Joe’s Commentary: Today is an Unprecedented Time and Still Evolving Hour to Hour

Dates for reopening Texas school districts continue to ratchet-up. If you take a broader view and include other states, you will note that Kansas is the first state to  close all schools and California could be next. 

Austin ISD announces it has canceled classes due to coronavirus

Days after several people in Austin and Travis County were diagnosed with coronavirus, leaders with the Austin Independent School District announced March 16 that it had canceled classes from March 23 to April 3. view article  

Austin ISD looks to feed students during extended Spring Break

Austin ISD is announcing changes to its food services amid the coronavirus outbreak. After the City of Austin announced the first cases of coronavirus in Travis County, AISD canceled classes and extended Spring Break for students. view article  

Irving ISD urges individual precautionary measures as school districts brace for coronavirus outbreak

As school districts around North Texas and the country brace for possible coronavirus cases, Irving ISD is stressing calm and highlighting preventive measures families can take to prevent infections. Following a warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in the U.S. is likely inevitable, the district is emphasizing that the need for immediate concern is minimal. view article  

Harleton ISD Superintendent Lone Finalist

The Board of Trustees has named Jay Ratcliff (current Superintendent of Big Sandy ISD) as Lone Finalist for the superintendent's position. Jay is a very experienced superintendent and is well known in the area. He will be a GREAT fit for Harleton ISD. Jay will be in-district one day this week and I will try to introduce him to as many folks as possible. He will begin duties sometime after March 15th.

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Royal ISD lockdown lifted after threat prompts district-wide increased security

The lockdown of all Royal Independent School District campuses that was prompted by an unspecified threat was lifted Thursday afternoon. According to a message posted on the district’s website, the lockdown meant no one was allowed in or out of any buildings on campus. By 3:40 p.m., a message on the district’s Facebook page said the lockdown had been lifted. view article  

May 2020 Bond List

Bond Election Data collected by TexasISD.com for public school bonds in the upcoming May 2020 election cycle.

Georgetown ISD names Sue Harrison as director of human resources

The Georgetown ISD board of trustees approved the hiring of Sue Harrison as the new director of human resources for the district Feb. 18. Harrison previously served as human resources coordinator for Round Rock ISD as well as a variety of human resource roles in public education and for communications industry companies such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Sue also previously served as a campus administrator and assistant director of staffing for RRISD, according to a news release. view article  

Classes cancelled for Columbia-Brazoria ISD students following water line damage from construction, district says

Classes have been cancelled for Columbia-Brazoria ISD students Thursday, district officials announced. The cancellation comes after water lines in the city of Brazoria were damaged during construction work. view article  

Affidavit: Former Hudson ISD math teacher touched student inappropriately

Officers with the Hudson ISD Police Department arrested a former math teacher for the school district on Monday in connection to allegations that he had an improper relationship with a high school student that included sexual contact. view article  

ACLU files grievance against Wimberley ISD after email threatens parents with legal action for altering logo

On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) officially filed a grievance against the Wimberley Independent School District, according to our partners at the Austin-American Statesman. The grievance is the result of an email Superintendent Dwain York sent to some parents in December 2019 regarding the altering of the district's logo to include the colors of the gay pride flag, according to the Statesman. view article  

Joe’s Commentary:  It Failed!

Repost! - js - I wrote a commentary on the November 5 Bond Election in Midland ISD titled, “It Passed, It Failed, It’s Tabled.”  I think we are seeing the last chapter in this story and the verdict is:  It Failed. I think this will become a bond election example of things that can go wrong in school district elections.

City of Marlin hires former Waco ISD superintendent Nelson as charter school consultant

Facebook Twitter Email Print Save The Marlin City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to hire former Waco Independent School District Superintendent A. Marcus Nelson as a consultant to study the possibility of creating a charter school if the embattled Marlin school district closes this spring. view article  

Researcher creates assessments to aid Head Start programs

Lloyd Potter, researcher and director of UTSA’s Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research, is supporting local Head Start and Early Head Start programs toward being more effective. Potter has worked with the City of San Antonio’s Department of Human Services Early Head Start-Child Care and Head Start Programs, and with local nonprofit San Antonio AVANCE Inc. to better assess their programs to provide information about how they are meeting the needs of the children and families they serve. view article  

School Board Asks Austin ISD To Better Communicate Transition Plans To Families From Closed Schools

The Austin Independent School District’s board of trustees discussed transition plans for the four schools it voted to close at last month’s meeting at a work session Monday night. Board members asked the district to improve its communication to families and staff. Many said they want school communities to have clear and timely information about their school closing and moving to a new school.

Should every special-education classroom be recorded? Dallas ISD trustees are debating cameras

Children with severe disabilities often don’t have the ability to speak up when they are hurt at school, so determining what happened can be difficult. That’s why one Dallas ISD trustee wants to require each special education classroom in the district to have video cameras. Texas public schools are already required to place one in a special education setting if a parent requests it. view article  

Round Rock ISD principal placed on administrative leave following discrimination allegations

The principal of Early College High School is under fire. Veronica Coss has been placed on administrative leave over reports of discrimination. Former staff member Stephanie Martin stood in front of the Round Rock ISD board members last week detailing the harassment and disparaging comments she said Coss has made toward students. “The following are things I personally heard her say If I shared everything it would take a longer time than I am allotted here,” Martin said. “Immigrants don’t teach their kids how to behave, we need to ween 504 children off their accommodations, ADHD kids just need to exercise.” view article  

Sweeny starts social media reading program

Started as a means to get children engaged with reading outside of class, Sweeny ISD officials have begun reading books to children on social media each week with “Bulldog Bedtime Stories.” “We realize not every family has a library of books,” Sweeny Elementary Principal Michael Heinroth said. That realization prompted Heinroth to start recording himself reading books in brief videos on social media, allowing families not to have to spend money on new books, he said. view article  

Georgetown ISD students to see big changes thanks to $150M bond project

Students with Georgetown Independent School District are about to see a lot of changes. Voters approved a $150 million bond for the district in November 2018, and some upgrades have already been made as a result. In January, KVUE reported that crews finished installing new football and softball fields at East View High School in Georgetown. view article  

What not to study: The 20 college majors with the highest unemployment rates

Having a high-paying job doesn't necessarily mean you'll have job stability, and vice versa. Some college majors that lead to high-paying jobs also come with above-average unemployment rates - and that includes majors in fields like engineering, cognitive science, and the arts. The financial-education company Bankrate found the unemployment rates for college majors, based on the most recent available data from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Using weighted data, Bankrate determined the unemployment rates and median incomes for graduates across 162 majors that employed at least 15,000 people. view article  

Back to School is August 26th, Teachers Receive Pay Raises

Eagle Pass Independent School District Superintendent Samuel Mijares announced at a press conference on August 15, 2019 that all schools of the local school district will commence classes on Monday, August 26th, with over 14,000 students expected to attend during the 2019-2020 school year. Mijares noted that all local public Pre-Kindergarten schools will now be providing instruction all day from 8:15 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. as mandated by the Texas Legislature. Parents are encouraged to prepare their young children for attending school during the full day. view article  

Houston-area schools fare better than state average on new A-F grading system

For years, Stephens Elementary School in Aldine ISD has been defined by the challenges that it faces rather than its academic successes. Nearly 90 percent of its students are considered economically disadvantaged by the Texas Education Agency. Nearly half are English language learners. And to state education officials, the school was failing academically. view article  

Former Student Sues Dallas ISD After Losing Salutatorian Status Day Before Graduation

A former student has filed a lawsuit against Dallas ISD after he lost his status as his high school’s salutatorian a day before graduation due to a last minute change in rankings. In June, the district apologized after class rankings at Woodrow Wilson High School were changed right before graduation because of a calculation error. Now a former student is suing Dallas ISD, claiming that the change will affect his applications to universities and employers. view article  

Austin ISD to discuss restyling dress code policies that unfairly target female students, cultures

Austin Independent School District leaders will meet with parents, students and employees to discuss potential dress code changes Wednesday evening. According to our partners at the Austin American-Statesman, leaders want to remove language that unfairly targets female students and specific cultures. The last time the district's dress code was updated was more than 10 years ago in 2007. view article  

Temple High School seniors participate in ‘Adulting 101’ mini-classes

Temple ISD's 2019 senior class participated in a series of mini-classes on Wednesday called "Adulting 101." view article  

Huffman ISD announces early dismissal at all campuses ahead of heavy rain storms

Due to expected severe weather this afternoon and evening, all Huffman ISD schools will have early release. Hargrave High School and Huffman Middle School will be released at 1:30 p.m. Huffman Elementary School and Falcon Ridge Elementary School will be released at 2:45. view article  

Lumberton student finds ‘vulgar’ language in STAAR test

A fifth grade Lumberton Independent School District student reported "vulgar" language in the STAAR reading test last month, according to information from LISD.  view article  

Mansfield ISD Student Posts Blackface Video on Social Media

Mansfield ISD is investigating after one of its students posted a video on social media showing them smearing their face with black body paint and using a racial slur, the district said in a statement Wednesday. The district said the video was posted by a Lake Ridge High School student. view article  

TASBO: We are the business of education!

House committee considers ways to make schools safer

The state House Public Education Committee on Tuesday considered more than 30 bills aimed at making Texas public schools safer, including measures that would put more armed personnel on campuses and give districts money for sweeping security changes. The Legislature has made improving school safety a priority this session after 10 people, mostly students, were shot and killed at Santa Fe High School 10 months ago. The shooting spurred roundtable discussions and studies among policymakers, lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott in the immediate aftermath. “Out of that loss, we have an opportunity to devote ourselves and commit ourselves to seeing that their loss was not in vain and that future students, future teachers, future families in this state will, if at all possible, not have to experience what these individuals experienced,” said Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, during Tuesday’s hearing. view article  

Austin ISD considers two proposals to expand pre-K access

Two proposals up for votes Monday would expand access to pre-K education for Austin ISD families. The first would use $80,000 in city funding to create up to five new 3-year-old pre-K classes inside AISD schools, expanding the capacity of district early-education classrooms from 1,120 students to 1,350 students next school year. view article  

Beaumont ISD principal gets GMA attention for reading bedtime stories to students

Belinda George, the Homer Drive Elementary School principal who breaks out her pajamas every Tuesday night to read a bedtime story to her students via iPhone video, will be featured on Good Morning America Friday morning. It's the latest media exposure for the Beaumont educator since she was featured in an Enterprise last month. view article  

LETTERS: Our readers differ sharply on Waco ISD Superintendent Nelson

In a Trib interview, Waco ISD Superintendent A. Marcus Nelson expressed remorse for his March 6 traffic arrest for marijuana possession (less than two ounces), an incident reportedly triggered by a Houston-based friend’s suggestion on what might bring Nelson relief for chronic back pain. view article  

Burleson ISD finalist for $100,000 H-E-B Honor

The Burleson Independent School District is in the race to be the best in Texas. H-E-B named BISD as a top-five candidate in the large school districts category for this year’s Excellence in Education Award. The award is the largest monetary program for Texas educators and schools. view article  

State legislators seek to curb property tax increases, local officials point to assessment growth

Property tax reform has been a top priority for Texas lawmakers from the start of the 86th legislative session. The early filing of identical, wide-reaching bills in the House and Senate in January—Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 2—sparked debate on the topic and earned pushback from many local entities that could be affected by the proposals. The twin bills propose to lower the cap for local entities’ annual tax revenue growth from 8 percent to 2.5 percent and to improve efficiency and transparency in the tax system. The proposals were fast-tracked for debate in both chambers after Gov. Greg Abbott declared property tax an emergency item in February, and dozens of related bills have been filed in their wake. view article