There are those that don’t understand the power of reflective observation.  They mistakenly believe that there is nothing to learn after a few cursory visits to a classroom.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, the most important key to building insight and deeper understanding about teaching and learning is to engage in a steady volume of daily classroom observation. view article

Alexann Yancey regrets not reporting her former boss to Plano school district officials sooner after the woman sent sexually-explicit and unsolicited text messages. Yancey, an assistant basketball coach at Plano East Senior High School, says she wants to share her story to encourage victims of harassment to speak up.  view article

It’s a busy day in halls of Abilene High, as we head through the doors of classroom 2117. The class, English, and the teacher, Mrs, Ellison. “[She’s] spunky, spitfire but at the same time very professional,” said Abilene High School Principal Michael Garcia. view article

A former employee is challenging his dismissal from the Monte Alto Independent School District, alleging he was wrongfully terminated by the district for “perceived political association” with former board members. Pete Riojas, the former executive director of business administration, filed a petition through his attorney, John Shergold, against Monte Alto ISD and four current board members. Riojas filed this petition in U.S. District Court in McAllen on Aug. 23. view article

Teachers are in demand in Texas, with many school districts across the state reporting a shortage. The Houston Independent School District, the state's largest, still had a need for teachers even as the 2019-2020 school year got underway. view article

A high school staffer accused of threatening a student with deportation is no longer an employee of the Lancaster school district, but officials have refused to release many details. A 14-year-old told his parents that a district employee told him President Donald Trump was working on laws to deport the teen and showed the student a coin with the word "ICE" written on it, according to a report by KTVT-TV (Channel 11). "He told him, 'Even though you are a citizen, Trump is working on a law where he can deport you, too, because of your mom's status,'" the teen's mother told KTVT in an interview where the family was not named. view article

EverythingLubbock.com recently obtained the current salaries for every employee with Lubbock ISD. Here is how we decided to break it down. The top 100 salaries was a way to shorten the data given to EverythingLubbock.com in response to an open records request, as well as a way to explain how the higher salaries were evaluated. view article

McALLEN — School district trustees here voted to increase compensation across the board in a room filled with veteran teachers and concerned employees during a contentious board meeting last week.  Many local representatives from the Texas American Federation of Teachers, a union with local chapters, and trustees felt that the initial proposal presented by administration did not compensate experienced teachers enough. view article

The video above was published in January. The man accused of shooting and killing a Leander teacher over a noise complaint will not be indicted after a grand jury decided Aug. 29 that there is insufficient evidence, a lawyer confirmed to KVUE. The family of the teacher – 41-year-old Adam Shane Ladner – released a statement to KVUE the day after the grand jury's decision: view article

Growing up in a household of coaches, Robyn Colin was inspired to follow in her parents’ footsteps. She is hoping to inspire others as her journey comes full circle going from Nixon’s ball girl 18 years ago to becoming Laredo’s first female football coach. “I think about the little girls out there who are going to see me out there and think they can do it too,” Colin said. “That inspires me. Sometimes I don’t realize it. When I’m with the other coaches, we’re all just coaches.” view article

A Lancaster ISD teacher is on leave after allegedly threatening a 14-year-old Hispanic student with deportation. The teacher at Obama’s 9th grade Center allegedly told the student even though he’s a citizen, President Donald Trump is making a law where he could be deported because of his mom’s status. Jaime Barron a North Texas immigration attorney says this isn’t possible unless he obtained his citizenship through fraud. view article

A Lancaster Independent School District staff member remains on administrative leave while the district investigates racist comments he allegedly made to a 14-year-old Hispanic student. Another student has since come forward, saying he had a similar experience. At a school board meeting Thursday evening parents said more needs to be done view article

Parents of a 14-year-old Hispanic student at Lancaster ISD’s Obama 9th Grade Center are furious after they say a staffer threatened the teen, a U.S. citizen, with deportation. “You’re basically scaring him,” said his mother.  Now, he thinks I’m going to get deported. Now, he thinks he might get deported.” view article

Ross Garison was named director of digital learning for Denton ISD at a regular board meeting Tuesday evening. He has worked as a coordinator for the department for the past five years. view article

Clarendon ISD teachers will received a pay raise and local taxpayers could see relief on their property taxes thanks to House Bill 3, according to Superintendent Mike Norrell. The Clarendon ISD Board of Trustees approved a new compressed tax rate Monday night, mandated by HB 3. The new rate of $1.0683 per $100 valuation will replace the school’s old rate of $1.17. Norrell also said that the starting teachers will see their base salary go up by more than $3,000 in the new budget. Teachers with more experience will receive larger increases on the new pay scale set forth by the Texas Education Agency. view article

Laughing at the humiliation and degradation of a young and impressionable Black boy is intolerable but having that type of behavior displayed by the people directly responsible for the education and development of that young Black child is even more despicable. Better yet, what if it was your child? Well, one family is having to deal with the aftermath of what allegedly happened to their 13-year-old son, Juelz Trice, back on May 17th that has left the community up in arms. The emotional, mental and physical scars that Juelz has had to overcome since the alleged incident involving three White Pearland Independent School District (ISD) employees, has left him feeling embarrassed, distraught and the subject of online bullying. view article

An eight percent pay increase is the amount Wimberley ISD educators will see after board trustees unanimously approved the measure Aug. 22. All staff, teachers and administrators will obtain the pay increase, which was included in the district’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget, per a boost in funding from the state as part of House Bill 3. Texas lawmakers voted unanimously during the 86th Legislature in 2019 to approve HB 3, which overhauled the Texas school funding system and provided additional money to school districts, including a portion for employee raises and benefits. view article

The parents of a 14-year-old Hispanic student at the Lancaster Independent School District's Obama 9th Grade Center are furious after, they say, a staffer threatened the teen with deportation. He is a U.S. citizen, reports CBS Dallas. "You're basically scaring him," his mother told the station. "Now, he thinks I'm going to get deported. Now, he thinks he might get deported." view article

Riesel Independent School District's first safety director was arrested on campus Tuesday after a Texas Ranger investigation concluded he was acting as a police officer without an authorized agency to carry his peace officer's commission. Jeffrey Reid McNair, 46, was booked into the McLennan County Jail on Tuesday morning on a warrant obtained by Texas Ranger Jim D. Hatfield Jr. that charges him with impersonating a peace officer, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.  view article

Teachers in the Premont Independent School District had reason to smile Tuesday as school trustees passed a new budget for the school year that includes a big raise for teachers. It's all thanks to the passage of House Bill 3 in the Texas legislature, which provides property tax relief -- taxpayers will see a 14-cent reduction per $100 dollar valuation in their property tax -- as well as additional compensation for teachers. view article

The Texas Association of School Administrators has announced six outstanding educators from across the state have been chosen as finalists in the 2020 Texas Teacher of the Year program. For Texas Elementary School Teacher of the Year,  Karen Sams, of Weatherford ISD’s David Crockett Elementary school is one of three finalists. view article

After 12 years of patrolling the streets, Officer Omar Montemayor now spends his days patrolling the classrooms and hallways of The Colony High School. It's just his second year working as a school resource officer. "High school is totally different from what I was doing before," he laughed. view article

Juliette Broussard, a fifth-grade science teacher at Pasadena ISD’s Rick Schneider Middle School, says she’s humbled and grateful to be the 2020 elementary teacher of the year for Region 4, which represents more than 80 schools in seven Texas counties. However, being considered the best teacher is a bit intimidating for her. view article

For 13 years, Mr. Richard Dowell, a fourth grade teacher at Bryker Woods Elementary, has passionately served his students and Austin ISD. “It’s the best job in the world, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” Dowell said. But the past four years have been a struggle. view article

In a small East Texas community, a few blocks from a quaint town square, Art Briles is coaching football again on American soil. He is some 200 miles and seemingly a lifetime away from Baylor, the school he led to the doorstep of the College Football Playoff five years ago and the school that fired him three years ago in the wake of a sprawling sexual assault scandal he has insisted he handled correctly. After going to Europe when job opportunities in the Canadian Football League and a Mississippi college dried up, Briles is back — sort of. view article

When Navasota High School Principal Derek Bowman begins the new school year Monday, he will do so as the Region 6 High School Principal of the Year. Though it’s his name on the award from the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, he said “I couldn’t have done it without my staff here. We have the greatest assistant principal, administration team and the greatest faculty around, so it’s definitely because of their hard work that I was able to win that.” view article

Jacksonville ISD is remembering the life of a beloved assistant principal Sunday. According to a Facebook post from Jacksonville ISD, Elgin Johnson, assistant principal at Nichols Intermediate, died early Sunday at his home. view article

Teachers across Texas are beginning the school year with extra money in their pockets after state lawmakers passed mandatory pay raises in May, but they differ from district to district.   view article

Bobby Ott, Temple Independent School District’s top educator, was nominated to join the Urban Superintendents Association of America. The national association — composed of superintendents of mid-sized public school districts in or adjacent to urban areas — is a closed group and membership is by invite only. view article

Leslie Haack is a familiar name in the Katy Independent School District. Though she was appointed deputy superintendent for the district in April, Katy ISD is where she began her educational career in 1998. The deputy position formerly was held by Ken Gregorski who advanced to become superintendent of Katy ISD. As a deputy superintendent, Haack will oversee school leadership and support services, operations and athletics. view article

For two Comal Independent School District teachers starting their teacher careers with their first classrooms this semester, school in Comal ISD is more than familiar. Middle school English teacher Carlee Foster and middle school assistant band director Ashley Gorden — both Smithson Valley High School and UTSA graduates — are beyond excited to return to the district as teachers. view article

The Wimberley ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved an eight percent salary increase for all teachers, staff and administrators at Wimberley ISD on August 22, 2019 as part of the 2019 fiscal year budget. The news brought excitement to Cade and Lori Pharis, a husband and wife who both work for WISD. He is the Health Science Teacher, CTE Department Chair and a coach at Wimberley High School. She is the counselor at Danforth Junior High School.  view article

The Marshall Lions Club met at noon on Tuesday at the Panola-Harrison meeting room, 410 E. Houston. A delicious luncheon of barbeque brisket was served by Catfish Express Catering. view article

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — First-grade teacher Hillary Madrigal jumped to a nearby school district last year, lured by higher salaries that would allow her to quit her second job as a housekeeper and buy a new car.  "I have a college degree. I felt I could make a difference in people's lives as a teacher, but to pay my bills ... I had to do people's laundry," said Madrigal, who now works for the Salt Lake City School District. view article

During the Aug. 12 Mesquite ISD Board of Trustees regular meeting, Kammi Green, culture design strategist for Engage2learn, gave the board an update on the preK-2 coaching initiative that was rolled out in 2017.  According to the presentation, 2019 is the last year they’re coaching 120 teachers, and moving forward they’ll focus on supporting new coaches. Additionally, this has expanded to grades 3-12. view article