Tyler School of Education Director Dr. Staci Zolkoski. She has been in education for more than 20 years, and said, “the research shows that when you have purposeful and intentional mentorship that you stay in the field longer.” view article

A former Pflugerville ISD employee has been arrested and charged with what the district called "serious criminal offenses." Marissa Juarez was arrested this month. Pflugerville ISD said she was an administrative assistant with the district and was hired in August 2024. view article

In an effort to cut back on costs, Lewisville ISD has plans to lay off 460 bus drivers by summer break. The school district said it won't be renewing the current contract with a bus driver agency and instead, Lewisville ISD told CBS News it will be hiring internally to cut the costs. The school bus agency is Texas Central School Bus Services. According to Lewisville ISD's website, it has partnered with for at least a year. view article

As Cy-Fair ISD trustees prepare to approve a budget for fiscal year 2025-26 this June, district leaders said they could struggle to maintain competitive salaries due to the limited funding they receive from the state. CFISD Chief Financial Officer Karen Smith broke down the district’s budget outlook at the May 5 board meeting, including a comparison of neighboring districts’ teacher salaries and the average amount of revenue they receive from the state based on average student attendance. view article