Happy Thanksgiving from TexasISD.com!  We will not post Wednesday, November 21 - Friday, November 23. We will resume posting on Monday, November 26. We hope you will have a safe and happy holiday! read more

• Required Residential Facility Tracker Data Collection – Students with Disabilities 11/16
• Official Notification of the 2017–2018 Release of Final FIRST Ratings 11/16
• Statewide Indirect Cost Rate Proposal and Additional Costs Workbook Training 11/16
• 2018-2019 Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System (PBMAS) Staging 10/29
• Update Regarding 2018-2019 Texas Partnerships (SB 1882) 10/29
• Request for Letters of Interest for 2019-2020 Math Innovation Zones Planning and Execution Grants - Update 10/24
• 2019–2020 Annual Survey of Children in Local Residential Facilities for the Neglected/Delinquent (SC9000) 10/24
• Extended Deadline for the Application for Texas Reviewers for Instructional Materials Quality Evaluation Pilot 10/24
• 2018-19 Annual Fingerprinting Certification and Statement of Compliance 10/23
• Attendance Projections for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 School Years
• Financial Hardship Transition Program and Adjustment for Rapid Decline in Taxable Value of Property 10/4

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In the United States, we have long held that universal, free (that is, tax-supported) public education for youth is a fundamental responsibility of society and serves as a basic community resource, providing a pathway to understand democracy, exercise responsible citizenship, explore the world’s accumulated knowledge, appreciate American culture and prepare for a world of work in which we ultimately attain economic security. However, extending from the first taxpayer-supported school in 1639, attaining free public education for all children has been a bumpy evolution, fraught with issues of both race and religion. view article

The Texas House will have a new leader come January, and Rep. Dennis Bonnen says he’s it. The Republican from Angleton, southeast of Houston, is already planning his swearing-in ceremony, although the vote of the 150-member House is seven weeks away. Bonnen, a shrewd tactician who has served in the Texas House since he was 24, has a reason to be confident. He has amassed 109 pledges of support, from Republicans as well as 31 Democrats. view article

A judge on Monday tentatively set a March deadline to decide on the reburial of 95 human remains discovered at a Fort Bend ISD construction site—— putting the district's plans in limbo. It had sought to move the remains to nearby Old Imperial Farm Cemetery. "I'm not going to give that permission until I'm convinced we've given a good try for all who are concerned to achieve the goals they'd like to see achieved," said Fort Bend District Judge James H. Shoemake during a court hearing Monday morning in Richmond. view article

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS tweets from the past week when they were first posted.  And if you are on Twitter, you might want to check out the Tweeters who made this week’s list. view article

Nearly 100 remains believed to be those of slaves were found back in April during construction on land off Highway 90 that belongs to Fort Bend ISD. Here is what has happened so far since their discovery: view article

November Elections Could Signal Retreat on Charter Commitment: After a decade when the charter school movement gained a significant foothold in New York, the midterm elections could spell a retreat. Democrats at the forefront of the party’s successful effort to take over the state Senate have repeatedly expressed hostility to the movement. John Liu, a newly elected state senator from Queens, has said New York City should “get rid of” large charter school networks. Robert Jackson, who will represent a Manhattan district, promised during his campaign to support charter schools only if they have unionized teachers. While New York City, the nation’s largest school system, has many excellent charter schools, it seems highly likely that a state legislature entirely under Democratic control will restrict the number of new charter schools that can open and tighten regulations on existing ones. (Read at The New York Times) view article

The Austin Independent School District’s Board of Trustees will vote next Monday on what to re-name four schools currently named after members of the Confederacy. The board will decide between honoring the schools’ wishes, which in some cases means no name change, or choosing entirely new names. The board voted in February to change the names of five facilities in Austin named after men who served the Confederacy: Allan Center, Fulmore Middle School, Lanier and Reagan High Schools, and Eastside Memorial High School at the Johnston Campus. view article

All Midlothian ISD staff members will have simple, affordable access to healthcare by next year. The Midlothian ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution during their meeting on Monday that states the board plans to enter into a contract with the Methodist Health System, which will be signed by MISD Superintendent Dr. Lane Ledbetter upon agreement from both parties. The contract approves the creation of a Methodist healthcare clinic for Midlothian ISD employees and their dependents. view article

The Harlingen School of Health Professions was the fourth high school in the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District to receive training on how drugs, alcohol, and distracted driving can lead to serious consequences. It’s all part of a program called Teens in the Driver Seat, an initiative under the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Youth Transportation Safety Program. As part of this initiative, high school students participate in activities meant to teach them about traffic safety, as well as other risks such as distracted driving, speeding and alcohol and drug use. view article

Just because Dallas ISD is closed for Thanksgiving this week, doesn't mean it won't continue to help its students. The district will still offer students meals during part of its week-long break. The district will serve a "morning snack" from 8-9 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, before closing Thursday and Friday. view article

Smiling faces and full stomachs were abundant at Moody Elementary Sunday, as Moody ISD held their annual thanksgiving luncheon for area residents. “It’s our way of saying thank you to the community, the tax payers, and the parents,” said Moody Superintendent, Gary Martel. Martel says the district has been hosting this luncheon for 13 years as a way of giving back. Last year the luncheon fed over 750 people in the Moody community including 300 home bound residents. view article

As I reflect on this season of thanksgiving, I feel very thankful to live in a community that values education and sees the need for investing in the future of our students. As evident by the passing of the bond election in May, we have a community that wants what’s best for its future citizens. Now it’s time for the real work to begin, so that we can build something that the community will be proud of for another 60 years. view article

Amarillo Area Foundation and the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce hosted an event Wednesday to address the issue of funding in public schools. Business leaders from all over were in attendance to support public schools. Amarillo Area Foundation President Clay Stribling tells ABC 7 News today's meeting was really about the role of business in public school funding and why it important to our economy. view article

Steve Snell could have cited any number of professional reasons why he chose to come to Liberty Hill and serve as the school district’s next superintendent. But he gave the same reason as so many parents who choose Liberty Hill as the place to educate their children. “When the job opened and my family and I started looking at it, the number one concern was that I have a son who is a freshman in high school,” he said. “In Spring Hill we have an excellent educational environment and he is well taken care of there, so my number one concern was the educational environment would have to be equal to or greater than we have in Spring Hill. From everyone I’ve talked to and everyone I’ve seen, that educational environment is there in liberty Hill, so once I was comfortable with where my son might attend school, then you start looking at the professional opportunities.” view article

In my last few columns, I purposely shared information regarding West Orange-Cove CISD’s proposed bond projects in order to be sure that our community had the appropriate information to make an informed decision in the Nov. 6 bond election. I would like to, now, say thank you to our stakeholders for your support of the district in providing an excellent educational experience for our students! Thank you to all of the members of the Citizens Advisory Committee for your hard work and research in preparation for the bond. Additionally, I would like to thank City of Orange Mayor Larry Spears, Scott Coker, and Joe Gallow for spearheading the Specific Purpose Committee. view article

In a commentary in the New York Times entitled “School Choice Is the Enemy of Justice,” Erin Aubry Kaplan, an author on race and a writing instructor at Antioch University in Los Angeles, argued that charter schools reflect the nation’s disinterest in addressing the racial isolation of black and brown students in the nation’s educational system. Brian Gill, a senior fellow at Mathematica Policy Research and one of the nation’s leading independent researchers on charter schools, parses Kaplan’s arguments. Kaplan: In 1947, my father was one of a small group of black students at the largely white Fremont High School in South Central Los Angeles. The group was met with naked hostility, including a white mob hanging blacks in effigy. But such painful confrontations were the nature of progress, of fulfilling the promise of equality that had driven my father’s family from Louisiana to Los Angeles in the first place. view article

John Legend, Pentatonix, Diana Ross and family and so many more will be headlining the 92nd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But they aren't the only entertainers who will be there. Carter High School cheerleader Erica Richardson has been chosen to represent Dallas ISD as one of the hundreds of cheerleaders from across the country that will perform in this year’s parade. "When I first found out, I was shocked," Richardson said. "I was shocked that I got it." She received the highest honor at the district-wide cheer camp, and the prize was a spot on the squad in New York City -- a free trip to the Big Apple for the performance of a lifetime. view article

As Krum ISD wades through an investigation into questionable grading practices, one school board member has come under fire online for allegedly offering to let an out-of-district family use an address near his home on official school residency records. Facebook Messenger screenshots obtained by the Denton Record-Chronicle appear to show Krum school board member Scott Edwards telling the mother of a former Krum student that she could use an address belonging to his parents so that her son could attend high school and play basketball in the district. view article

Over the last week, students from a Southside ISD culinary arts class have been preparing Thanksgiving meals, but they weren’t going to be the ones eating them. Kicking off the season of giving on a high note, those high school students on Saturday fed 350 of the area’s neediest families, bringing smiles to the faces of hundreds who may have few reasons to do so this holiday season. view article

Many students are choosing to go to a trade school rather than a four year university, and Longview Independent School District is well aware of that fact. They are offering East Texas High School students in four districts training in machining technology with equipment similar to what’s used by local manufacturers. We take a look at the East Texas Advanced Manufacturing Academy in Longview. Students are already taking classes at the East Texas Advanced Manufacturing Academy to see if the training is something they would like to pursue as a career. view article

River Road High School held a Thanksgiving lunch today for all of their students and special guests to celebrate the holidays as a community. “We have parents, any family members that want to come, first responders are coming too and we invited the sheriff’s department and APD,” said Kim Terry, Food Service Director at River Road High School. view article

Thursday night the VISD Board of Trustees meeting had one major theme.. which Dr. Quintin Shepherd calls radical transparency. Shepherd believes his plan will design the future of Victoria ISD. "We're talking about the next ten years of the school district, there's some big decisions in front of us," says Shepherd. Through his presentation he made anonymous comments and ideas submitted by the public transparent and available online. He also highlighted his new plan to create task forces that will be formed to examine focus areas. view article

The Lake Travis ISD board of trustees discussed the potential 2019-2020 academic calendar Nov. 14. The proposed calendar option was developed in coordination with the district’s advisory committee on education and campus staff input, district documents said. “The first day with students is earlier than the fourth Monday in August, and the last day of school with students in May is prior to Memorial Day,” the documents said. view article

On Nov. 9 Hays CISD released the draft of its innovation plan, which must be approved by the board of trustees in order to receive a district of innovation designation. If approved, the district would be able to make changes to the academic calendar and to exempt some Career and Technical Education instructors from teacher certification requirements. The district of innovation designation was created by the Texas Legislature in 2015 as a way to give independent school districts some of the flexibility that charters schools have under state law. While becoming a district of innovation can allow for numerous exemptions to curriculum or logistics requirements, the most-used exemption is the one that allows schools to start earlier in August. view article

Garland ISD's first Junior ROTC program at Rowlett High School, known as the Air Force Jr. ROTC, was established in January 2016 and has quickly become a success in the district, so much so that it was recently classified as a magnet program and the only one of its kind in GISD. view article

Shortly after three new board members settled into their seats, the Louise ISD trustees approved the purchase of a new mascot costume, with no quibbling about price at Monday’s meeting. Costs for a mascot costume range from $300 into the thousands of dollars. Trustees opted for quality, and in a unanimous decision chose to purchase a new Hornet mascot costume for $5,400 from Bam Mascots, Inc. The new costume is a “buff” Hornet with “LTX” on its chest and facial features, namely large eyes, similar to the hornet in the district logo. view article

Students in Southside ISD culinary arts classes will feed 350 of the neediest families in San Antonio's South Side on Saturday, November 17. Forty Southside High School students spent a week preparing for their biggest feast of the year. They baked turkeys and pies, peeled potatoes, and made sure their food is top chef-quality. The students were under the direction of Southside High instructor and Chef Angel Machado. view article

Studies show high schoolers need more sleep, so school start times may be on the move in Pearland. But probably not anytime soon. “When it comes to start times, everybody’s impacted,” said Pearland ISD board trustee Mike Floyd. Floyd was first elected to the school board as a high school senior and supports tinkering with school start times, especially for teenagers. view article

Boyd High School is planning to bring back off-campus lunches in a limited capacity later this school year. Monday night, Boyd ISD trustees directed school administrators to come up with an incentive plan, which would allow students to leave campus for lunch possibly one day per week. Trustees also advised the administration to come up plans for creating an outdoor dining area. Boyd ISD Superintendent Ted West said the changes will likely not be in place until after the Christmas break. view article

Construction at Sabine ISD’s new softball field is at a standstill because of weather, Superintendent Stacey Bryce said. Additional weather delays have slowed the project. The field was expected to be done by Jan. 18, and the concession stand was supposed to be built by the team’s first scrimmage in February. view article

Custodial staffs keep schools clean and presentable, but don’t always get recognition for their hard work. Lee Freshman High School students found a way to change that. view article

LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — A recently hired interim superintendent of a troubled New Mexico school district once was arrested for public intoxication and accused of leaving two preschool-age children alone while she went to a nightclub.  The Las Vegas Optic reports Carla Westbrook-Spaniel was arrested in 2010 following a scuffle with a bouncer when she was denied entry into a nightclub for her attire. view article

As of Oct. 26, enrollment in the Eanes school district was “virtually unchanged” from September’s tally, but its 8,124 students for the 2018-19 school year counts as the district’s largest enrollment in the past 21 years, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jeff Arnett said. At 2,789 students, the population at Westlake High School is the highest in the school’s history, he said. “If you look at the outgoing seniors and the incoming eighth-graders, it’s very likely that the high school will officially cross 2,800 (students) by next year,” Arnett said to board members at their Nov. 6 meeting. view article