Normangee ISD has terminated an employee initially placed on administrative leave over allegations of inappropriate behavior with a student, according to new documents released Friday. To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, KBTX has decided not to identify the employee involved until formal charges are filed. view article

How Schools Across America Are Struggling With AI Deepfakes view article

As the upcoming legislative session draws closer, speakers at the latest House hearing on cybersecurity urged lawmakers to take threats more seriously. view article

Seven states passed laws prohibiting cellphone use during instruction time or requiring districts to impose restrictions at the local level. view article

The Abilene ISD school board met for a workshop this afternoon. One of the topics of discussion was the high school cell phone policy. Principals brought up concerns, including the ability to enforce a cell phone ban during passing periods and lunch. The Cooper High School Principal, Lyndsey Williamson, pitched an idea to the board. view article

When it comes to a teenager and their phone, it's like taking away their breath when you take away their phone. I swear that it's somehow attached to them physically. Right before school started this year Amarillo ISD said they were going to start enforcing the cell phone policy. Read More: Amarillo ISD Cell Phone Policy is Enforced: Ask Me How I Know | https://thebullamarillo.com/aisd-phone-policy-enforced/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral view article

School officials at Wilson ISD are aiming to cut down on distractions in the classroom with a no-phone policy. Affective this week, the school district said it wants to reduce classroom distractions among high school students following complaints from teachers. view article

Tomball ISD has partnered with an education software company to pilot an artificial intelligence tool for teachers to use to build classroom content, according to a Sept. 26 news release from the district. TISD will be the first school district in Texas to pilot PowerBuddy, an AI program from K-12 education software company PowerSchool, according to the release. The AI program has two program segments: PowerBuddy for Learning and PowerBuddy for Custom AI. view article

Coppell's school district will vote Monday on whether to close its oldest elementary school due to budget concerns fueled by declining enrollment since the pandemic. Both trustees and members of the school community fought back tears at a public meeting earlier this month as they discussed the proposed closure of Pinkerton Elementary School, which opened in 1928 and which they said served generations of families. view article

Monday, another North Texas school district could decide whether or not to close schools to save money. However, some parents and students in Coppell ISD are speaking out and planning multiple protests for Monday ahead of an important school board meeting. Hand-painted signs blanket the floor at Julie Waters' Coppell's home. "The state gives the school district $43 a day for the children's attendance, so that's why our children are wearing these shirts because that's what they've been reduced to, a dollar amount, and it's so much more than that," said Julie Waters, a Coppell ISD parent. view article

“Cell phones are extremely harmful for student learning”, was a comment TEA Commissioner Mike Morath made at the most recent Senate Education Committee Hearing calling for phones to be banned across the state in schools. We spoke with the Bowie ISD Superintendent and he said that he is not fully against Morath’s call for a phone ban. Morath made this call for a cell phone ban last Wednesday. Currently, Bowie ISD is already doing something similar to a phone ban. Restricting the usage of phones during school hours, we spoke with Blake Enlow, he said he can understand the need for a phone ban. view article

Panhandle ISD is working to make it easier for students, parents, and staff to ask for help. HELPme is an app that provides a direct connection to self help resources, help from the school or community, and a 24/7 crisis text line, all through the app. HELPme is a district-wide mental health support program that students can go if they are feeling anxious or frustrated. view article

Four middle school students have been arrested after allegedly circulating potential threats against Bastrop Middle School. Bastrop ISD informed parents and staff on Tuesday a screenshot was circulating on social media, which indicated a possible threat to the campus. view article

A new law gives parents more power over a child’s actions on social media, but only if the parent knows about the account.  Parents of Texas children under 18 can now monitor and restrict their child’s activity on digital platforms including Facebook and Instagram — but only if they know their child uses the service.Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, rolled out parental control features in Texas last week to comply with House Bill 18, the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act, which went into effect Sept. 1. The Legislature passed it last year to restrict kids from seeing harmful material on the internet, such as content promoting self-harm or substance abuse, while also giving parents more power to regulate what their child does online. view article

Books, backpacks and SMART tags. That’s the list of items that kids will want to have as they head off to school each morning. Seguin ISD is expanding its use of the SMART tag™ program for the 2024-2025 school year. Middle school students were previously enrolled in the program during the spring 2024 semester. Schools this week have started distributing cards to students who did not previously participate in the program. view article

Katy ISD gave Chromebooks to all students in grades 3 through 12 for the first time this school year, one of multiple new policies parents, students and teachers must adapt to. We asked Katy ISD parents what they thought about the new Chromebooks, and then we checked in with Katy ISD to address the comments. Here’s what Katy readers said is and isn't working, and what the district is doing to address the issues. view article

Not every middle and high school student in Killeen ISD has been issued a cellphone pouch yet, but that day is coming soon, according to KISD officials. According to Susan Buckley, a KISD assistant superintendent, all campuses have received the lockable pouches as of last week and “distribution is currently underway.” view article

Katy ISD is facing a potential $25.42 million shortfall in its general fund for fiscal year 2024-25, a challenge district officials said was primarily caused by inflation and the state not increasing public school funding during the last legislative session. This shortfall rose in May when trustees approved roughly $22 million to increase teacher and staff pay 3% from the midpoint of their respective salaries, KISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski said. Trustees are set to approve the proposed budget Aug. 26, using the district’s reserve funds to offset costs. “This was the most difficult budget that our teams have had to prepare in the past six years that I’ve served as superintendent,” he said. Public education advocates and local district leaders are requesting an increase in school funding when lawmakers meet for the 89th Texas Legislature, which begins Jan. 14. view article

How a key confidant links Musk to Weekley, unwittingly putting the billionaire at odds with Texas voters   view article

Smartwatches come equipped with several different features that can keep parents connected to their kids when their child is at school. The smartwatches have features that can mimic a cellphone, such as receiving text messages, phone calls and GPS. However, some districts are finding the watches to serve as a distraction to learning and a mechanism for cheating in the classroom.  view article

Some North Texas school districts are implementing new, stricter cell phone policies ahead of the new school year. Grapevine-Colleyville and Northwest ISDs have both passed policies in recent weeks to prohibit the use of cell phones in class, and limit their use during the school day overall. The policies will be enforced in elementary, middle, and high schools. view article

By using the SMART tag app on their mobile devices, Northwest ISD parents will be able to access enhanced features to help track their bus riders. view article

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is sending a message to its students about bullying by adjusting its policy to address artificial intelligence. The district updated its Student Code of Conduct relating to cyberbullying and the inappropriate use of AI. view article

Following a thorough review of district and school practices, Northwest ISD will implement device practices that prohibit the personal use of cellphones during class time. These practices will begin at the start of the 2024-2025 school year on Wednesday, August 14. Campus leaders met throughout the summer to align standards for cellphone usage in schools. These standards were developed to balance best practices for a strong learning environment with the need for cell phones during emergencies. These new standards will assist teachers by ensuring student learning is prioritized in the classroom and minimizing distractions. view article

Montgomery ISD announced changes to the district’s cell phone policy following a board workshop. The district said students in Montgomery ISD will be allowed to have cell phones on campus. However, they are expected to be “away for the day” in backpacks, lockers, or vehicles and turned off. The policy applies to all classrooms, hallways, restrooms, cafeterias, and any other school property during the school day. view article

In an effort to reduce distractions within the classroom, the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board of trustees passed a revised cellphone policy for students during a July 29 meeting. view article

Parents disagree over what limits—if any—are appropriate as more Texas school districts propose policies restricting students’ access to cell phones.Keller Independent School District is the latest to consider keeping kids off their phones during school hours.  “The data is clear that cell phones and social media are addictive, contribute to mental health issues, and are a disruption to the learning environment. This policy will help address this issue by re-establishing a healthy, safe, and positive learning environment,” Board President Charles Randklev posted before last week’s school board meeting  During the July 25 meeting, trustees previewed a policy requiring students to keep their cell phones turned off and stored in a bag or locker throughout the school day—including during class changes and lunch.  Students can use their phones in emergencies or “for approved purposes. view article

There are more than a dozen platforms that teachers use to communicate with their student's parents or guardians. Some of them are Class Dojo, Remind, Google Classroom, Seasaw, and many more. But over at West Oso Independent School District, they have decided to stick to one app called 'Parent Square'. view article

A proposed plan to disconnect students at Boyd High School from their cell phones during school hours took a step toward becoming a reality Monday afternoon. During a budget workshop at the school board’s regular monthly meeting, trustees gave the approval to add the cost of the proposed plan to the district’s 2024-25 budget. view article

Perryton ISD’s school board adopted guidelines for cell phone use in the upcoming school year for all students, from elementary to high school. These guidelines will start in the elementary school, where phones and smart watches will have to remain off and in students’ backpacks for the entire day. view article

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The pandemic accelerated how much we all depend on internet access to carry out daily activities. The latest data shows more than 2 million Texas households do not have high speed internet, disproportionately affecting those in rural areas. “What has been revealed by COVID is the fact that many of our students in the city do not have equal access to broadband,” said Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson. However, this is not something that can be fixed overnight. view article

Ahead of the spring semester, Spring ISD officials have announced that changes will be implemented in hopes of improving remote and in-person instruction for teachers and students. In a presentation at the Dec. 8 board meeting, Lupita Hinojosa, chief officer of school leadership and student support services, announced that not all teachers will have to teach online and in-person students concurrently in the spring semester, as is currently the case. view article

Cleveland and Liberty ISDs became the latest school districts on the outskirts of the greater Houston area to cancel their online learning options this week, joining Barbers Hill and Navasota ISDs in requiring the majority of their students to return to campuses. Liberty ISD, which educates 2,266 students about 50 minutes northeast of downtown Houston, told parents at the end of October that remote learning would be offered only to medically fragile students, students who have tested positive for COVID-19, students who are quarantining due to COVID-19 exposure and students whose schools temporarily were closed due to positive tests. view article

The deadline has been extended for Fort Bend Independent School District parents deciding if they want their children to continue virtual learning or head back to the classroom. This comes as a special board meeting scheduled for today was canceled. Ft. Bend ISD Superintendent Charles Dupre said board members wanted to give more parents time to decide. view article

The Waco Independent School District and its charter school partner, Transformation Waco, could see more than half of their students start the school year Sept. 8 via remote instruction, according to registration numbers provided by both entities. view article