TASBO: We are the business of education!

House committee considers ways to make schools safer

The state House Public Education Committee on Tuesday considered more than 30 bills aimed at making Texas public schools safer, including measures that would put more armed personnel on campuses and give districts money for sweeping security changes. The Legislature has made improving school safety a priority this session after 10 people, mostly students, were shot and killed at Santa Fe High School 10 months ago. The shooting spurred roundtable discussions and studies among policymakers, lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott in the immediate aftermath. “Out of that loss, we have an opportunity to devote ourselves and commit ourselves to seeing that their loss was not in vain and that future students, future teachers, future families in this state will, if at all possible, not have to experience what these individuals experienced,” said Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, during Tuesday’s hearing. view article

Austin ISD considers two proposals to expand pre-K access

Two proposals up for votes Monday would expand access to pre-K education for Austin ISD families. The first would use $80,000 in city funding to create up to five new 3-year-old pre-K classes inside AISD schools, expanding the capacity of district early-education classrooms from 1,120 students to 1,350 students next school year. view article

Beaumont ISD principal gets GMA attention for reading bedtime stories to students

Belinda George, the Homer Drive Elementary School principal who breaks out her pajamas every Tuesday night to read a bedtime story to her students via iPhone video, will be featured on Good Morning America Friday morning. It's the latest media exposure for the Beaumont educator since she was featured in an Enterprise last month. view article

LETTERS: Our readers differ sharply on Waco ISD Superintendent Nelson

In a Trib interview, Waco ISD Superintendent A. Marcus Nelson expressed remorse for his March 6 traffic arrest for marijuana possession (less than two ounces), an incident reportedly triggered by a Houston-based friend’s suggestion on what might bring Nelson relief for chronic back pain. view article

Burleson ISD finalist for $100,000 H-E-B Honor

The Burleson Independent School District is in the race to be the best in Texas. H-E-B named BISD as a top-five candidate in the large school districts category for this year’s Excellence in Education Award. The award is the largest monetary program for Texas educators and schools. view article

State legislators seek to curb property tax increases, local officials point to assessment growth

Property tax reform has been a top priority for Texas lawmakers from the start of the 86th legislative session. The early filing of identical, wide-reaching bills in the House and Senate in January—Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 2—sparked debate on the topic and earned pushback from many local entities that could be affected by the proposals. The twin bills propose to lower the cap for local entities’ annual tax revenue growth from 8 percent to 2.5 percent and to improve efficiency and transparency in the tax system. The proposals were fast-tracked for debate in both chambers after Gov. Greg Abbott declared property tax an emergency item in February, and dozens of related bills have been filed in their wake. view article

WOODARD SELECTED AS LONE FINALIST FOR LISD SUPT. POSITION

The Latexo Independent School District Board of Trustees made it official on Thursday, March 7 as they announced Latexo High School Principal Michael Woodard was the lone finalist for the Latexo ISD superintendent’s position. Latexo ISD Board President Kelly Nicol opened the meeting and informed those in attendance, “In our last meeting on Tuesday (March 5) – at about 10 pm – we named Mr. Michael Woodard as our lone finalist for the Latexo ISD superintendent’s position.” view article

Abilene ISD considers two-story elementary schools to replace Austin and Taylor

Austin and Taylor elementary school students could find themselves stepping up if preliminary designs for their new schools become reality. Up some stairs, that is. Huckabee, a Fort Worth based architecture firm hired to create the two schools associated with the recently passed $138.7 million bond, created a two-story floor plan for Austin, on the southwest side of the city, and Taylor, in northeast Abilene. view article

Somerville ISD made the best of a bad day after power outage

Staff at Somerville Elementary sprang into action when their entire school was left in the dark Wednesday. "We had to find some places to have light so they would be able to see their text books,” said Jessica Douglas, a 3rd grade teacher at Somerville Elementary. view article

Former Midland ISD teacher arrested in SC for possession of child pornography

Terry Burchett, 69, was arrested in South Carolina on February 18 on charges of child pornography. He was found to be in possession of over 9,800 sexually explicit images of children according to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. view article

Lancaster ISD Watering Kindergarten College Dreams With Cash

In Lancaster, piggy banks are helping plant the seeds of college dreams, especially when the school district chips in $50 just to get families started. view article

This Mexican musical tradition is now an official sanctioned high school event in Texas

Mariachi performance is a fully sanctioned University Interscholastic League event for the first time this year — a sign the Mexican ensemble style of music known for its stringed instruments, trumpets and powerful Spanish-language vocals is growing in popularity at Texas high schools. The State Mariachi Festival has been held for three years under a pilot status, but this year’s event in Edinburg later this month means the festival is here to stay. The festival’s status comes as mariachi programs appear to be growing in Texas, where Hispanic students make a growing part of the school population. “We believe that mariachi music is an important part of the heritage of many students in Texas because it is a part of their family heritage,” said Brad Kent, the UIL’s director of music. view article

Coppell ISD middle school teacher accused of inappropriate behavior with student

A Coppell ISD middle school teacher accused of inappropriate behavior with a student was arrested Monday on campus, officials say. The Dallas County Sheriff's Department arrested Julie Jenkin Brewer, 45, about 3:30 p.m. at Coppell Middle School West in the 2700 block of Ranch Trail in Dallas. Officials had received a complaint about alleged inappropriate text and social media messages between Brewer and a student, Sheriff's Department spokesman Raul Reyna said. view article

Whitehouse ISD: Student arrested for making terroristic threat

A Whitehouse ISD student has been arrested Tuesday after making a threat. According to a Facebook post from Whitehouse ISD, the student was arrested Tuesday morning and was charged with making a terroristic threat, a 3rd degree felony.

Hays CISD releases draft innovation plan

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

In reversal, Texas board votes to teach students about Helen Keller, Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller are back on the lesson plan after a vote by the Texas State Board of Education. The committee voted 12-2, with one abstention, on Tuesday to continue teaching students about Clinton in high school history classes, according to State Board of Education Director Debbie Ratcliffe. The board also voted to keep Keller on the curriculum. The vote reverses a September preliminary decision to cut the women, along with 1964 Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater and several other historical figures, from the required curriculum. The board said then that the change was intended to streamline the curriculum for its 5.4 million students at the recommendation of volunteer work groups. view article

UPDATE: Voters pass $118.3 million New Braunfels ISD bond

After a majority of voters showed support for a $118.3 million bond package for New Braunfels ISD, the district will move forward with plans to build new schools, make facility renovations, increase security measures, upgrade technology, enhance transportation and expand athletic programs. “I mean it’s a significant percentage so first of all I’m really happy to see that that many people voted,” said NBISD Board President Sherry Harrison. “I’m very excited about that all by itself.” view article

Port Aransas ISD receives $1.2 million FEMA grant for Harvey recovery reimbursements

Port Aransas schools are getting reimbursed for measures they took to get things up and running after Hurricane Harvey. The district on Monday announced it had received a grant for more than $1.2 million Federal Emergency Management Agency to help pay for things such as generators, air dryers, portables and security. Those items and more were needed in the aftermath of the Category 4 storm hit the area Aug. 25, 2017. view article

Big Country band directors step up to help Coleman directors injured in car crash

The spirit of the Big Country was in full effect over the weekend. The Coleman High School band director, Matthew Sowell and wis wife, Jackie, the assistant director were injured in a car crash the day before UIL marching contest in Mineral Wells. "My wife and I were coming [to morning band practice] and it was raining," Matthew Sowell says. "An 18-wheeler lost control right in front of us." view article

San Eli ISD Teacher Using Real-World Law Enforcement, Investigation Techniques to Prep Students

As a forensics and biomedical sciences CTE teacher, Luna exposes her students to techniques used in real world law enforcement and crime investigations. Her lessons cover topics related to the collection of evidence including entomology, anthropology, ABO blood typing, fingerprinting, DNA, case studies, hair analysis and ballistics. view article

Leander ISD works with Concordia University to offer new summer leadership program

Aspiring Leander ISD teachers now have the option to earn their master’s degree of education with a specialization in education administration through a unique partnership with Concordia University Texas. The new LISD Aspiring Leader program, which kicked off in May, offers district-specific coursework to groom potential and current LISD teachers for their careers with a distinctly LISD-oriented approach. view article

Midland ISD announces new principal for Scharbauer Elementary

Midland ISD has announced the new principal for Scharbauer Elementary Deanna Flader, a former elementary teacher and assistant principal for Midland ISD will be the principal at Scharbauer Elementary starting in the Fall. view article

Wichita County candidate’s request triggers statewide precedent in politics

The Texas Education Commission approved a groundbreaking request Wednesday in Austin from Wichitan Catie Robinson to pay for campaign-related child care with political contributions. The commission unanimously adopted a favorable ethics advisory opinion requested by the Democratic candidate, setting a precedent for state and local candidates across Texas. view article

S.A. school districts made all eighth-graders take algebra — and it worked

Eighth-graders in Southwest Independent School District passed their standardized math exams at a rate 8 percentage points below the state average last year — but something different was going on at the district’s Scobee Middle School. view article

Phone survey seeks input on potential Georgetown ISD bond projects

Georgetown ISD and a district-organized citizens advisory committee are using a phone survey to get community feedback regarding potential facility and equipment projects that could be included in a November 2018 bond election should district trustees vote to call one, according to a press release Monday. view article

UPDATE: Texas school district where 10 fatally shot adds police

The Texas school district where eight students and two teachers were fatally shot last month has implemented security measures increasing the number of police officers and guards on campuses. The Santa Fe Independent School District said the increased security presence began Wednesday at the district's four schools southeast of Houston. view article

Body of Pakistani Girl Killed in Texas School Shooting Is Returned Home

Sabika Sheikh finally returned to her family in Pakistan on Wednesday from her months away as a foreign exchange student in Texas. Her father was the first to meet her coffin, draped by a Pakistani flag, at Karachi’s airport in the dark of the early morning. view article

Austin ISD: student, teacher numbers decreasing while admin salaries rise

Enrollment in the Austin Independent School District has been on a six-year slide with no end in sight. Consequently, the number of teachers has been steadily decreasing. During the same period, however, the number of administrators, the highest paid group of professionals in the district, has held fast, while their average base salaries have increased by 32 percent since the 2011-12 school year. view article

In sudden move, Katy ISD board president steps down

Katy ISD continued to experience upheaval Monday as Ashley Vann suddenly announced she was stepping down as board president and two new board members were sworn in, just a few weeks after Lance Hindt, the district's controversial superintendent, announced he would retire next January. When the school board returned from closed session Monday night, Vann acknowledged how proud she was to serve the school district during Hurricane Harvey and of watching the community come together, but then her tone shifted. view article

Shooting reported at Texas’ Santa Fe High School

A shooting has been reported at a high school in the southeastern Texas city of Santa Fe, officials said Friday. A gunman walked into an art class at Santa Fe High School and began firing what looked like a shotgun, a witness told CNN affiliate KTRK. The witness told KTRK she saw a girl shot in the leg. view article

Lometa ISD reinstates concealed carry for staff

Staff at Lometa Independent School District in Lampasas County will soon be able to carry concealed weapons after the school board approved their use at a recent meeting. The school board voted March 23 to allow volunteers with concealed carry licenses to begin carrying concealed weapons on campus after undergoing specialized training required by the state. “We have actually had this policy in place for three or four years,” Superintendent David Fisher said. “It was put in place by the prior administration.” view article

Texas schools scramble after state’s $118M pre-K funding cut

Texas pre-K programs are just scraping by after losing millions of dollars last year — and without sustainable funding, they could see greater problems down the line, school officials say. During the 2017 legislative session, lawmakers decided not to fund a $118 million high-quality pre-K grant program that was created in 2015 and championed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The money had gone to 573 districts and charter schools that pledged to meet measures such as setting a lower student-teacher ratio, avoiding Common Core curricula and reporting student progress to the state. view article

After Parkland, Fort Bend ISD expedites security vestibules, stations guards at campuses

In the wake of last month's mass shooting when 17 high school students were killed in Parkland, Fla., a new awareness of school safety issues seems to have arrived for district officials and trustees at Fort Bend ISD. "I've heard a great deal from our students and staff who are concerned and feel like this school shooting felt different from any other school shooting in our nation" FBISD superintendent Charles Dupre said in a video posted on the district website. Awareness of the shooting seemed to be heightened because of media coverage and discussions on social media, Dupree said. view article

Austin ISD Board of Trustees votes to approve ‘modernization’ of Norman Elementary

On Monday night, the Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted to approve the modernization of Norman Elementary School in East Austin. Under the $1 billion bond passed by voters in November 2017, Austin ISD will rebuild the school as a state-of-the-art facility that would turn it into a "21st century learning environment," according to the district. view article