Former Conroe ISD football standout and district paraprofessional KeSean Carter was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child following an investigation at Oak Ridge High School. Carter, 24 of Willis, was being held in Montgomery County Jail on no bond. According to an email from Oak Ridge High School Principal Shawn Almond to parents, Carter worked as a substitute teacher from January through May and as a paraprofessional from Aug. 21 to Sept. 16, when he was suspended while the Conroe Police Department investigated allegations against him. view article

A Pflugerville ISD kindergarten teacher has been charged with a felony after allegedly fracturing two of a student's fingers earlier this month. PfISD said the teacher was immediately placed on leave during the investigation and is now no longer employed by the district. view article

Faezana Ali is the new principal of Gattis Elementary School. She brings with her more than ten years of experience in education. Since 2021, she has served the students and staff at Cedar Ridge High School as an assistant principal, providing leadership to the Instructional Framework Committee, a new-to-campus/new-hire mentor teacher program, and helping to implement a strategic scope and sequence for the professional development of her staff, among many other accomplishments. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that every student deserves a voice and a place in the educational community. view article

An Edna ISD elementary school teacher in Jackson County has been arrested for an improper relationship with a student. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said Logan O'Connor is facing multiple charges, including soliciting a minor and sexual performance of a child. He was taken into custody on Monday. view article

An armed school security officer for Arlington Independent School District was fired after forgetting their gun belt in a school bathroom. The incident happened at Jones Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language on Tuesday afternoon. Parents were notified about the incident in a letter. According to a spokesperson for the school district, “All armed campus security officers are contracted by the district to carry out their services. Jones Academy is staffed by Tier One.” view article

Killeen ISD has named Dr. Terri D. Osborne its new deputy superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and School Leadership. The Board of Trustees approved Osborne’s appointment at a meeting Tuesday morning. She will begin work in the district Sept. 30. “Dr. Osborne has a passion for student learning coupled with a wealth of school leadership experience and a background in various sized districts,” Superintendent Dr. Jo Ann Fey said. “She is poised to lead our Killeen ISD team of educators to accomplish our board-adopted priorities surrounding student success.” view article

A kindergartner is recovering after his parents say his teacher broke his fingers at school. Donte and Tabathe Moore's son recently started kindergarten at Pflugerville Elementary School. He's five-years-old and has autism. On Sept. 4, they noticed he wasn't acting like himself after school. "He said, 'my hand hurts.' I said, 'your hand?' And he said, 'yes.' I said, 'what's wrong with your hand?' He said, 'she broke it. She bent it back,' and he was gesturing like this. 'She bent it back.' I said, 'who? Who bent it back?' And he said, 'my teacher,'" Donte said. view article

The Carroll Independent School District has appointed Riley Dodge as the new Executive Director of Athletics. Coach Dodge, who has been the Head Football Coach and Boys' Athletic Coordinator for Carroll since 2018, will take on the expanded role while continuing to coach the Dragons football team. In his new position, Dodge will oversee all athletic programs within Carroll ISD, maintaining the district’s standard of excellence across various sports. view article

An unusually high share of teachers left Houston ISD over the summer, but new data from the district show educators who received low evaluations drove a large share of the exodus. view article

Retired superintendent Mark Henry was Cypress Fairbanks ISD’s highest-paid employee — and the highest-paid superintendent in Texas — in the 2023-24 school year. Before his retirement in December 2023, Henry collected a base salary of $537,775 after 12 years leading the district. The former superintendent’s compensation package also included phone and travel allowances totaling $24,000, bringing his total pay up to almost $561,000. By comparison, the average base teacher salary in the district was about $67,000 in the 2023-24 school year.  view article

An employee at Goodman Elementary School accused of tying up students with string and putting tape over their mouths last week is on administrative leave, according to an Arlington ISD statement. The district was alerted to the allegations Friday, immediately prompting an investigation, and the employee was placed on administrative leave. The parents of involved students were notified the same day, according to the district. view article

More than a third of newly hired teachers in Texas lack certification, as more and more public school districts turn to uncertified educators amid a statewide teacher shortage, a Hearst analysis of Texas Education Agency data showed. “I think everybody who’s concerned about their own family’s education should be really worried about this, because the quality control has just completely collapsed for the state of Texas,” said Michael Marder, a physics professor at the University of Texas at Austin and executive director of UTEACH, which prepares STEM public school teachers. RELATED: Houston ISD records show more than 2,000 teachers do not have certification for 2024-25 year view article

Arlington police have confirmed that no criminal charges will be filed after an employee at Goodman Elementary School was accused of tying students up with strings and putting tape over their mouths. The Arlington Independent School District said that on Friday, Sept. 6, it learned of the allegations and "immediately began an investigation and placed the employee on administrative leave." view article

Schools are hiring instructors with different types of backgrounds to deal with critical staff shortages. view article

Christina Williams was arrested August 5th and charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon. The Snyder Independent School District issued the following statement: view article

TSPRA Names Dr. Walter Jackson as 2024 Key Communicator  Dr. Walter Jackson, Superintendent of La Porte ISD, has been named the Texas School Public Relations Association’s 2024 Key Communicator. The award is sponsored by our partners at CESO, The Center for Effective School Operations.  Recognized for his significant contributions to public school communications, Dr. Jackson is a leader dedicated to equitable education, student success, and professional development for educators.  “Dr. Jackson is a great teacher, leader, and communicator who promotes success for his students, staff, and community,” said Dr. Bobby Ott, Superintendent of Schools for Temple ISD. “He describes himself as a ‘cultural strategist’ and ‘equity warrior.’ He seeks opportunities for students to take advantage of public education while pursuing the American Dream. He believes students are only afforded school one time, and he believes it is the role of the professional educators to make it the most positive and impactful experience for them.” view article

Brookesmith ISD announced Damon Wilson as the new principal. The district said Wilson has had 31 years of experience in education. He has served as a teacher, coach and administrator. view article

A union leader and HISD teacher is back in the classroom this week after being placed on administrative leave for what the district called "inappropriate conduct" back in March. Houston Education Association President and 2nd Grade teacher, Michelle Williams, says she feels vindicated after the district accused the teacher of posting on social media during work hours. view article

Bryan ISD is holding a job fair this weekend, looking to hire several important auxiliary positions. The district is looking to hire bus drivers and aides, custodians, and cafeteria employees. view article

The Round Rock ISD Police Department will soon welcome a new chief of police. Ryan Urrutia will join the district on Sept. 17 and is charged with leading the police department’s officers and support staff and ensuring student and staff safety throughout the district. Urrutia currently serves as the assistant chief deputy of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, overseeing nearly 260 officers and support staff and a nearly $26 million budget. view article

This educator says she believes this is more fallout from those terminations. Linda Fay Scott says she taught English and Journalism at HISD's Jane Long High School the last couple of years, but was with the district for 15 years. She says her contract was suddenly not renewed, and she was let go. view article

Silsbee Independent School District has placed an employee on administrative leave while it investigates the staff member's actions. view article

Dr. Shawn Miller is the new Principal of Cedar Ridge High School, starting Sept. 9. Miller brings more than 16 years of experience in education. Most recently, he has served the students and staff in Leander ISD, providing leadership support in administrative services and strategic planning while partnering with campuses and district leaders. He was the Glenn High School principal in Leander ISD, where he created a positive school climate and culture through professional learning, management, support, and data-informed decision-making. view article

A number of teaching positions which qualify for the TIA Program still need to be filled. New teachers with no experience start off with a salary of $53,400. view article

Texas continues grappling with a teacher shortage. A San Antonio school district is taking matters into its own hands to fill vacancies. Any given school day can have a little bit of organized chaos. "I loved working, and it just gives me an opportunity to give back to my community," Brentwood Middle School 6th grade Social Studies Teacher Tina Alvarado-Mendez said. view article

A third-grade teacher was arrested after federal agents say they caught her on a wiretap dealing drugs while in class. That's just one of 20 arrests announced Thursday, as law enforcement officers revealed what they call a crackdown on violent gangs that has been two years in the making. "Cocaine, meth, machine guns, and gangs," U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani said to start off the press conference. "It's a recipe whose consequences play out on the streets of Houston every day and every night." view article

Hardin Independent School District (Hardin ISD) recently received information indicating that one of its employees is alleged to have engaged in inappropriate behavior with a student from another school district. Upon learning of these allegations, Hardin ISD took action, suspending the employee in question pending the outcome of an investigation. view article

A Round Rock Independent School teacher was arrested and accused of indecency with a child and child pornography, according to an affidavit of probable cause from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Court records said the victim reached out to the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division in June about the incidents. view article

The Abilene Police Department arrested Lawrence Brandt Grigg, a former employee with Abilene ISD, Wednesday on suspicion of engaging in an improper relationship between an educator and a student. Grigg, 53, was being held Friday in the Taylor County Jail on a $1 million bond, according to jail records. view article

Faculty and staff in the Lubbock Independent School District, one of the city's largest employers, will be paying more for their health insurance next year after a Thursday school-board vote. The Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees voted to approve next year's employee premiums for the district's self-funded heath plans, all of which will increase in January. Under the initial proposal, premiums in some cases would be more than double the current cost, but the board opted to divide those increases over two years. view article

Two El Paso Independent School District police officers were arrested and charged with official oppression and tampering with evidence and a dispatcher was arrested and charged with breach of computer security after trying to impose false criminal charges on a fellow police officer co-worker and trying to get the police chief fired. view article

An Abilene ISD music instructor is accused of having an improper relationship with a student. Lawrence Grigg, 54, was taken into custody Wednesday on a warrant for Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student in connection to an investigation that began in July. A press release states police began investigating Grigg after receiving notification from Abilene ISD that he may possibly be engaged in an improper relationship with a student. view article

Tucked behind a neighborhood off of U.S. Highway 79 in Hutto sits one of the school district’s newest schools, equipped with E-gaming arena seating and bigger classrooms with more lighting. Gus Almquist Middle School was expected to open with 963 students enrolled, but that number can always increase throughout the year. That’s to be expected from a school district that has doubled in size in the past ten years and is currently the fifth-fastest growing district in the state. view article

Domingo Perez Jr. has been charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact and possession of child pornography..   view article

The Clint Independent School District on Thursday approved pay raises and a one-time $2,500 payment for qualifying employees during the upcoming school year. view article