Elizabeth Fagen, who has led the Houston-area school district since 2016, is among the finalists for a superintendent role in Reno, Nevada. Her husband, Troy Kite, recently retired as Humble ISD’s athletics director after an investigation into a Title IX complaint made against him reportedly determined that he should be fired. view article

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today celebrated Texas again leading the nation in annual job creation following the release of March employment numbers showing Texas gained the most jobs over the last 12 months. Through March, Texas has added more than 2.3 million jobs under Governor Abbott’s leadership. “The most dynamic economy in the nation is built by Texans,” said Governor Abbott. “I am proud that Texas again leads all states in annual job creation. This continued momentum is a testament to the strength of our young, skilled, diverse, and growing workforce, our welcoming business climate, and the strategic investments we continue to make in education, workforce development, and critical infrastructure. These are the Texas advantages that help us attract and retain job-creating businesses that are growing in diverse industries across every region of our great state. Texas truly is the best place to live, work, build a business, and raise a family.” view article

Austin Independent School District is changing how it responds to e-cigarettes on campus. A new Texas law, House Bill 114, requires public school districts to send students to a District Alternative Learning Education Program (DAEP) if they are caught having, using or selling an e-cigarette on campus or within 300 feet of a school. view article

In a 6-0 vote, the board approved the name "Doggett Family Stadium" and showed a rendering of the stadium with the new name. view article

Maya Veliz told our sister station, WFAA, that she's worked for four years to end up first in her class. BLUE RIDGE, Texas — Blue Ridge High School Senior Maya Veliz will graduate high school next month. What should be one of the most exciting few weeks of her life is anything but. "It's almost the end of the year," Maya said, tears in her eyes. "And I kind of saw this going a different way." Maya told WFAA she set a goal four years ago to graduate first in her class from high school as valedictorian. view article

The Hallsville ISD Board of Trustees recognized a record number of students who completed one of the dyslexia intervention programs at a recent regularly held board meeting. The district recognized a total of 65 students who each completed one of the dyslexia intervention programs. The presentation of recognitions was given by Administrator Amy Whittle, who congratulated each of the students and explained what the programs entail. view article

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Spectrum will have a paid internship program for Clint ISD high-school students during their senior year, the local office from the communication network announced. Clint Independent School District (Clint ISD) and the communications company Spectrum are collaborating to create a paid internship for high-school seniors. The meeting with all parties will be at Mountain View High School on Monday, April 15, with Clint ISD superintendent, Spectrum HR director, and two students who have graduated from the internship. view article

The son of a longtime Texas Monthly magazine executive died Monday, more than a month after suffering critical injuries in a hit-and-run during South by Southwest in downtown Austin. William Dunham, 34, was struck while crossing East Seventh and Red River streets in the early hours of March 12, alongside his friend Cody Shelton, a local chef, who was killed. Dunham died at Dell Seton Medical Center, an obituary provided by his family said. Law enforcement had not previously disclosed Dunham's identity, only noting that a second person had been hospitalized in critical condition. view article

More than a month after the fallout from a faith-based film crew’s visit to a Keller ISD school, the documentary series has released its episode. On Sunday, Netherlands-based Evangelische Omroep (EO), an Evangelical broadcast television network, released its new episode of ‘God, Jesus, Trump!’ view article

As Jose Vazquez contemplated the value of barber school, he noted just how far the learning can reach. “It’s a skill that will last a lifetime,” he said. Jose and his wife Maria Vazquez own the Texan’s Barber School in the Lufkin Mall at 4600 S. Medford Drive, and they also serve as teachers there. The school has been open since 2016, and for the last two school years Maria and Jose Vazquez have been working with Lufkin ISD to enable Lufkin High School students to earn barber certification and school credit hours. The LHS students undergo a selection process to be admitted. “You get to graduate with your (barber) license,” said Dominique Buenda, a Lufkin High School junior. For her, she said, that “definitely adds more” to her high school degree. view article

Troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety are investigating a fatal crash along Highway 36. Details are limited but according to a DPS sergeant, the two-vehicle crash happened around 6:10 a.m. Monday south of Caldwell. One person was killed and there were multiple injuries, according to DPS. view article

San Antonio’s migrant aid, which had been dwindling rapidly, will soon get an infusion of $17.8 million from the federal government, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar announced Friday. But while announcing the money he helped fight for, the Laredo Democrat cautioned cities like San Antonio that their efforts to aid migrants may be contributing to a rise in the number of migrant arrivals. “My nonprofits in Laredo see the San Pedro site there in San Antonio as the ‘milk and honey center,’ ” he told reporters in a call on Friday. “A lot of the migrants say, carry [on] to San Pedro, not San Pedro, Monterrey, but San Pedro, the center there on San Pedro, by the mall.” view article

Faced with a nagging mental health provider shortage, the state psychologists’ licensing board is looking into whether the state should devise its own exam to get professionals licensed more quickly.  A costly new national certification exam for psychologists has convinced the profession’s licensing authority in Texas to consider crafting a cheaper alternative to help alleviate a persistent mental health provider shortage here.  On Thursday, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists moved to begin researching the cost of a cheaper state exam instead of requiring applicants to take a new $450 “skills” test offered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, known also as ASPPB.  Applicants already take a required $800 knowledge exam from the national board. The new skills exam was approved by the national board in 2016 but it notified states last October that it would now be required to complete certification by the national body. view article

Deweyville ISD cancels classes Monday and Tuesday in aftermath of torrential rains. The district says, all extracurricular activities will continue as normal. Pirate athletes, please continue to check SportsYou for any updates. If you need to talk to Coach Prouse about any practices/ games you are unable to attend please email him at brandon.prouse@deweyvilleisd.com view article

This video describes a teacher's diabolical method for checking whether work submitted by students was written by themselves, or if they cheated by getting ChatGPT to write essays. The role of Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT in the classroom is becoming an increasingly large issue for educators. view article

McLendon-Chisholm has stalled an open records request seeking campaign finance reports and personal financial statements from one of its city council members. Councilmember Bryan McNeal, who is also running for mayor, specifically asked the city to challenge Texas Scorecard’s request to the Texas attorney general’s office. Appealing to the AG’s office in perpetuity is one of the many ways that Texas politicians circumvent the state’s outdated open records request process, which is laid out in the Public Information Act. It was widely reported on April 10 that Harris County and Travis County have filed hundreds of appeals to open records requests this year alone; 875 and 491, respectively. Dallas County has filed 148, while Bexar has filed 107. view article

“There is a disconnect,” said Allen Weeks, executive director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth. “You know, if our work is so good – if it’s a national model that helps 7,000 families a year in our neediest schools – why does the district want to turn that over to a partner that lacks experience in serving families? Why do they want to break a system that works?” Weeks was talking about Austin ISD’s plan to remove Austin Voices from five of the six service centers the nonprofit established at district schools 15 years ago and has run ever since. The centers, known as family resource centers or FRCs, provide help for economically disadvantaged families in Austin’s poorer neighborhoods, things like food assistance, rent assistance, and health care, to stabilize families so kids can stay in school. AISD is recommending that the centers be taken over by a different nonprofit – Communities in Schools of Central Texas, which currently counsels Austin ISD students. The district’s board of trustees will vote next week on whether to formalize the plan. view article

Nearly 2,000 juniors and seniors attended Tyler ISD’s opportunity fair held on Thursday as they prepare for life after graduation. “So nice to see all of these different organizations here and you kind of get an inside look at what they’re about,” Steven Young, a Tyler ISD junior, said. view article

The Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to consolidate three pairs of schools in Southmost, aiming to initially save about $1 million per consolidation and setting a timeline to complete the change-over by fall 2024. The vote was 5-2, with trustees Carlos Elizondo and Frank Ortiz opposing the move and board President Jessica G. Gonzalez and Trustees Denise Garza, Daniella Lopez Valdez, Eddie Garcia and Tim Ramirez voting in favor. view article

As Gregory-Portland ISD’s new Early Childhood Center nears completion, the overwhelming feelings shared by staff are excitement – and maybe a bit of jealousy. It isn’t often that adults wish they were 4-years-old again, but many in G-PISD are wishing just that as crews put the finishing touches on a new school full of rockets, dinosaurs and rainbows. view article

A member of Texas A&M University's Board of Regents asked families of students who died in the 1999 collapse their opinion of building an on-campus bonfire again.  DALLAS — One of Texas’s greatest traditions became one of its greatest tragedies on November 18, 1999.  A student-constructed, 60-foot stack of logs collapsed on the Texas A&M University campus. 12 people died while building a bonfire meant to burn days later, on the eve of the legendary rivalry football game between Texas A&M and the University of Texas.  As survivors and students stood in disbelief watching a rescue and recovery operation that November morning, they told WFAA that a bonfire would definitely burn again on campus.  “It’s a tradition that should not stop because of one tragedy,” one survivor told WFAA, holding his bandaged arm after he escaped the stack.  “I think it’s too big of a deal to get rid of,” another student said. view article

According to a social media post from the City of Abernathy, the Abernathy Board of Trustees approved the 2024-25 academic calendar on Monday night that includes moving to four-day school weeks beginning in the spring semester of next year. The full calendar for the 2024-25 academic calendar can be viewed here. view article

Call it a science lesson to remember! Kids in Austin ISD were in school Monday and got the chance to view the total eclipse together with their teachers. view article

Columbia Brazoria ISD will be closed Wednesday, April 10, following overnight storms that swept across Southeast Texas. The district says they are experiencing power, phone and internet outages. view article

The Belton Independent School District is inviting parents and guardians to an upcoming Parents as Partners event. The event will take place this Tuesday, from 5:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at Belton New Tech @ Waskow, located at 320 North Blair Street. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in 45-minute sessions focusing on topics including autism awareness, occupational therapy support for families, the UMHB special needs lab, supporting speech and language needs at home, and exploring summer camps. Guests will also have the chance to meet district staff and connect with fellow parents. view article

Pre-K and elementary students will be released from campus at the same time starting in the 2024-2025 school year. view article

One of former President Donald Trump's potential running mates just put down roots in Texas. Tulsi Gabbard, the former U.S. representative for Hawaii, and her husband bought a single-story home in Leander in March, DailyMail.com recently reported. The couple bought the house, which has three bedrooms and two baths, for around $675,000. More:Tulsi Gabbard could be Trump's unusual pick for VP The house is situated in a cul-de-sac on about three acres of land, according to DailyMail.com. view article

Diana Briggs was not sure about her kids going to school for the solar eclipse. Her family is obsessed with astronomy. They talked about the rare event for weeks. “They’ve been checking the weather every day,” Briggs said. But Austin Independent School District said it wasn’t excusing absences for the eclipse. District officials said they wanted it to be an educational experience for students and staff. view article

Earlier this year, the renewal of Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde’s contract occurred with little fanfare. In one sense, that’s to be expected, even hoped for. Why should a routine contract extension and well-earned pay adjustment for the leader of Dallas’ most impactful engine of economic mobility make headline news? view article

As celestial enthusiasts around the world eagerly await the next solar eclipse, Houston area school districts are finding innovative ways to turn this rare solar event into a learning experience for students. Educators in our area are using special guest visits and unique viewing parties to spark children’s curiosity about science. view article

The Round Rock Independent School District said it expects a number of students to be out with ‘eclipse fever‘ on Monday as classes will still be taking place during the celestial event. RRISD Superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez said the district will operate as usual on April 8 but students will be taken outside to watch the solar eclipse. view article

In the quaint town of White Deer, Texas, Superintendent Duane Limbaugh is shaping a future brimming with potential for the students of White Deer ISD. With a career that has spanned over three districts and a passion for educational excellence, Limbaugh’s tenure is characterized by strategic partnerships, community engagement, and a forward-thinking approach to education. view article

Northwest San Antonio and Northside ISD schools will be some of the best places to watch the eclipse in Bexar County on Monday and schools will be in session. view article

Lina Ruiz Mon, April 8, 2024 at 5:30 a.m. CDT·3 min read Parents with young children in the Fort Worth Independent School District will be able to pick up their pre-K and elementary students at the same dismissal time next school year. As pre-K enrollment kicked off for Fort Worth ISD last week, the district announced an extended day for its youngest students that will align with the kindergarten through fifth-grade schedule. The day will last from 7:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., adding an extra 50 minutes until the 3- and 4-year-old students leave for the day. The change will simplify transportation logistics for families with more than one child who are currently having to make two trips to the same campus. view article

The Austin Independent School District announced Friday that absences will not be excused on Monday, April 8, in anticipation of the solar eclipse. "We believe this event offers a unique learning opportunity for our students, and we're committed to providing a safe and engaging environment for everyone," the press release said. view article