A new law gives parents more power over a child’s actions on social media, but only if the parent knows about the account.  Parents of Texas children under 18 can now monitor and restrict their child’s activity on digital platforms including Facebook and Instagram — but only if they know their child uses the service.Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, rolled out parental control features in Texas last week to comply with House Bill 18, the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act, which went into effect Sept. 1. The Legislature passed it last year to restrict kids from seeing harmful material on the internet, such as content promoting self-harm or substance abuse, while also giving parents more power to regulate what their child does online. view article

Books, backpacks and SMART tags. That’s the list of items that kids will want to have as they head off to school each morning. Seguin ISD is expanding its use of the SMART tag™ program for the 2024-2025 school year. Middle school students were previously enrolled in the program during the spring 2024 semester. Schools this week have started distributing cards to students who did not previously participate in the program. view article

Katy ISD gave Chromebooks to all students in grades 3 through 12 for the first time this school year, one of multiple new policies parents, students and teachers must adapt to. We asked Katy ISD parents what they thought about the new Chromebooks, and then we checked in with Katy ISD to address the comments. Here’s what Katy readers said is and isn't working, and what the district is doing to address the issues. view article

Not every middle and high school student in Killeen ISD has been issued a cellphone pouch yet, but that day is coming soon, according to KISD officials. According to Susan Buckley, a KISD assistant superintendent, all campuses have received the lockable pouches as of last week and “distribution is currently underway.” view article

Katy ISD is facing a potential $25.42 million shortfall in its general fund for fiscal year 2024-25, a challenge district officials said was primarily caused by inflation and the state not increasing public school funding during the last legislative session. This shortfall rose in May when trustees approved roughly $22 million to increase teacher and staff pay 3% from the midpoint of their respective salaries, KISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski said. Trustees are set to approve the proposed budget Aug. 26, using the district’s reserve funds to offset costs. “This was the most difficult budget that our teams have had to prepare in the past six years that I’ve served as superintendent,” he said. Public education advocates and local district leaders are requesting an increase in school funding when lawmakers meet for the 89th Texas Legislature, which begins Jan. 14. view article

How a key confidant links Musk to Weekley, unwittingly putting the billionaire at odds with Texas voters   view article

Smartwatches come equipped with several different features that can keep parents connected to their kids when their child is at school. The smartwatches have features that can mimic a cellphone, such as receiving text messages, phone calls and GPS. However, some districts are finding the watches to serve as a distraction to learning and a mechanism for cheating in the classroom.  view article

Some North Texas school districts are implementing new, stricter cell phone policies ahead of the new school year. Grapevine-Colleyville and Northwest ISDs have both passed policies in recent weeks to prohibit the use of cell phones in class, and limit their use during the school day overall. The policies will be enforced in elementary, middle, and high schools. view article

By using the SMART tag app on their mobile devices, Northwest ISD parents will be able to access enhanced features to help track their bus riders. view article

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is sending a message to its students about bullying by adjusting its policy to address artificial intelligence. The district updated its Student Code of Conduct relating to cyberbullying and the inappropriate use of AI. view article

Following a thorough review of district and school practices, Northwest ISD will implement device practices that prohibit the personal use of cellphones during class time. These practices will begin at the start of the 2024-2025 school year on Wednesday, August 14. Campus leaders met throughout the summer to align standards for cellphone usage in schools. These standards were developed to balance best practices for a strong learning environment with the need for cell phones during emergencies. These new standards will assist teachers by ensuring student learning is prioritized in the classroom and minimizing distractions. view article

Montgomery ISD announced changes to the district’s cell phone policy following a board workshop. The district said students in Montgomery ISD will be allowed to have cell phones on campus. However, they are expected to be “away for the day” in backpacks, lockers, or vehicles and turned off. The policy applies to all classrooms, hallways, restrooms, cafeterias, and any other school property during the school day. view article

In an effort to reduce distractions within the classroom, the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board of trustees passed a revised cellphone policy for students during a July 29 meeting. view article

Parents disagree over what limits—if any—are appropriate as more Texas school districts propose policies restricting students’ access to cell phones.Keller Independent School District is the latest to consider keeping kids off their phones during school hours.  “The data is clear that cell phones and social media are addictive, contribute to mental health issues, and are a disruption to the learning environment. This policy will help address this issue by re-establishing a healthy, safe, and positive learning environment,” Board President Charles Randklev posted before last week’s school board meeting  During the July 25 meeting, trustees previewed a policy requiring students to keep their cell phones turned off and stored in a bag or locker throughout the school day—including during class changes and lunch.  Students can use their phones in emergencies or “for approved purposes. view article

There are more than a dozen platforms that teachers use to communicate with their student's parents or guardians. Some of them are Class Dojo, Remind, Google Classroom, Seasaw, and many more. But over at West Oso Independent School District, they have decided to stick to one app called 'Parent Square'. view article

A proposed plan to disconnect students at Boyd High School from their cell phones during school hours took a step toward becoming a reality Monday afternoon. During a budget workshop at the school board’s regular monthly meeting, trustees gave the approval to add the cost of the proposed plan to the district’s 2024-25 budget. view article

Perryton ISD’s school board adopted guidelines for cell phone use in the upcoming school year for all students, from elementary to high school. These guidelines will start in the elementary school, where phones and smart watches will have to remain off and in students’ backpacks for the entire day. view article

The Keller Independent School District (ISD) will ban cell phones throughout the entire school day in the upcoming school year. Superintendent Tracy Johnson presented the proposed policy in a report at the school board meeting on Thursday, July 25. view article

Keller ISD is expected to enforce new cell phone rules to keep students focused on learning during the upcoming school year. "This is a nationwide epidemic with our students," Dr. Tracy Johnson, Keller ISD's Superintendent view article

Lake Travis ISD announced Wednesday it will implement a ban on the use of smart devices by students in Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade for the 2024-2025 school year. The Superintendent of Schools Paul Norton sent a letter to parents and guardians informing them that the new smart device protocol will go into effect on the first day of school, Wednesday, August 14. view article

A small school district serving students from Tarrant, Hood, and Johnson counties is asking parents to be kinder online. However, making this pledge part of the school registration process for the upcoming year has stirred a social media controversy. "It was definitely executed in a bad way, if that was their intent," said Godley ISD trustee Kayla Lain. view article

For the new school year, Wylie ISD has implemented a new policy prohibiting students from using their cell phones during instructional hours. They’re calling it ‘No Cell from Bell to Bell,’ meaning that no student is allowed to use their cell phones from the time the first bell rings to start the school day until the last bell to dismiss them. Students’ access to their phones is restricted not only while they are in the classroom but also during lunch and any other intermittent time during the school day. view article

The Katy ISD 2024-25 school year kicks off August 14, and there are a few notable changes for the new school year. Here’s what parents and students need to know before school returns in the fall, according to district officials. view article

The Houston Independent School District has launched a new app which will provide news from the district to families. The HISD Source app is an app designed to keep families, staff, and community members informed and connected, according to the district. view article

The debate over cell phones in school is heating up in San Antonio. Right now, a pair of local districts are looking to update their policies and guidelines in hopes of avoiding distractions in the classroom and improving student learning. On Thursday, a school board committee with Northside ISD discussed coming up with a district-wide cell phone policy, since their guidelines currently vary from campus to campus. No decision was made, but there was some movement Thursday night at East Central ISD. view article

The Greenville ISD Police Department is investigating a shooting that happened Tuesday afternoon outside of the Greenville High School Athletic Facility. Reportedly, around 1:33 pm, an ex-spouse of a Greenville high school staff member and coach arrived at the facility and fired a single shot outside the Roy Q Traylor Athletic Facility. view article

Temple ISD is navigating using Artificial Intelligence in its classrooms. It will be a multi-year process focusing on generative AI. The district may use it for assessment, instruction and measuring student progress. view article

The Katy ISD Board of Trustees voted and approved this week a revised Discipline Management Plan that restricts the use of personal devices such as cell phones and smart watches. Starting next year, all students will have a Chromebook device. view article

The Hallsville ISD Board of Trustees recently approved a purchase of 120 iPads for the special education department in the amount of $118,260. The motion to consider the approval of purchasing iPads to assist teachers and students in the Special Education department was presented by Special Education Director Amy Collins. She said that there were three proposals included in the motion, with the option to purchase directly from Apple resulting in the least expensive option available. view article

The 18-year-old Klein Forest High School student who was responsible for the cyber attacks that STAAR testing for thousands of students in the district appeared in court Friday morning. Keontra Lamont Kenemore has since been charged with electronic access and interference, which is a third-degree felony. view article

A new proposed addition to Katy ISD's code of conduct would add phone restrictions but does not call for a total ban, after some trustees in April raised the possibility of banning all devices during school hours. A code of conduct committee has asked the Katy ISD board of trustees to approve a modified cellphone policy. PJS OK, PRINCIPALS SAY: Katy ISD principals push back on proposed pajama ban, because pajamas are fun view article

The Killeen ISD School Board approved a plan that would required middle and high school students to keep cell phones in a locked pouch.  The plan would require students at all middle schools and high schools to keep their cell phones in a school issued pouch. It would have a locking device similar to clothing security tags, according to the district. The pouches would remain locked until the end of the school day. view article

Students at Killeen Independent School District will have to lock their phones in secure poaches and put them away next year as part of a new policy intended to curb behavioral issues in the classroom. The Killeen ISD board voted unanimously Tuesday to make campuses “phone-free” for the 2024-2025 school year. It joins a movement of schools nationwide that have removed personal electronic devices from campus to quell bad behavior, boost student engagement and improve mental health. view article

Temple ISD will prepare its teachers for an ever-changing technological landscape when it holds a four-hour professional development workshop late next week on how to navigate Artificial Intelligence in the classroom. view article

Students across Midland ISD have been learning from nature and ecological experts as part of the I-20 Wildlife Preserve’s Conservation Job Corp. This summer program gives teenagers a chance to learn about different environments across Texas. It also helps show these students how they can make a living out of conservation. view article