LEWISVILLE, Texas — During another one of his 2022 gubernatorial campaign stops, Gov. Greg Abbott unveiled a plan that would claim to give parents more power in decisions surrounding their children's education. Abbott was in North Texas on Thursday when he announced his "Parental Bill of Rights" plan at the Founders Classical Academy, a charter school run by ResponsiveEd, in Lewisville. Abbott is currently seeking a third term for governor of Texas.  "Under the Parental Bill of Rights, we will amend the Texas Constitution to make clear that parents are the primary decision-makers in all manners involving their children," Abbott said during the event. view article

DALLAS - Virtual learning will be offered to some Dallas ISD students full-time starting next fall. iLearn Virtual School will be the district's first ever virtual campus being offered to students for the next school year. Right now, it's only being offered to students in 3rd through 9th grades. Dallas ISD said the goal is to ultimately include all grades. The iLearn Virtual School will be led by Monica Morris, a 17-year veteran Dallas ISD educator.    (21) view article

The Marble Falls Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a minor adjustment to its eastern boundary line, which borders Lago Vista ISD. The adjustment prevents the districts from having to split between them a portion of the Lakeside at Tessera on Lake Travis housing development. Action was taken at the board’s regular meeting Tuesday, Jan. 18. “This is not a detachment and annexation, it’s not that much property,” said MFISD Superintendent Chris Allen during the meeting. “This is more about moving a line on a map to accommodate some development taking place between us and one of our neighbors.” view article

Several Lewisville ISD schools, including some in Flower Mound and Lewisville, will close for three school days because of rising numbers of positive COVID-19 cases among staff. Bridlewood Elementary, Lillie Jackson Early Childhood Center, Indian Creek Elementary, Morningside Elementary and Creek Valley Middle schools will all be shut down Thursday, Jan. 20, through Monday, Jan. 24. Students will return to school on Tuesday, Jan. 25. view article

Forney Independent School District Board of Trustees joined with city, county and state officials and leadership from Dallas College and Texas Tech University for the official fanfare and groundbreaking ceremony of The Keith Bell Opportunity Central (The OC). view article

Marshall ISD trustees on Tuesday unanimously approved a new redistricting map that better represents a population balance, based on new information revealed during the 2020 U.S. census. Due to population changes within Marshall ISD’s five trustee districts, based on results from the 2020 census, the district hired Sara Leon and Associates out of Houston to handle the redistricting process that maintains population balances between the five trustee voting districts for Marshall ISD. view article

Sonora ISD Superintendent Michael Kissire announced Sonora ISD will be delaying their school start to 10:00 a.m. on Friday, January 21st due to heating system issues. According to Kissire’s statement, the Secondary Campus building is having boiler (heating system) issues. Along with impending colder temperatures, Sonora ISD will have a 10:00 a.m. start time for Friday, January 21st with busses running 2 hours late. view article

Business people running elections might try to remove obstacles to make everything smooth and secure for voters. But a kink in the supply chain for voter registration forms in Texas highlights a venerable distinction: Government doesn't run like a business.  Government is not a business and doesn’t run like one. That “run government like a business” motto you hear from political candidates comes from the “tastes great, less filling” school of advertising. view article

ROUND ROCK — Students in the Round Rock school district walked out of school and into the near-freezing cold Thursday to call for more COVID-19 precautions. About 60 students at the Round Rock and Cedar Ridge high schools gathered outside of the schools to emphasize that they do not feel safe in school and want district officials to tighten mask requirements, resume contact tracing in secondary schools, add more COVID-19 testing sites and expand outdoor eating — or offer a virtual learning option. Other students walked out and went directly home because of the freezing temperatures. They honked in support of the protesters as they drove away.   The protests came days after Round Rock students created a petition with those demands. As of Thursday, more than 1,700 high school and middle school students had signed the petition, according to student organizers. view article

During this time of year, we often reflect upon things that we have to be thankful for. One of the things we should all be thankful for is our strong public-school system in Texas. There are some politicians from both parties that champion public education, while unfortunately others attack it in an apparent attempt to score political points. There is a great deal of false and misleading information spread regarding public education. view article

AUSTIN, TX -- Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Todd A. Williams and Brad Wright to the Permanent School Fund Corporation Board of Directors, to terms that will expire as provided by Senate Bill 1232 of the 87th Legislature. The newly-created board will oversee the investment of the multi-billion dollar Permanent School Fund which is a source of funding for Texas public schools.   view article

We’re beginning to sound a lot like a broken record, but the COVID spread continues in Midlothian ISD and Ellis County. Today’s MISD Dashboard shows three campuses have entered the red tier: LaRue Miller (6.34%), Mt. Peak (4.99%) and J.A. Vitosky (4.98%) all elementary schools. Eight campuses are in the yellow tier, with only one campus (Heritage High School) remaining in the green. view article

Lakeshia Chaney is taking East Central ISD and one of its teachers to court. She said they contributed to the death of her son, Jeffery Taylor, in December 2019.  SAN ANTONIO — The mother of a first-grader who killed himself two years ago is suing East Central Independent School District.  Jeffery Taylor was not on campus at the time of his death. However, Lakeshia Chaney believes what happened to him at school may be why he killed himself at home four days before Christmas in 2019. view article

TYLER, Texas (KETK) – Friends and family held a special balloon release on Wednesday in honor of 17-year-old Lilly Thornburgh who died this week after a crash involving a driver accused of being intoxicated. ‘It still doesn’t even feel real’: Tyler Legacy band member dead after crash, man charged with intoxicated manslaughter Thornburgh’s birthday was on Wednesday, and she would have turned 18. She was also a part of the school band. The balloon release was organized by Avery and Katie Curbow, Elizabeth and Corey, who were close friends with Thornburgh and said she loved balloons. The event happened at 8 p.m. in Pollard Park in Tyler. More than 100 people attended the event. view article

GRAPEVINE (WBAP/KLIF)- Schools in Grapevine and Colleyville will be closed January 20-21st due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. “After a thorough review and discussion of the current state of COVID-19 in GCISD, all campuses and facilities will be closed Thursday, January 20 and Friday, January 21. We will resume in-person instruction on Monday, January 24. During this time additional cleaning and misting will take place at all campuses and facilities,” Grapevine Colleyville ISD said in a letter to parents and students. GCISD said this decision was made to provide four days for students and staff members who are currently COVID positive to become well. view article

CANYON, Texas (KFDA) - 29 Canyon ISD students have been selected for all-state band and choir. Canyon ISD says making it to all-state is a prestigious honor and highly competitive. The whole process starts out around August when students learn the different songs and then the audition process starts in December, getting more competitive each audition This select group is considered the top one to three percent of Texas high school musicians view article

Current seniors expecting to graduate this coming spring face a new requirement for graduation, thanks to a new state rule that goes into effect this year. Marshall ISD is hosting a free FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Night to help parents and seniors fill out the newly required application for federal college aid, which is a new state requirement for 2021-22 graduating seniors. view article

Kindergarten through eighth grade students in East Texas from now until March 1 can enroll at Tyler ISD’s Caldwell Arts Academy, a tuition-free campus that is set to academically enhance a student but also provide involvement in six art forms: dance, drama, vocal music, instrumental music, visual and digital arts. The campus allows students to be community involved and get into a variety of unique programs such as ukulele, guitar and mariachi programs. Students also learn digital arts such as photography, graphic design and animation. The dance course is also a hidden gem for K-8 students, classes are offered in ballet, tap, and hip-hop instead of taking a Dance 1 course with a mix of things, said Bobby Markle, principal of Caldwell Arts Academy. view article

ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — In a Meeting Tuesday night, the Ector County ISD Board of Trustees got a peek at what the school year might look like for students next year.  At the meeting there was a clear focus on summer school for pre-K to fifth grade students.  The school board approved adding three more days to its summer learning schedule, so they would be in compliance with a Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Support grant that helps fund those instructional days. As a result of the amendment, there will be 25 days instead of the previously approved 22 days.  The extra days were necessary to meet the minimum required for the Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Support grant program. view article

Few people like it, especially at the elementary level, but virtual learning is back in several districts on a class-by-class basis based on the number of positive cases. Once exceeding certain thresholds, students are banned from the classroom and entire classes are going virtual. "I think I was checking my emails all day every day, pressing refresh worried about the email coming, I was expecting it," said Jenny Thomas, mother of a 2nd grader. Thomas' daughter Emory met with her class virtually for the first time this school year. view article

For 19 years, Tara Chapman taught English in Dallas ISD – at Hillcrest and Booker T. Washington high schools. But as the mother of children with disabilities, including an adult son with autism, she saw up close what a difference special education teachers can make in students’ lives. And she wanted to be a part of making that difference. Now, after getting certified in special education three years ago and enrolling in rehabilitation studies at the University of North Texas (with graduation set for 2022), Chapman this school year became the special education teacher and case manager at Booker T. It is a move she finds rewarding. view article

Vistra Corp. asked the Railroad Commission of Texas to prevent Energy Transfer LP from cutting off fuel to five of its power plants on Monday. Vistra said the power supply to at least 400,000 homes and businesses could be impacted.  With freezing weather sweeping into Texas late this week, subsidiaries for a major pipeline company are threatening to cut off natural gas to the state’s largest power generator — which could impact the electricity supply for hundreds of thousands of customers — over a financial dispute stemming from last February’s deadly winter storm.  Vistra Corp. subsidiary Luminant on Wednesday asked the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, to prevent Energy Transfer LP from cutting off fuel to five Vistra power plants, which produce enough electricity to power 400,000 Texas homes, businesses and critical infrastructure such as hospitals and schools.    (20) view article

The NCAA changed its policy regarding transgender athletes, it announced Wednesday. The new approach to allowing transgender athletes will follow a sport-by-sport model similarly adopted by the U.S. and international Olympic committees, Sports Illustrated reported.    (20) view article

AUSTIN, TX — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently tested positive for COVID-19, the Office of the Attorney General confirmed to Patch on Wednesday. It is unclear when Paxton tested positive or if he is experiencing symptoms. He is currently working from home, a spokesperson from his office confirmed. Paxton, along with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, has been a leading voice against local governments and schools requiring people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Paxton's vaccination status is unknown. view article

This will be the first election in which Texans will be voting in new political districts. Our map page shows how your districts might’ve changed.  Republicans and Democrats will choose their candidates to face off in November for district-based congressional and legislative offices, the State Board of Education and judicial seats. If you share your address below, we’ll show you the candidates you get to vote for.     ((18) view article

Excitement echoed throughout Tyler ISD campuses on Tuesday. The Tyler ISD Foundation Grant Patrol walked the halls of 15 campuses ready to surprise teachers with 37 big checks totaling nearly $95,000. This year’s patrol featured the highest amount of grant funding and the most amount ever given by the Tyler ISD Foundation, according to the foundation. Those who received checks were named Grants for Great Ideas recipients for 2021-22. The program “provides resources to fund individual and teams of educators for innovative and creative projects intended to enrich classrooms and support student achievement,” according to Tyler ISD. view article

HUDSON — Hudson school trustees on Tuesday approved the calendar for the 2022-23 school year and called a school board election for May 7. Today is the first day interested candidates can file to run in the election. There are three positions up for election this year. Position 1 is currently held by Matt Taylor, Position 2 is held by Reagan McClenny and Position 3 is held by Charles Willson. Due to the fact that 25-30% of Hudson ISD students are dual-credit students, the district made its spring break the same as Angelina College, March 13-17. view article

Weatherford ISD schools and facilities will close due to a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases and the impact on daily operations, the district said in a release Tuesday. All buildings will be closed Jan. 19-21 and reopen to staff and students Monday. "As always, the health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority," WISD Superintendent Beau Rees said in a note sent out this week. "Our goal is to give our staff and students extra time to get healthy before returning to the school environment. Weatherford ISD will use this time to deep clean our campuses and facilities. view article

Few people like it, especially at the elementary level, but virtual learning is back in several districts on a class-by-class basis based on the number of positive cases. Once exceeding certain thresholds, students are banned from the classroom and entire classes are going virtual. "I think I was checking my emails all day every day, pressing refresh worried about the email coming, I was expecting it," said Jenny Thomas, mother of a 2nd grader. Thomas' daughter Emory met with her class virtually for the first time this school year. view article

The Pearland ISD board of trustees approved the 2022-23 academic year calendar. “I would describe the calendar recommended as extremely similar to this year’s calendar,” Superintendent John Kelly said at the board's Jan. 18 meeting. Highlights of the approved school year calendar include Aug. 17, which will be the first day of classes in the district, according to agenda documents. In addition, the last day of the first semester will be Dec. 16, and it will be an early dismissal day. Students will have extended breaks for holidays on Nov. 21-25, Dec. 19-Jan. 4, 2023, and March 13-17, 2023, according to agenda documents. view article

KISD did not reveal the employee’s name or what the person was charged with. Hill said the charges against the employee do not involve a KISD student, nor did any alleged criminal act occur on a KISD campus. “The case remains under investigation by the Killeen Police Department and the district is not able to comment further,” she said. view article

The bodies of three teenagers were found dead inside a Crosby-area home Tuesday in what authorities believe may be a double-homicide in which the assailant then took their own life, authorities said.  A relative to at least one of the teens lives next door and found the bodies — two girls, both 17, and a boy believed to be 15 — in the home in the 4500 block of Wolcek Road in northeast Harris County, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a press conference Tuesday evening in front of the property.   At first glance, investigators believe that one of the teens killed the others and then themselves, he said. Two bodies were found together in the home and the third elsewhere. A firearm was also located in the home although Gonzalez could not confirm if it was used in the incident. view article

As Frisco looks ahead to the opening of one of the first HEB locations in North Texas, the grocery store chain is recognizing the community in another way. On Wednesday, the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards announced its finalists for school district, early childhood education and school board categories. The program awards over $500,000 in cash prizes per year to teachers, principals and school districts. Frisco ISD’s board of trustees was one of five listed as finalists for the program’s School Board award category, alongside the boards of North East ISD, Alvin ISD, Allen ISD and McAllen ISD. Current board members include President Rene Archambault, Vice President John Classe, Secretary Chad Rudy, Gopal Ponangi, Natalie Hebert, Dynette Davis and Debbie Gillespie. "This board has demonstrated its commitment to the success of all students and making the best decisions possible in challenging circumstances," FISD Superintendent Mike Waldrip said in a press release. "We are very thankful for their dedication to our district, students and staff and the countless hours they donate to this volunteer position." view article

The Texas secretary of state’s office is having more trouble than usual getting enough voter registration cards to groups who help Texans register to vote.  Sam Taylor, assistant secretary of state for communications, said supply chain issues have made it harder and more expensive to get paper, which means the secretary of state’s office will be giving out fewer voter registration forms to groups ahead of elections this year.  “We are limited in what we can supply this year, because of the paper shortage and the cost constraints due to the price of paper and the supply of paper,” he said.    (19) view article

A long-awaited discussion about how the Eanes school district will assess its curriculum as part of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiative took place at a morning board meeting Tuesday. Many parents who are opposed to the initiative have expressed fears that the curriculum already has changed in the past 18 months, though district officials have said staff have not yet begun embedding the principles of the initiative into the classroom.  At the meeting, Eanes administrative staff recommended a vendor to the school board to help the district begin the process of embedding its diversity initiative into the classroom. Embedding the initiative — often called DEI — into the curriculum was one of seven goals the board set a year ago when it made the initiative a district priority. The recommended vendor, Maryland-based LessonCast, worked with the district on its universal design for learning program, which included developing flexible learning environments that can accommodate individual learning differences.  view article