Author: jbenton

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B Alma Jimenez’s prospects would dim in a crowded classroom. The teachers love this bright, hard-working 11-year-old. But Alma didn’t know a word of English when her family came to America two years ago. Twenty years ago, she might have been thrown into a 35-student class and expected to […]

Read More… from A study in rising costs; Irving ISD illustrates reasons for school finance overhaul

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 6B If property values in North Texas have soared over the last 20 years, and if money for schools comes mostly from taxes on property value, then school districts are bursting with money, right? Not exactly. A quirk in the state’s funding formula has given the benefit of rising […]

Read More… from State benefits from quirk in funding formula; When property values rise, districts’ gains offset by loss of aid

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A The most stressful period in recent Texas education history is about to begin. No, not the legislative session in Austin. It’s TAKS season. Millions of Texas children will take state exams today, but the most pressure is on high school juniors. This is the first year that they […]

Read More… from TAKS forecast: gloomy; The pressure is on for millions of Texas schoolchildren scheduled to take state exams today, and indications are that many won’t make the grade

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B One question. For 3,339 Texas third-graders, a single question – and a surprise rule change – appears to be the difference between a stress-free spring and possibly being held back. With little fanfare, the Texas Education Agency last month raised the number of questions students had to get […]

Read More… from TAKS standard is raised; After third-graders put down pencils, score requirement increased

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B In 1968, Jack Singley scheduled middle-school classes for a living. “In all your core classes, you were lucky if you only had 33 kids in a classroom,” he said. “Thirty, 35 – that was the standard.” In 1984, a new state law required that every Texas classroom from […]

Read More… from Column: Smart kids come in all class sizes

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A “Giraffe!” Sarah Nelson, 4 years old and resplendent in a pink Barbie dress, has been asked to name all the animals she can. “Zebra! Um … lamb! Pigs! And … crocodiles!” Her eyes scan the room’s plain walls in search of inspiration. She sticks out her tongue, tilts […]

Read More… from Held back to get ahead; Some say school success is a question of timing Critics warn delaying kindergarten doesn’t guarantee advantage

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A Forget “Would you like fries with that?” In some Texas schools, the question might soon be: “Would you like fish oil with that?” Last week, Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs announced new rules aimed at making school lunches healthier – in part by cutting back on fatty fare such […]

Read More… from School officials are angling for more nutritious meals; Some South Texas districts may soon fortify fatty lunch fare with healthy fish oil to lure kids, but critics aren’t biting

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A Schools have a new set of hoops to jump through. The Texas Education Agency announced a preliminary version of its new school ratings system Friday. It outlines the new set of standards schools must meet to earn the state’s coveted ratings. The bottom line: It’ll be much harder […]

Read More… from School ratings tougher; New system to winnow top-ranked campuses, but flexibility added

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 6B For about half an hour Thursday afternoon, North Texas was under intense aquatic assault. Sheets of rain pelted anyone foolish enough to be outside, wind gales slammed into buildings, and creeks ran angry and full. But like March’s own cliched path – in like a lion, out like […]

Read More… from Storm pelts North Texas, causes damage; Wind makes most trouble, but no serious injuries reported

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B For more than a decade, it roamed the Texas countryside, threatening doom for the state’s children. The scrawniest 8-year-old to the burliest teenager alike feared its wrath. It could suck the very future out of a child! Finally, after years of struggle, the mighty monster fell. Parents across […]

Read More… from TAAS’ time isn’t up; For about 10,000 seniors, test very much in the here and now