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

Crowding around the entrance of the administration building, hundreds of students, parents and teachers from past and present gathered Monday to protest the personnel changes in the Southlake Carroll school district. Signs were raised saying “Team Wilson,” “We Love Benhoff,” and “Fine Arts = Sports.” Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article305789186.html#storylink=cpy view article

Bites and scratches are part of the painful price Grace Zamarron has paid for her profession. For months, KSAT Investigates has been reporting on the growing issue of teachers being hurt on the job by students. Over the last two school years, we found more than 4,000 injuries reported by educators in Bexar County. view article

Hays County Middle School Teacher Sentenced to 60 Years for Child Porn Possession  Kevin McLean, 33, received a 10-year sentence for each count, to be served consecutively, following an investigation that began with reports of inappropriate behavior toward students.  McLean taught at Dripping Springs Middle School, where he also coached track. He does not possess a Texas teacher certificate, but is listed on the Texas Education Agency’s “Do Not Hire Registry” as “under investigation.” view article

JoMeka Gray spent many evenings away from her family to complement her salary as a kindergarten teacher, earning extra cash by caring for aging adults. Her credit cards were maxed out, and she sometimes worried about not having enough gas to get to school. She knows she was not alone — other teachers found side gigs baking cookies, designing T-shirts or working at nightclubs to stay afloat.  But life began to change a few years ago when Gray, who teaches at Kennedy-Powell Elementary in the Temple Independent School District, started earning pay increases through a state program that incentivizes educators who demonstrate that they have improved their students’ academic outcomes. Thanks to Texas’ Teacher Incentive Allotment, she now makes $20,000 more than she used to, which she said allows her to give “my students my full Mrs. Gray.” view article

The Socorro Independent School District's board has officially approved a reduction in force, cutting 43 positions in an effort to address a $38 million budget deficit. The decision, made after months of deliberation, was met with emotional pleas from educators hoping to save their jobs. view article

At Carroll ISD in Southlake, where national headlines have been frequent, students and parents are rallying behind two familiar faces they say represent stability in a district gripped by potential change. At a packed school board meeting Monday night, the community showed up — not for a football game, but for their principals. view article

Northwest ISD has named Dr. Daryl Porter as the next principal of Northwest High School, welcoming a school leader with a decade of school and district administration experience. Dr. Porter has served as principal of Brewer High School in White Settlement ISD for the past three years, and he previously served as the district’s director of career and technical education. Prior to his time in White Settlement ISD, Dr. Porter served in Crowley ISD as an assistant principal, principal and coordinator of district CTE programs. view article

According to an affidavit, a Nacogdoches ISD teacher was arrested for failing to report child sex abuse allegations against her husband. According to the affidavit obtained by a Nacogdoches County open records request, Camille Floyd Lanier, 46, refused to report child sex abuse allegations against her husband, Nikolai Alexi Lanier, 44, despite her status as a mandatory reporter as a teacher at Nacogdoches ISD. view article

Full-time New Caney ISD employees who are returning for the 2025-26 school year will receive a $1,000 retention incentive on their May 5 paycheck, district leaders said. On April 21, NCISD's board of trustees unanimously approved the retention incentives with trustees Angela Tompkins and Beth Prykryl absent. The incentives are expected to cost about $2.3 million, said Christie Gates, executive director of human resources for NCISD. view article

A concerned mother reached out to Eyewitness News, upset about injuries her four-year-old daughter with autism got at school. It happened at Aldine ISD, and now the mother is worried the teacher responsible won't be punished. The teacher was charged with felony injury to a child in March, but she was soon released after a district judge found there was not enough evidence. view article

Houston ISD is two months away from its deadline to finalize next school year's budget, and state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said tough decisions are ahead — including cuts to the district's central office. In the district's budget meeting last week, Miles shared his spending proposals with the district's board of managers. They include cuts to nearly every department of the central office, except for the Chief of Staff's office, which may see an increase. view article

Last year, Fagen was placed on paid administrative leave and later fired after her husband, Troy Kite, retired from his position as the district’s athletic director following a Title IX investigation into him for allegedly making sexually charged comments to other staffers. view article

Midland ISD will “collapse” a second round of positions at the end of the 2024-25 school year, which includes 28 positions that are central office based. MISD is operating this year under a $41.1 million budget deficit because of the expiration of the state FTG program, which had given MISD tens of millions of dollars annually since 2019. The FTG was set to expire this year, and it was not renewed in the previous legislative session. view article

A kindergarten teacher at Snyder Elementary in Conroe ISD was arrested Tuesday on charges of online solicitation of a minor, according to school officials and jail records. Brian Schultz, who had taught kindergarten at Snyder Elementary since August 2021, was taken into custody in an arrest unrelated to the elementary school, Principal Crystal Poncho confirmed in a statement to parents. The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable's Office arrested Schultz. view article

Two Midlothian ISD staff members are on leave after an incident involving a student at McClatchey Elementary School. Police are investigating and the student’s mother told FOX 4 what happened. No teacher has been charged with a crime, but two teachers have been placed on leave while the district and Midlothian police investigate. view article

Two Midlothian ISD staff members are on leave after an incident involving a student at McClatchey Elementary School. Police are investigating and the student’s mother told FOX 4 what happened. No teacher has been charged with a crime, but two teachers have been placed on leave while the district and Midlothian police investigate. view article

Bryan High School will soon welcome new leadership, as the Bryan ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved Dr. Gregory Bowhuis as the school’s next principal during its April 21 meeting. Dr. Bowhuis brings a broad range of experience to the role, most recently serving as Associate Principal at Magnolia West High School in Magnolia ISD. His career in education began in his home state of Michigan and spans several Texas school districts, with positions ranging from classroom teacher to campus administrator. view article

Denton ISD plans to reorganize its library staff so that one librarian will serve each campus, which is a slight change from having some campuses with two librarians. The Denton Record-Chronicle received a tip that school district officials announced the change to librarians last Friday. view article

A Stratford ISD teacher is under investigation for having a "romantic" relationship with a student. Police Chief Richard Coborn told ABC 7 News an "outcry" was made against a teacher. But his department immediately turned the case over to the Texas Rangers due to a conflict of interest. ABC 7 News also reached out to DPS which confirmed Texas Rangers are investigating one Stratford ISD employee for an inappropriate relationship with a student. view article

Parents and students showed up in force at Tuesday night’s College Station ISD school board meeting, many still concerned over the recent decision to move Rock Prairie Elementary Principal Jeff Durand to another campus next school year. Before the meeting, dozens gathered outside district headquarters with signs and chants, hoping to make their voices heard. Some drivers honked their car horns in support. Parents brought their children— many wearing school spirit shirts— to show how much Durand has meant to the Rock Prairie community. view article

High school students from Comal Independent School District participated in the district's annual Ready, Set, Teach Conference on April 7 at the Support Services Building. The event offered students an inside look into the teaching profession, featuring activities such as onboarding, a scavenger hunt, and sessions on the first-year teaching experience and job searching. view article

This School Librarian Month, Killeen ISD is educating Texans beyond its district. Alice W. Douse Elementary librarian Keye’tta Mathis was selected to present at the Texas Library Association (TLA) Conference recently, leading a hands-on session, “Thrifty Tech: Makerspace on a Shoestring Budget,” according to Killeen ISD. view article

A former long-term substitute teacher for Tyler ISD is accused of physically assaulting a special needs student earlier this month. Joacim Castro-Lacayo, 28, of Tyler, is charged with injury to a child or disabled individual after an alleged April 1 incident in a special education classroom at Moore Middle School. According to a Tyler ISD PD arrest affidavit KLTV requested from Smith County, Lacayo is believed to have thrown a female student onto the classroom floor during an altercation. view article