- News Category
- Accountability/Accreditation
- Charter Schools
- Child Nutrition
- Construction/Bond Issues
- Governance
- Grants
- Health/Safety
- Joe's Commentaries
- Legal
- Legislative
- National News
- Newspapers
- Personnel
- Property Tax
- Risk Management
- School Finance
- Special Articles
- State Board of Education
- SuperSearch Page
- Technology in Education
- TexasISD General News
- Transportation
- Preventive Law
TexasISD.com
Endorsed Products
TexasISD.com
Advertising
TexasISD.com
Quick Links
Congratulations to the following New Supers
74
Superintendent Vacancies
Click to expand 
| Vacant | Leon ISD; Search by: Arrow Educational ServicesINFO | Vacant | Ore City ISD; Search by: Arrow Educational ServicesINFO | Vacant | Anderson-Shiro CISD; Search by: Arrow Educational ServicesINFO | Vacant | Mercedes ISD; Search by: Merceded ISD Board of TrusteesINFO | Vacant | Lefors ISD; Search by: Lefors ISD Board of TrusteesINFO | Vacant | Knippa ISD; Search by: Knippa ISD Board of TrusteesINFO | Vacant | Highland Park ISD; Search by: Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates: Max McGee, President & Dr. Jim Largent, AssociateINFO | Vacant | Liberty ISD; Search by: Liberty ISD Board of TrusteesINFO | Vacant | Mercedes ISD; Search by: Mercedes ISD Board of TrusteesINFO | Vacant | Kerrville ISD; Search by: Thomposon & Horton LLP - Dr. Mike Moses & David ThompsonINFO | Vacant | Callisburg ISD; Education Solutions and Services Mike Smith & Letha HopkinsINFO | Vacant | Corrigan-Camden ISD; Search by: Leon|Alcala PLLCINFO | Vacant | Sheldon ISD - Search by: Sheldon ISD Board of Trustees; INFO | Vacant | Tom Bean ISD; Search by: Tom Bean ISD Board of Trustees & Kelly LuskINFO | Vacant | Maud ISD; Search by: Powell Law Group, LLP, Dr. Danny Lovett (Short Timeline!)INFO | Vacant | Irion County ISD; Search by: Region 15 ESCINFO | Vacant | Montgomery ISD; Search by: Thomposon & Horton LLP - Dr. Mike Moses & David ThompsonINFO | Vacant | Goldthwaite ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO | Vacant | Santa Rosa ISD; Search by: O’Hanlon, Demerath & CastilloINFO | Vacant | New Diana ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO | Vacant | Uvalde CISD; Search By: Region 20 ESCINFO | Vacant | Brenham ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO | Vacant | Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO | Vacant | Ingleside ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO | Vacant | Arlington ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO | Vacant |
Kennard ISD Seeking Search Firm & Interim; Search by: Kennard ISD Board of Trustees Assted by Thompson & Horton LLPINFO |
Vacant | Vega ISD (Short Timeline); Search by: Ray Cogburn, Interim Supt.INFO | Vacant | Fairfield ISD; Search by: Walsh, Gallegos, Trevino, Kyle & Robinson P.C.& Education Consultant Dr. Ann DixonINFO | Vacant | Woodsboro ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO | Vacant | Laneville ISD; Search by: SPALDING NICHOLS LAMP LANGLOISINFO | Vacant | Brooks County ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO | Vacant | Abilene ISD; Search by: Leasor Crass, P.CINFO | Vacant | Liberty-Eylau ISD; Search by: Leasor Crass, P.CINFO | Vacant | Region 12 ESC Executive Director (Waco); Search by: Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA)INFO | Vacant | O'Donnell ISD; Search by: Region 17 ESC, Kyle Wargo Exec. DirectorINFO | Vacant | Sharyland ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO | Vacant | Calvert ISD; Search by: O’Hanlon, Demerath & CastilloINFO | Vacant | Jayton-Girard ISD; Search by: Region 17 ESC, Kyle Wargo Exec. DirectorINFO | Vacant | Iowa Park CISD; Search by: Impact Education Specialists - Doug Williams, Kevin Worthy, Blake Cooper and Stan SurrattINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Wolfe City ISD - Donna Pessel, Asst. Supt. Curriculum & Instruction,Daingerfield-Lone Star ISD; Search by: Region 3 ESC, Exec. Dir. Morris LyonINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Iraan-Sheffield Collegiate ISD - Gary Laramore, Principal,Balmorhea ISD; Search by: Dr. Nelson Coulter assisted by Collegiate Edu-NationINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Henrietta ISD - Jaime Clark, Chief of Schools,Lewisville ISD; Search by: Region 9 ESC, Darren Francis and Kenny MillerINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Thorndale ISD - Zach Kleypas, Principal,Pflugerville ISD; Search by: Danny Lovett, Powell Law GroupINFO |
| Lone Finalist | College Station ISD - Dr. Tim Harkrider, Superintendent,Willis ISD; Search by: N2 Learning, Dr. Eddie Coulson & Dr. Brad Lancaster (Updated Deadline)INFO |
| Lone Finalist | Bloomington ISD - Eric Cormier, Principal,Brazos ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO |
| Lone Finalist | City View ISD - Dr. Jesse Thomas, Interim Superintendent,City View ISD; Search by: Region 9 ESC, Darren Francis and Kenny MillerINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Pawnee ISD - Anthony Annis, Assistant Principal,San Antonio ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Windthorst ISD - Jason Nolan, Principal,Burkburnett ISD; Search by: Region 9 ESC, Darren Francis and Kenny MillerINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Perryton ISD - Greg Brown, Superintendent,Claude ISD; Search by: Perryton ISD Board of Trustees & Region 16 ESC, Dr. Tanya Larkin, Exec. Dir.INFO |
| Lone Finalist | Evadale ISD - Kevin Shipley, Superintendent,Ranger ISD; Search by: Powell Law Group, LLP, Dr. Shaun Barnett, Dickey HazlewoodINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Gold-Burg ISD - Jonathan Lloyd, Principal,Detroit ISD; Search by: Region 9 ESC, Darren Francis and Kenny MillerINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Karnack ISD (Short Timeline) - Angela Fitzpatrick, Principal,Marshall ISD; Search by: Karnack ISD Board of TrusteesINFO |
| Lone Finalist | West Hardin Co. CISD - Donald Heseman, Principal,Clyde ISD; Search by: Dr. Byron Terrier, Exec. Dir. Region 5 ESCINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Spurger ISD - Jeff Burnthorn, Director,Silsbee ISD; Search by: Dr. Byron Terrier, Exec. Dir. Region 5 ESC (Short Timeline)INFO |
| Lone Finalist | Roby CISD - Kenny Border, Assistant Superintendent,Sweetwater ISD; Search by: Ronnie KincaidINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Cotulla ISD - Dr. Ramiro Nava, Assistant Superintendent,Somerset ISD; Search by: Walsh, Gallegos, Treviño, Kyle & Robinson P.C., & Education Consultant Dr. Saul HinojosaINFO |
| Lone Finalist | McAllen ISD - René Gutiérrez, Superintendent,Brownsville ISD; Search by: O’Hanlon, Demerath & CastilloINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Itasca ISD; Education Solutions and Services Mike Smith & Letha HopkinsINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Ponder ISD - Dr. James Hill, Director of Operations,Frisco ISD; Search by: Impact Education Specialists - Doug Williams, Kevin Worthy, Blake Cooper and Stan SurrattINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Hale Center ISD - Jance Morris, Superintendent,Savoy ISD; Search by: Region 17 ESC, Kyle Wargo Exec. DirectorINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Rocksprings ISD - Justin Del Bosque, Principal,Georgetown ISD; Search by: Region 15 ESCINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (Deadline Updated); Search by: Thomposon & Horton LLP - Dr. Mike Moses & David ThompsonINFO |
| Lone Finalist | San Angelo ISD - Dr. Christopher Moran, Superintendent,Whitehouse ISD; Search by: Thomposon & Horton LLP - David Thompson & Dr. Mike MosesINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Rotan ISD - Michael Rudewick, Assistant Principal,San Angelo ISD; Search by: Ronnie KincaidINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Boerne ISD - Kristin Craft, Associate Superintendent,Spring Branch ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Keller ISD (Short Timeline) - Dr. Tracy Johnson, Chief of Human Resources,Keller ISD; Search by: Leasor Crass, P.CINFO |
| Lone Finalist | Johnson City ISD - Ben Eubanks, Superintendent,Glasscock County ISD; Search by: Walsh, Gallegos, Trevino, Kyle & Robinson P.C.& Education Consultant Dr. Ann DixonINFO |
| New Super | White Oak ISD - William Paul, Superintendent,Windthorst ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO |
| New Super | Midway ISD - Chris Allen, Superintendent,Marble Falls ISD; Search by: N2 Learning, Dr. Eddie Coulson & Dr. Brad Lancaster INFO |
| New Super | Anton ISD - Freddie Tobias, Principal,Anton ISD; Search by: Region 17 ESC, Kyle Wargo Exec. DirectorINFO |
| New Super | Navarro ISD - Mandy D. Epley, Assistant Superintendent,Comal ISD; Search by: Walsh, Gallegos, Treviño, Kyle & Robinson P.C., & Education Consultant Dr. Sherri BaysINFO |
| New Super | Hedley ISD - Tracey Bell, Principal,Vega ISD; Search by: Hedley ISD Board of Trustees & Region 16 ESC, Nathan Maxwell, Associate Exec. Dir.INFO |
| New Super | Venus ISD - Patrick Torres, Superintendent,Denver City ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO |
| New Super | Yantis ISD - Robyn Derington Deputy Supt. Banquete ISD, Deputy Superintendent,Banquete ISD; Search by: Powell Law Group, LLP, Dr. Shaun Barnett (Short Timeline!)INFO |
| New Super | Morton ISD - Mario Aguirre, Principal,Slaton ISD; Search by: Region 17 ESC, Dr. Kyle Wargo, Exec. DirectorINFO |
| New Super | Comfort ISD - Dr. Yvonne J. Munoz, Director,San Diego ISD; Search by: Walsh, Gallegos, Treviño, Kyle & Robinson P.C., & Education Consultant Dr. Ann DixonINFO |
| New Super | Coupland ISD - Dr. Earl W. Parcell, Chief Financial Officer,Copperas Cove ISD; Search by: Walsh, Gallegos, Trevino, Kyle & Robinson P.C.& Education Consultant Dr. Saul HinojosaINFO |
| New Super | Miami ISD - Krista Solis, Superintendent,Hart ISD; Search by: Interim Supt. Steve Post and Miami ISD Board of TrusteesINFO |
| New Super | Argyle ISD - Dr. Courtney Carpenter, Deputy Superintendent,Carroll ISD; Search by: Leasor Crass, P.CINFO |
| New Super | Aransas Pass ISD - Dr. Glenn Barnes, Chief of Leadership,Splendora ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO |
| New Super | Florence ISD - Richard C. Kirkpatrick, Deputy Superintendent,Copperas Cove ISD; Search by: Walsh, Gallegos, Treviño, Kyle & Robinson P.C., & Education Consultant Dr. Sherri BaysINFO |
| New Super | Detroit ISD - Henry Sharp; Search by: Detroit ISD Board of TrusteesINFO |
| New Super | Stamford ISD - Robbie Phillips, Superintendent,Highland ISD; Search by: Ronnie KincaidINFO |
| New Super | Paint Creek ISD - Glen Hill, Principal,Albany ISD; Search by: CCR Educational Consultants, Dr. Skip Casey, Staci Robertson, & Rod TownsendINFO |
| New Super | McKinney ISD - Shawn Pratt, Assistant Superintendent,McKinney ISD; Search by: Thomposon & Horton LLP - Dr. Mike Moses & David ThompsonINFO |
| New Super | Bluff Dale ISD - Jason Wells, Principal,Birdville ISD; Search by: TASB Executive Search ServicesINFO |
| New Super | Warren ISD - Rusty Minyard, Principal,Woodville ISD; Search by: Dr. Byron Terrier, Exec. Dir. Region 5 ESCINFO |
How do I get my SuperSearch on TexasISD.com?Christie Whitbeck ‘voluntarily retires’ as Fort Bend ISD Superintendent
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Fort Bend ISD is now searching for a new top administrator after the early retirement of Superintendent Christie Whitbeck. At a special meeting on Monday, Dec. 4, the school board considered and approved Whitbeck’s voluntary retirement agreement. The board then appointed Deputy Superintendent Beth Martinez as acting superintendent. Whitbeck was originally the district’s Deputy Superintendent from 2013 until 2017. She then served as Bryan ISD’s superintendent for several years until returning to Fort Bend in 2021. According to a report from ABC 13 in Houston, a board member claims that other board members forced out Whitbeck, insisting she didn’t retire willingly.
view article 
Texas Legislature adjourns fourth special session — leaving vouchers, school safety and elections bills unfinished
The latest casualties were Senate Bill 5, which would spend $800 million on school safety measures through 2025, and Senate Bill 6, which would change the timeline of a trial after an election contest is filed by a citizen or group. The Texas Legislature left Austin on Tuesday without raising teacher pay, improving school safety or launching private school vouchers, capping its fourth special session without consensus on several priority items. Gov. Greg Abbott has not said whether he will call lawmakers back for a fifth round of overtime or turn his efforts toward the Republican primaries, where he already has begun targeting GOP lawmakers who opposed his priority voucher bill.
view article
Preventive Law: Texas Education Code Chapter 37 Student Discipline Staff Training Requirements
Texas Education Code (TEC) Chapter 37 outlines legal requirements for student discipline and the maintaining of law and order within schools, including required student discipline training for staff. Safety and security in schools is not just law enforcement’s responsibility but also the duty of all school staff—administrators, teachers, and support staff alike. Providing school staff with the necessary knowledge and tools for effective student behavior management has never been more critical than in today’s school climate. With a focus in school safety, applying the appropriate discipline management techniques for the situation can make the difference between effectively redirecting student misconduct or involuntarily escalating student behavior resulting in threatening or violent conduct that puts staff and students at risk.
Texas must remove floating barrier from Rio Grande, Fifth Circuit Court orders
The appeals court upheld an earlier ruling by an Austin federal judge to remove the 1,000-foot-long barrier the state deployed near Eagle Pass. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Texas on Friday to remove the floating barrier it deployed in the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass this summer, affirming a lower court’s ruling. In a 2-1 decision, a panel of the court found that the river is navigable where the barrier was placed and that it is “an obstruction,” meaning that Texas needed to receive permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — which regulates activities in waterways and wetlands under federal law — before deploying it. Judge Don Willett, a Trump appointee, was the dissenting vote in the ruling, arguing that the Rio Grande cannot accommodate commercial boat traffic and is therefore not navigable.
view article
Tax cuts, teacher pension increases at stake after misinformation-led challenge to 2023 election
Lawsuits based on false claims about voting equipment could delay millions of dollars in cost of living increases for retired teachers expected to arrive in January. The lawsuits also threaten to hold up state property tax cuts for homeowners — arguably Republicans’ signature policy achievement this year. Voters widely approved both policies this fall. Now Texas lawmakers are scrambling to address the challenges in hopes of preventing further delays. The election contests challenging the results of the November constitutional amendment election were filed in Travis County district courts days after the November election by right-wing activists. They are based on false claims that Texas’ voting equipment is not certified and that voting machines are connected to the internet. Abbott has not certified the results of the election and won’t be able to until the lawsuits are resolved in the courts — which experts say could take weeks or months.
view article
Tax cuts, teacher pension increases at stake after misinformation-led challenge to 2023 election
Tax cuts were a major legislative priority for Republican leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott. The governor cannot certify the election results until the challenges are resolved. Lawsuits based on false claims about voting equipment could delay millions of dollars in cost of living increases for retired teachers expected to arrive in January. The lawsuits also threaten to hold up state property tax cuts for homeowners — arguably Republicans’ signature policy achievement this year. Voters widely approved both policies this fall. Now Texas lawmakers are scrambling to address the challenges in hopes of preventing further delays.
view article
Barbers Hill HS student says he expects to be suspended again over hair dispute
MONT BELVIEU, Texas — A Black 17-year-old Barbers Hill High School student who was suspended over a dispute regarding his hair will spend an extra week at the alternative school he was sent to, according to his attorney. Darryl George's parents have filed a lawsuit claiming the district's punishment has violated Texas' CROWN Act, which went into effect earlier this year and prohibits race-based hair discrimination. They argued the district was discriminating against George because of his locs.
view article
Montgomery ISD names final superintendent candidate
After about four months of searching, Montgomery ISD trustees announced the lone finalist for the superintendent position Nov. 28.
view article
Federal appeals court questions Texas’ new school library regulations
House Bill 900 seeks to rid school libraries of inappropriate books by requiring book vendors to rate materials. A legal challenge says the law is too vague and broad. Federal appellate judges Wednesday questioned a new Texas law requiring book sellers to rate the explicitness and relevance of sexual references in materials they sell to schools, though it was not clear if the court would allow the regulations to stand. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges’ inquiries centered on House Bill 900’s definitions of sexual content and community standards. They came during a hearing in a legal challenge brought by book vendors who argue the law is unconstitutionally broad and vague. The law seeks to keep so-called sexually explicit books off library shelves in the state’s more than 1,200 school systems by calling for the creation of new library standards. It requires school library vendors to assign ratings to books and materials based on the presence of sex depictions or references. And it compels vendors to recall materials already in circulation that are now deemed sexually explicit.
view article
Stifel Bond Election Report
Various issuers had bonds on the ballot on November 7, 2023, although the list is not as long as in the recent past. 77 ISD’s had ballot items totaling over $18 billion. 21 cities and counties had elections for $4.5 billion. Two hospital districts and 18 MUDs had elections for over $9 billion.
view article
Texas House cuts school vouchers out of the education bill. See how lawmakers voted on the measure.
Texas House cuts school vouchers out of the education bill. See how lawmakers voted on the measure. Here’s how each representative voted on an amendment that removed school vouchers from the education bill on Friday.
view article
November 2023 Bond List
Bond Election Data collected by TexasISD.com for public school bonds in the upcoming November 2023 election cycle.
Willis ISD expects to have new superintendent by summer 2024, officials say
Willis ISD officials are set to interview candidates in March with the hopes of hiring a new superintendent this summer. Former Superintendent Tim Harkrider announced his resignation in June, after an 11-year tenure with the district. The news came after College Station ISD named Harkrider as its new superintendent.
view article
Fort Bend ISD board member claims superintendent was forced out: ‘It doesn’t add up’
FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A board member claims that other board members forced out Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Dr. Christie Whitbeck, insisting she didn't retire willingly.
The board of trustees approved Whitbeck's retirement during a board meeting on Monday night. However, it quickly turned heated when one board member called for transparency and said the superintendent was pushed out.
It is a decision that impacts all taxpayers because the severance agreement is for $491,000, and taxpayers are also on the hook for the salary of the interim superintendent.
Just months ago, the same board voted to extend Whitbeck's contract until December 2026 and even bumped her salary after a performance evaluation.
view article
Arlington ISD moves closer to hiring superintendent
Arlington ISD is one step closer to finding its new superintendent.
At its Monday meeting, the district’s board of trustees approved, 6-1, education law firm Walsh Gallegos as the legal counsel to draft and negotiate the contract with the final candidate for the superintendent position. Board Vice President Justin Chapa abstained from voting.
Chapa abstained because he’s an attorney and knows employees at Walsh Gallegos, he told the Fort Worth Report. Because he has two family members working at the district, Chapa said he would also abstain from voting on teacher contracts.
The board will name the finalist for the superintendent position Dec. 12 and vote to hire Jan. 8. Board members interviewed three candidates Monday, Chapa said.
view article
Northeast cancels classes Wednesday after Austin ISD officer shot near campus
The Austin school district has canceled classes at Northeast Early College High School on Wednesday after an school police officer was shot near the campus Tuesday morning.
The district also canceled classes at International High School, which shares a campus with Northeast and caters to students new to the country.
The district also reported Tuesday night the injured officer was recovering well.
Students were in lockdown for about three hours Tuesday after a sergeant with the district's police force reported that someone was shooting at him during a routine patrol about 10:40 a.m., Austin school district police Chief Wayne Sneed told reporters.
view article
4-H student from West Virginia chosen to light U.S. Capitol Christmas
Out of over 400 fourth-grade applicants across the state of West Virginia, Ethan Reese, a 4-Her from Randolph County, was selected to light the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree this year.
After being introduced as “the pride of West Virginia,” Reese flipped on the lights for the Christmas tree during a lighting ceremony Tuesday evening to a countdown of “five, four, three, two, one!”
view article
New partnership with American Airlines, CR Smith Museum taps into Dallas ISD students for future of flight
The multi-year program for middle and high school students provides access to aviation STEM education and creates exposure to industry career opportunities.
view article
Mike Miles: 52 HISD schools would have received F’s under blocked TEA rating system
About 40% of the district's 274 schools would have received D and F grades under the Texas Education Agency's planned update to the school rating system, Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles announced Tuesday.
After a state judge in October blocked education officials from moving forward with their new rating system, the Texas Education Agency provided HISD with raw academic data and a breakdown of the methodology they would have used to grade schools on an A-F scale. Based on last year's performance, Miles said 111 HISD schools would have received D or F ratings, more than double an estimate HISD provided in August.
"It's not a surprise about where we are, so we have a lot of work to do," Miles said. "We have a lot of schools that are struggling."
view article
Midland: MISD Superintendent talks post 2023 Bond, and district progress
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Its been more than a month since the 2023 bond for Midland ISD passed… totaling 1.4 billion dollars. Right off the bat, is the new elementary school. This will be built at the Lone Star Trails subdivision– with a scheduled completion date of 2025. The total cost— $53.3 million. “We’re looking to start work on the elementary school this month, so testing, surveying, things like that to break ground in January is the goal,” said Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Howard.
view article
Governor Abbott Statement On Shooting Of Austin ISD Officer
Governor Greg Abbott today issued a statement after an Austin Independent School District (ISD) police officer was shot in the line of duty this morning:
view article
Moody Foundation pledges $1 billion in ‘cradle to career’ education grants
The Moody Foundation is pledging $1 billion in one of the largest grant commitments a private foundation has ever made toward education in Texas. The island-based foundation this week said its M-Pact fund would support education institutions, nonprofits and university endowments whose work aligns with its priorities of early learning and initiatives that help high school students go on to college. “The Moody Foundation is making an unparalleled commitment to the future of Texas by investing in education,” said Ross Moody, trustee of the foundation. “Our goal is to fuel student success in areas of deepest impact and greatest need, while providing the opportunity for every Texan to access a high-quality education.”
view article
Communities in Schools: creating a level of guidance and mental health support year-round for students, parents
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Over the course of nearly 40 years, across 18 different school districts and 65 different school campuses, the impact that Communities in Schools only continues to expand. An impact that is felt not just on-campus, but at home.
"We work really closely with counselors, social workers, teachers, administrators, to identify students that just may need somebody to listen to," explained Christa Creek, chief program officer for Communities in Schools of the Coastal Bend.
view article
SAWS, CPS Energy team up for pumping station backup power plan
Effect of SAWS’ $202M plan on water rates unclear; calls for generators at 36 sites - A year-and-a-half after faucets around Bexar County ran dry during the 2021 February Freeze, the San Antonio Water System has a $202 million plan to keep the water flowing should it happen again. And the utility is teaming up with CPS Energy to do it. In a joint meeting Wednesday afternoon, the trustees for both utilities approved an agreement that would result in the shared use of natural gas generators at 15 SAWS pumping stations.
view article
Why Early Childhood Education Is More Important Now Than Ever
American economic prosperity and competitiveness are inextricably linked to the success of early childhood education providers. High-quality childcare drives the U.S. economy by allowing more adults to enter and stay in the workforce, providing a critical boost to businesses. Access to high-quality childcare is vital to ensuring the continuity of a vibrant workforce. Nearly 27 million people—16% of the U.S. workforce—rely on childcare to do their jobs, according to the First Five Years Fund. And the need for childcare in the U.S. has never been greater. The U.S. economy loses as much as $35 billion in income each year because parents need to leave the labor force or reduce their working hours to care for their children.
view article
Columbia University class action claims school failed to safeguard sensitive info, resulting in data breach
Columbia University failed to protect students’ and employees’ sensitive information, leaving it vulnerable to a data breach in May 2023, according to a class action lawsuit filed Nov. 21 in New York federal court.
Plaintiff Alexandra Lardis is a Columbia University alumna who says she was the victim of fraud as a result of the Columbia University data breach. She says she experienced three fraud attempts in which a criminal attempted to use her credit card without her knowledge or consent.
At the time of these fraud attempts, Lardis says she had no idea that her sensitive data had been compromised in a massive data breach that reportedly affected nearly 900 colleges.
view article
Why your kid’s public school may be replacing counseling with online therapy
Trouble with playground bullies started for Maria Ishoo’s daughter in elementary school. Girls ganged up, calling her “fat” and “ugly.” Boys tripped and pushed her. The California mother watched her typically bubbly second-grader retreat into her bedroom and spend afternoons curled up in bed.
For Valerie Aguirre’s daughter in Hawaii, a spate of middle school “friend drama” escalated into violence and online bullying that left the 12-year-old feeling disconnected and lonely.
Both children received help through telehealth therapy, a service that schools around the country are offering in response to soaring mental health struggles among American youth.
view article
School children around the world saw an ‘unprecedented drop in performance’ during the pandemic, global study finds
Students around the world suffered historic setbacks in reading and math during the COVID-19 pandemic, with declines in test scores so widespread that the United States climbed in global rankings simply by falling behind less sharply, a new study finds. The state of global education was given a bleak appraisal in the Program for International Student Assessment, the first study to examine the academic progress of students in dozens of countries during the pandemic. Released Tuesday, it finds the average international math score fell by the equivalent of three-quarters of a year of learning. Reading scores fell by the equivalent of half a year.
view article
‘There’s nothing more critical’: California makes schools teach kids to spot fake news
California next year will become one of the few US states to teach students media literacy, a move experts say is imperative at a time when distrust in the media is at an all-time high and new technologies pose unprecedented challenges to identifying false information. A state bill signed into law this fall mandates public schools to instruct media literacy, a set of skills that includes recognizing falsified data, identifying fake news and generating responsible internet content. Researchers have long warned that the current digital ecosystem has had dire consequences on young people, and have argued that such instruction could make a difference. The US surgeon general has cited digital and media literacy support as one way to combat the youth mental health crisis spurred by social media. The American Psychological Association already has urged parents and schools to teach media literacy before they expose young people to social media platforms.
view article
Texas high school sends Black student back to suspension over his hairstyle
A Texas high school sent a Black student back to in-school suspension Tuesday for refusing to change his hairstyle, renewing a monthslong standoff over a dress code policy the teen’s family calls discriminatory.
view article
Indoor Playground for Toddlers
TEXARKANA, Texas -- A former stay-at-home mom along with her husband has opened an indoor playground for young children with hopes of filling a need in the Texarkana community.
Married couple Eric and Tiffany Clayton, owners of Toddler Town TXK, an exploratory, imaginative indoor playground for young children from infants to age 6, celebrated its soft grand opening on Monday.
view article
As offices sit empty and housing costs soar, some Texas developers are converting workspaces into apartments
Not every downtown high-rise is a good fit for an office-to-housing conversion, but some officials and developers see benefits in turning unused space into new residential units. From an 18th-floor apartment smack dab in the middle of downtown, a renter sipping coffee at a quartz countertop would have a view of towering office buildings and a distant horizon. If they moseyed to their bedroom window at the corner of Santander Tower, they could look down on bustling rush-hour traffic — and a giant sculpture of a eyeball. Until earlier this year, no one could have called the two-bedroom apartment home. Before then, it was a vacant, unused workspace. “This was someone’s corner office,” said Katy Slade, a Dallas developer behind the recent renovation of the high-rise on Elm Street.
view article
Willis ISD expects to have new superintendent by summer 2024, officials say
Willis ISD officials are set to interview candidates in March with the hopes of hiring a new superintendent this summer.
Former Superintendent Tim Harkrider announced his resignation in June, after an 11-year tenure with the district. The news came after College Station ISD named Harkrider as its new superintendent.
view article
Fort Bend ISD approves superintendent’s early retirement, amid accusations she was forced out
The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees voted to approve the early retirement of Superintendent Christie Whitbeck during a heated meeting Monday where Whitbeck and others accused the board of forcing her out.
The retirement came as a surprise to many in the school district, as the board of trustees had previously voted in July to extend Whitbeck's contract until December of 2026. She started as superintendent in October of 2021.
view article
Arlington ISD moves closer to hiring superintendent
At its Monday meeting, the district’s board of trustees approved, 6-1, education law firm Walsh Gallegos as the legal counsel to draft and negotiate the contract with the final candidate for the superintendent position. Board Vice President Justin Chapa abstained from voting. Chapa abstained because he’s an attorney and knows employees at Walsh Gallegos, he told the Fort Worth Report. Because he has two family members working at the district, Chapa said he would also abstain from voting on teacher contracts.
view article
