By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B As physics teacher Chris Bruhn found out, the videotape doesn’t lie. He thought he treated all his students the same, boys and girls. In his earlier days as an aerospace engineer, he’d noticed how few women had followed his career path. Now he was determined to make sure […]
Read More… from Column: In science, girls still face hurdles
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A You have to hope the fourth-graders at Rockwall’s Jones Elementary liked their teachers this year. They’ll be seeing them again soon enough. The school is shifting its fourth-grade reading and math teachers up a grade next year – in part because school officials want to provide every advantage […]
Results announced Tuesday say how students performed on the TAKS statewide. But what about your child? If you haven’t already, you should soon be receiving a Confidential Student Report, or CSR, from your child’s school. Some districts, such as the Arlington ISD, sent scores home Monday. Others, including the Richardson ISD, expect to distribute scores […]
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B Nearly a third of DISD teachers in core academic subjects fall short of federal teacher-quality standards, according to a new set of data from the Texas Education Agency. That is by far the worst showing among Texas’ large urban districts – more than twice the percentage of second-worst […]
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 2A If you’ve ever wondered how long it takes for hope to turn to disappointment, the answer appears to be 24 days. The quiet demise of the Legislature’s special session on school finance – once a source of optimism for educators – took just that long. When Lt. Gov. […]
Gov. Rick Perry’s not giving up on this session. Speaking in an interview with TXCN on Thursday, Mr. Perry said “it’s important that we continue to be optimistic” that a school finance bill could be passed before the session ends next week. “We’ve got a few very good hours left. … We’re still talking. As […]
By Terrence Stutz and Joshua Benton Staff Writers Page 4A Despite growing doubts that a compromise can be found, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Wednesday he and other legislative leaders are still aiming for Senate approval of a school finance bill by week’s end. Toward that end, Mr. Dewhurst polled senators Wednesday on whether they […]
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B Janet Smith loves being a teacher. She knows that a lot of her students – poor, from single-parent homes – don’t have many constants in their lives. She likes being one. “Over time, you build up a rapport,” says the 20-year veteran. “The parents get to know you. […]
Read More… from Column: Turnover becomes a principal concern
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A It has taken five years for Texas high schools to get ready for the TAKS test. It might take just a single 30-day legislative session to throw it away. A little-noted section buried in the finance bill given final approval by the House on Wednesday would kill off […]
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 8A Football may be king in Texas, but it might end up getting dinged by the Legislature. One section of the school finance bill given final approval by the House on Wednesday would prohibit the use of state money to construct or improve buildings not used primarily for instruction. […]