Education

Behind the Lines|
July 31, 2012

The Big Test

Before Robert Scott stepped down as the state’s education commissioner in July, he told anyone who would listen that high-stakes standardized exams were ruining the public schools. But is it too late to learn from his lesson?

Behind the Lines|
March 1, 2012

Class Warfare

Since 1984, the State of Texas has battled one school finance lawsuit after another. In nearly every case, the system has been ruled unequal, unfair, and unconstitutional—yet it remains largely unchanged. Will this time be any different?

February 15, 2012

Tweaks to STAAR Exam Rollout

State senator Florence Shapiro says that the Texas Education Agency can (and should) waive the requirement that tests count toward fifteen percent of final grades this year.

December 9, 2011

UT Law Dean Asked to Resign

As a compensation scandal unfolds, the University of Texas Law Dean, Larry Seger, resigned at the request of university President Bill Powers.

Editor's Letter|
September 30, 2011

City Girl

Some writers are journeymen, always on the road. Others work and rework the same ground, eventually becoming identified with the places they inhabit. In this second category you often find journalists and novelists who take their inspiration from huge and fascinating cities, urban ecosystems with enough tragedy, comedy, and

Letter From Joshua|
May 31, 2011

Playground Rules

The suicides of four Texas teens who were brutally bullied have prompted cries for new legislation. But one lawyer has a different plan: Sue the school districts.

Editor's Letter|
April 30, 2011

Talkin’ About an Education

The U.S. Constitution says nothing about public education, but all the state constitutions have clauses addressing it, and reading through them is a mildly inspiring way to spend half an hour. Arkansas: “Intelligence and virtue being the safeguards of liberty and the bulwark of a free and good government, the

Politics & Policy|
April 30, 2011

Night of the Living Ed

With public education facing an estimated $7 billion in cuts, the question on everyone’s mind is, Are Texas schools doomed? So we assembled a group of dinner guests (a superintendent, advocates on both sides, an education union rep, and the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency) to find out. Check,

News & Politics|
August 31, 2010

The Super

After a year on the job, the superintendent of the largest school district in Texas is loathed and loved in equal measure. Does that mean he’s doing his job?

Web Exclusive|
June 30, 2010

Facts of Life

When my sixth-grade “little sister” asked me some tough questions, I had some of my own: How do you talk to teenagers about sex?

Politics & Policy|
February 1, 2010

This May Be the Worst Idea Ever

Finally, Rick Perry wants to do something about the dropout rate. He proposes to prohibit people of high school age from having a driver’s license if they drop out or aren’t progressing toward a degree. Current law requires that students be enrolled in high school in order to get a

Politics & Policy|
December 1, 2009

KBH in San Antonio

Hutchison made stops yesterday in Houston and San Antonio to tout her education proposals. I went to the San Antonio event. It was held in the library of Horace Mann, a middle school on the near northwest side. Horace Mann is a single-sex campus for girls, most of them African-American

Web Exclusive|
December 1, 2009

A Beautiful Mind

Terry Stickels is combining his love of puzzles with spreading awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in his new book, The Big Brain Puzzle Book .

Web Exclusive|
June 30, 2009

Unhealthy Living

Texas school districts will no longer be required to offer health classes—and that’s just sick.

April 30, 2009

Make Education Free for Everyone

It’s time to do for Texas what Charlie Wilson and George W. Bush said they wanted to do for Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s time for nation-building. It’s time to fix infrastructure and invest in human capital. It’s time to train for high-wage, long-term jobs, time to recognize that as

Feature|
April 30, 2009

Create University-High School Partnerships

Our state’s demographic tsunami is waist deep and rising daily. If we don’t bring more historically underserved students into higher education, we will face a lower standard of living as we fall behind in economic competitiveness. Higher education needs to institutionalize the pathways to a college degree in our

Web Exclusive|
March 1, 2009

Let’s Talk About Sex

Ninety-four percent of Texas high school students receive abstinence-only education. More than half of these teens are losing their virginity. So what do the majority of Texans really want their kids to know about sex? 

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