Authorities told students they could face criminal trespass charges if they didn’t disperse. The arrests come amid tensions on campuses across the country over the Israel-Hamas war.   Law enforcement officers on Wednesday handcuffed and removed at least 10 people participating in a student protest on the University of Texas at Austin campus in support of Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas war.  UT-Austin students demanding that the university divest from manufacturers supplying Israel weapons in its strikes on Gaza gathered outside the university’s Gregory Gym with plans to march to the South Lawn, where they said they would sit down throughout the day. More than 200 students had gathered as of noon.  Authorities detained the protesters after telling students they could face criminal trespass charges if they didn’t disperse. One of the protesters was helping organize the event. An officer singled him out and told other officers he would be the first to be arrested. view article

The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded Rice University $90 million to build the country’s largest education research hub, aiming to advance teachers’ knowledge of student learning strategies and boost outcomes for people from diverse backgrounds. Rice officials announced the investment on Wednesday as the university’s highest ever federal research grant. OpenStax at Rice, the world’s biggest publisher of free and open education resources, will build the research and development infrastructure known as SafeInsights. “We urgently need new approaches to education,” said James Moore III, assistant director for the directorate for STEM education at the National Science Foundation. “If our goal is to close opportunity and achievement gaps, we need to build a stronger foundation for research and development to get there.” view article

Brownsville ISD will hold three school renaming committee meetings on Thursday to decide what to call the recently consolidated elementary schools in Southmost: Cromack and Josephine Castaneda, Rosa E. Del Castillo and Morningside, and Judge Reynaldo G. Garza and Southmost. view article

A new wave of campus protests has hit institutions from California to Massachusetts, many emboldened by arrests at Columbia University.  Since Columbia University shut down an encampment last week where pro-Palestinian protesters were demonstrating for divestment from companies with ties to Israel, students on other campuses have set up their own encampments, making similar demands.  At more than a dozen institutions across the country, students have set up tents and sleeping bags on central quads or thoroughfares, where they are spending nights, hosting teach-ins, reciting prayers, and waving signs and Palestinian flags, in an effort to get administrators to hear out their demands.In some cases, proximity seems to have fueled the spread of encampments; students at three private institutions in the Boston area—Emerson College, MIT and Tufts University—all pitched tents this week. view article

The Fort Worth Independent School District is in the process of returning books back to library shelves that were pulled eight months ago for review of sexual or violent content. Although the district removed more than 100 books, it’s unclear how many of them will be returning. District officials confirmed this week that “the book review process was completed, and books are in the process of being returned to appropriate campuses based on the decisions made regarding age/grade level appropriateness,” according to Fort Worth ISD spokesperson Jessica Becerra. The books have been unavailable to students since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year after they were transferred to the district’s professional library to be reviewed for “developmentally appropriate” content by a committee of master-certified librarians, officials said. view article

Foxtrot, a Chicago-based coffee shop and corner store, closed all stores nationwide April 23. The curated convenience store and cafe combo opened four highly-anticipated Austin locations throughout 2023: 1804 S. First St., Austin 4800 Burnet Road, Bldg. F, Austin 301 W. Second St., Ste. 100 2270 Guadalupe St., Austin "We explored many avenues to continue the business but found no viable option despite good faith and exhaustive efforts,” Foxtrot representatives said in a statement. “We understand this news may come as a shock, and we apologize for any inconvenience it may cause. We genuinely appreciate your understanding during this challenging time.” view article

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked Texas’ environmental agency April 16 to immediately stop issuing permits for cement production plants until state lawmakers can weigh in during the 2025 legislative session. In a letter to Jon Niermann, who chairs the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Patrick cited concerns about a proposed 600-acre cement kiln in Grayson County, north of Dallas. “There is simply too much risk to the county and its citizens” to approve the project, Patrick wrote. view article

The Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked Harris County officials from sending financial assistance to needy families under a new program — the day before families were slated to begin receiving the money. Justices granted Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request Tuesday to halt the payments while a legal fight over the county’s guaranteed income pilot program plays out. About 1,900 households residing in the county’s poorest neighborhoods would receive monthly, no-strings-attached cash payments of $500 — drawn out of $20.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds — for 18 months. “It’s unfortunate the court would take such an extraordinary step to block a program that would help people in Harris County — even temporarily,” Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said in a statement after the ruling. view article

In a unanimous vote, Gladewater ISD trustees have approved a four-day school week for the upcoming academic year, citing teacher shortages. Gladewater ISD joins 30 other East Texas school districts that have opted to shorten school weeks in a bid to attract and retain educators. view article

A Houston family is still traumatized after their daughter was given a racist piece of art by a student as a birthday gift. Khloe’ Colvin, an 8th-grade student at the school, says a 7th-grade student gave her a heart-shaped letter with her name on it and the message: “You Little BLACK Monkey.” view article

Emotions filled the air as dozens of attendees dressed in Sam Houston’s signature blue listened to speakers at the Arlington ISD board meeting. There was sadness. There was anticipation. Then came a flood of memories. In the first row, Lena Rodriguez was weeping as the first speaker finished talking about her husband’s legacy. view article

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — You might call El Paso ISD’s Center for Career and Technology Education its secret weapon. For the past 30 years, CCTE has been teaching students marketable skills and trades while getting them ready for a profession, not just a job, said longtime Principal Matthew Farley. “We have traditional shops. We have (automotive) collision. We have welding. We have the traditional cosmetology, cosmetology nails but we have unique programs like cyber security, 3D animation, vet tech where kids can become certified vet assistants and actually work with veterinarians in the clinics,” Farley said. view article

Texas Governor Greg Abbott's push for school vouchers has been a large part of the 2024 election cycle. Education savings accounts, also known as school vouchers, failed to pass in the Texas Legislature multiple times in 2023. view article

Opinion D.C.’s truancy problem won’t get better without involved parents Mr. King has done D.C. a service on this vexing and chronic issue once again. He very correctly points out the shortcomings of the D.C. government’s policies in this problem area. Clearly, the deputy mayor for education and the schools need to play a crucial role in dealing with this. But, as Mr. King points out, unless and until the parents are required (and helped) to meet their responsibilities, major improvements are unlikely to happen. Two issues remain unaddressed, however: First, does the deputy mayor have the will and capacity to take the needed actions? And second, to what degree are poverty and, say, single-mother households behind the problem, and if so what problem-solving options do we have? view article

Gladewater ISD board of trustees unanimously made the decision on Monday to move to a four-day school week and opted not to have classes on Mondays. Unlike other districts that decided on having a four-day school week with Fridays off, the district of Gladewater will not be in session Mondays of the coming school year. The school board president said this will help attract and retain teachers, giving them more flexibility in their personal lives. view article

A Central Texas teacher is in the running for a Reader's Digest magazine award. Brittany Young, a Kindergarten teacher at Rockdale Elementary School, has made it to the most recent round of the 'America's Favorite Teacher', which is put on by Reader's Digest to celebrate one educator with some incredible prizes, including a trip to Hawaii, $25,000, and a spot in the magazine. view article

Brazos County election officials are responding to demands from skeptical residents by expanding hand counts and ordering special paper.  In Brazos County, suspicions about elections burst into the open last fall, just weeks after a visit from an out-of-state group calling for ballots to be hand-counted.  “Everything seems great. But if you study this, you’ll find that it’s possible to pre-program electronic voting machines and make it do whatever you want,” one resident said at a commissioners court meeting last November, without evidence to support the claims.  “Ever since these machines came along, I’ve heard nothing but accusations of fraud,” said another resident. “I am asking you to investigate. Something was wrong in the 2020 election. Voting machines do only what they’re programmed to do.” view article

After two months of anticipation among Keller ISD parents and staff, parts of an episode shot at Central High School were recently featured on an international TV show called “God, Jesus, Trump!” A film crew hired by a Netherlands-based broadcasting channel called Evangelische Omroep — or EO for short — visited the school in February to film an interview for an episode titled “Texas – War on Woke” with Sandi Walker, a Keller ISD trustee who later resigned. Show host Tijs van den Brink said during the April 14 episode that the aftermath of the visit had “traumatized” Walker and that the show had decided not to broadcast her interview per her request. view article

Ector County ISD is seeing a rise in cases of blackmail among students. This kind of blackmail is called “Sextortion”. Superintendent Dr. Scott Muri explains more about what it is and how students are targeted. “This summer, we were visited by the Department of Homeland Security, and that raised the alarm. Children specifically in our area [are] being targeted by adults, not only in the United States but adults from around the world, accessing our kids through many times, their cell phones. They are convincing our children to take inappropriate images of themselves and then to share those images. And then these adults really extort or in this case, sextort those kids and make them send money or intimidate them in some way to get view article

Cy-Fair ISD board to consider 2024-25 budget cut recommendations Selling alcohol at the Berry Center and eliminating some district-level positions are among the top ideas in a list of cost-saving measures Cy-Fair ISD’s budget reduction advisory committee ranked by priority earlier this month. The 66-member committee includes teachers, principals, parents and administrators and launched in March. The committee ranked the recommendations by priorty April 9-15. Citing fiscal challenges, Superintendent Doug Killian asked for input from the community on how the district can generate new revenue and cut costs, Community Impact previously reported. view article

The Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFBISD) has been named one of the best communities for music education by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). This is the 17th time that CFBISD has been granted this award. The CFBISD website states “this honor is awarded to school districts that demonstrate outstanding commitment to music education and provide music access and education to all students.” To qualify for this designation, CFBISD answered many detailed questions about graduation requirements, funding, music class participation, facilities, instruction time, support for the music program and community music-making programs. view article

A Travis County resident is seeking to remove progressive District Attorney José Garza from office using a 2023 Texas law aimed at limiting the discretion of locally elected prosecutors. A state district judge in Comal County on Friday appointed an attorney to represent Texas and pursue the case. House Bill 17 took effect Sept. 1 and allows courts to remove district attorneys for "official misconduct." That could include refusing to prosecute certain criminal offenses under state law, such as low-level marijuana possession. When Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill, the Republican leader said the goal of the law was to "hold rogue district attorneys accountable." The GOP priority legislation gained steam after progressive district attorneys, including Garza, said they would not prosecute people seeking abortions banned under Texas law. view article

Nearly 50 public water systems across Texas have reported exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first-ever limits on toxic chemicals in drinking water known as PFAS. The EPA released the new standards earlier this month, aimed at reducing five individual “forever chemicals.” These chemicals are used to make nonstick cookware, stain and water repellent clothing and firefighting foam. They have also been linked to certain types of cancer, birth defects, damage to the liver and immune system. Public water systems will need to regularly monitor, detect and remove PFAS from drinking water, according to the EPA’s new guidelines. Here’s what you need to know about the forever chemicals: view article

MERCEDES — Across the street from a red barn, a 40-acre field once covered by a sea of green sugar cane leaves now sits dry and thirsty. Irrigation water is dangerously elusive for the fields of the Rio Grande Valley. Mike England, who owns England Farms and Cattle Company located 29 miles east of McAllen, raises cattle and has grown several types of crops including cotton, corn and — until recently — sugar cane. Earlier this year, the state’s last sugar mill closed due to a lack of water — effectively ending the decades-old industry. In recent years, the mill yielded 160,000 tons of raw sugar and 60,000 tons of molasses, according to the sugar mill. It also employed about 500 workers in a normal production year. England had no choice but to destroy the 500 acres worth of sugar cane he'd grown. view article

Michelle Cotterman often gets the same response when she tells people: “I’m voting for Bobby Kennedy.” Casting a ballot for independent and third-party candidates “is a waste,” they say. Ms. Cotterman’s support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reflects one reason why his independent presidential bid has Democrats and Republicans worried that he could cost President Joe Biden and esident Donald Trump valuable votes in a tightly contested election. “I disagree that voting for Bobby is throwing my vote away. It’s time we stop picking the lesser of two evils and support the candidate we believe in,” Ms. Cotterman told The Epoch Times. view article

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