It is hard to believe that we will officially close the books on the 2016-2017 school year in just one week from today. From our Lake Travis High School National Merit Scholarship Program students, our three-peat state champion girls golf team, to being named a H-E-B Excellence in Education Small District Award Finalist, it has been a stellar year across our school district. As our teachers, students and support staff prepare for their well-deserved summer break, our school board and district senior staff continue to focus on the actions coming from our state capitol as the 85th Legislative Session heads to a close next week. view article

Bill (AKA Mo)  Johnson, Hays CISD superintendent for umpteen years, once noted that of the 16 graduates in his 1947 Buda High School class, 11 graduated from college. That’s an astounding 69%, and it happened before a college education was touted as the sure way to a make more money. The reason was largely the influence of a single teacher, or so said her students. Young, dedicated Jimmy Porter was determined to introduce them to a world beyond their tiny, rural hometown. Apparently, she succeeded. Making money was not her agenda. College grads often (though not always) begin at higher salaries and make more money over a lifetime, but unless we’ve turned into an entirely materialistic society, education isn’t meant to train people to get rich. Money is the sometimes-fallout, the unintended result of learning about the world. view article

Thanks to the Spring Branch Education Foundationmany area students will have a boost in paying for their advanced education next year. A record 149 Spring Branch Independent School District seniors received a total of $177,675 in scholarships at the SBEF 2017 Bright Stars of SBISD, Celebrating Academic Excellence awards program on May 18 at The Westin Houston, Memorial City. The event honored scholarship recipients as well as 2016-17 Teachers and Principals of the Year. view article

Lindale High School's UIL Academic Team made history history Tuesday as they took home first place at the state championship in Austin. This win marks the first championship since 2006 and their first ever as a 5A team. "They work so, so hard. The kids give up Saturdays and after school time," said UIL Coordinator Rory McKenzie. "I was actually a member of the state championship team back in 2004 and 2005, so it has been a lot of fun."  Three juniors we spoke with Wednesday have been competing on the speech and debate team since their freshman years. view article

Some Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District students will have the opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma and an associates of science degree. At a recent school board meeting, the administration provided the board with information on a pilot initiative in partnership with Lone Star College CyFair, the College Academy, which will provide 2017-18 freshman students at Cypress Lakes High School with an opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma and an associates of science degree. view article

At the center of our district’s Learning Model, one of our Guiding Documents that directs all we do in LISD, is “focus on student learning.” After all, the whole reason our district exists is to provide an education to the children in our boundaries. While our teachers and staff have done an outstanding job over the years working to foster a challenging, supportive and effective learning experience, we recognize the benefit of taking a step back every so often to ensure our many educational pieces are creating a cohesive puzzle. Our last official audit was conducted nearly 20 years ago under Superintendent Tom Glenn. Since then, we have experienced incredible population growth in our area, as well as great strides in the teaching and assessment arenas.  view article

With a small and, at times, teary program, the College Station school district kicked off a series of graduation ceremonies by celebrating the introduction of special-needs students into the workforce. The graduation ceremony at Baylor Scott and White Hospital marked the year's end of a internship partnership between the hospital and the school district. The two graduating interns also were offered jobs, marking a sizable leap toward independent living. The internship program enables those with special needs who are at least 18 years of age to, for a year, do various rotations of jobs at Baylor Scott and White hospital, where they are taught job skills and "everyday living skills." view article

Tutoring, preparing bags of essential items for foster care children, creating a drum line, assisting students with disabilities and hosting birthday parties for homeless children are just some of the caring and compassionate activities undertaken by 15 students selected to receive the State Board of Education’s 2017 Student Heroes Award. The board created the award to celebrate and highlight students who voluntarily perform acts of kindness that benefit fellow students, their school or community. One award recipient is selected per State Board district. This year, they range from a third-grade student to a high school senior. Each winner receives a plaque in recognition of their volunteerism. view article

More than 500 San Antonio-area parents, grandparents and members of the community were honored Friday for completing an eight-month-long Parent Academy program in the North East Independent School District. After dedicating hours of their time, the graduates were finally able to cross the stage at Roosevelt High School.  Their journeys started in September. Since then, they've learned parenting and literacy skills, along with how to better manage finances. Some of them earned a GED in the process. view article

Perhaps one of the most striking characteristics of the new Crosby High School is the flood of natural light flowing throughout the building. Windows line the hallways, classrooms, offices, cafeteria, library and other rooms that would traditionally be encased in brick and mortar. The new Crosby High School opened in August 2016. It was a part of the $86.5 million bond passed in May 2013, which incorporated the high school, stadium renovations and the new baseball and softball complex. This year's freshmen students may not have anything to compare the new high school to. But, as its inaugural school year draws to an end, some may wonder what the new building looked like through the eyes of those who did walk the halls of the former Crosby High School. view article

When the school year started, the 66 seniors in a Shoemaker High School college-preparatory class called AVID set a goal for scholarship money earned — $2 million. They were way off. Those students hit the $2 million mark in February. With just less than a month to go before graduation, the scholarship money thermometer recently stood at nearly $2,240,000 and counting. The elective class AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and is offered in all Killeen ISD high schools and middle schools. view article

Gravely & Pearson, LLP, a leading Texas law firm specializing in insurance and construction defect litigation, will donate $1 million to the West Independent School District's "Restore West Foundation," four years after the April 17, 2013 West Fertilizer Plant Explosion. On May 10th, 2017, Gravely & Pearson will formally present the check during the district's May board meeting. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott has rightly pointed out that if Texas were a country, its economy would rank 10th in the world. Our businesses here in Houston, and across the state, regularly invest in science, technology, engineering and math industries, making us a significant producer of the most sought-after goods and services in the global marketplace. To maintain our position of strength, we must align our education system to our state's employment needs. Maintaining a pre-eminent economy and workforce begins with giving students the skills needed to adapt across multiple jobs and even careers within a lifetime. view article

Texas may change how your child understands biology when taught in a public high school classroom. The Texas' Board of Education tentatively approved changes to portions of the states Biology curriculum. Instead of asking Texas public school students to “evaluate” scientific explanations for the origins of DNA and the complexity of certain cells, the state will now ask that the students "examine" the scientific explanations for the origins of DNA and complexity of certain cells. In the past, some educators have argued that the word "evaluate" encouraged students to challenge the scientific theory of evolution and opened the door to teaching creationism. view article

Gene Solis who has served as superintendent of the Whitney ISD since 2008 was recently named the Texas Rural Education Associations’ Superintendent of the Year. Solis will be honored at the TREA Summer Conference on June 24 at the DFW Marriott Hotel in Fort Worth. The TREA awards committee was impressed with his servant leadership and ability to motivate his instructional staff to make Whitney ISD an excellent rural school district. Gene Solis is a 1978 graduate of Spur High School view article

The Abilene ISD has begun looking in earnest at its near future, a challenging task because change moves rapidly these days. The district has hired a consultant to work with a group that is studying the direction of the district the next five years. view article

School districts across East Texas are showing their support for Mount Pleasant ISD. Pittsburg ISD is wearing black and gold in honor of the district. On Thursday a horrific crash involving an 18-wheeler, took the life of Angelica Beard. Beard was a track team coach at Mount Pleasant High School. The crash also left several students and coaches injured. Mount Pleasant ISD Superintendent, Judd Marshall, says the remaining student has been released from the hospital and coaches Van Bowen and Ryan Stanage are both recovering after surgery. view article

African American children in the United States were not always guaranteed the right to a formal education. For decades, racism, segregation, and unequal opportunities were the barriers, which stood between black students and the educational standards of their white neighbors. view article

Students across Austin ISD are learning about kindness and anti-bullying through a fluffy blue character named Enoughie. The Kindness Campaign is in fifty schools right now, but looking to expand. Chants and cheers overtake a lesson in learning inside a Cunningham Elementary classroom for Enoughie.  view article

Dade Middle School's “Teacher Appreciation Celebration” pep rally came with a festive, Oprah-style twist. Amid the fanfare — including performances from the school’s cheerleaders and step team, and a video montage of students thanking their favorite teachers — Dade principal Tracie Washington stopped the proceedings to give her staff a holiday greeting. view article

After two previous failed attempts, many Pleasanton voters were elated when the $63 million school bond election passed in May of 2015. Pleasanton ISD residents showed their support by a vote of 780 to 643. As new construction and renovations continue, many residents are seeing red and alarmed at the $236,356 that the City of Pleasanton has charged Pleasanton ISD in fees and permits.  view article

Plainview school trustees at Thursday’s session will be asked to adopt a resolution to initiate the process for PISD to become a District of Innovation under provisions of House Bill 1842, adopted in 2015.  view article

Midland ISD will not let the latest state accountability ratings system deter it from its mission to improve academic outcomes and student achievement. That is the opinion of MISD board President Rick Davis, who said the system — which will use a single-letter grade (A through F) to rate campuses and districts — doesn’t tell the whole story of what is taking place inside classrooms.  view article

Dec. 14, 2012 will mark the day 20 children and six educators died when a gunman went on a shooting rampage inside a Connecticut school. Firearms are now the second leading cause of death for children and teens across the country, according to Texas Gun Sense.  view article

Whas an app and exactly how do you download one? Does my iPad have chrome? Snapchat? What’s that? Learning to navigate a high-tech world can be frustrating for those who are digitally challenged, but students in the Keller school district are doing their part to teach their older friends the finer points of smartphones, iPads and laptops and help them better understand social media. view article

Katy ISD will work closely with local legislators on key issues in anticipation of the upcoming legislative session in January. KISD’s Legislative Priorities Advisory Committee presented its official recommendations to the district’s board of trustees at its Nov. 21 meeting.  view article

School districts across Texas are concerned about plans by the state Legislature to give schools districts an A, B, C, D or F. At Tuesday’s meeting, the Harlingen school board unanimously approved a resolution opposing the assessment of letter grades.    view article

I love the recent change in our weather. Clearly winter will soon be upon us, and the holidays are not far behind. Already it has been a very busy year. In October, 24 seniors at Lake Travis High School received recognition from the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program for their exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. view article

The Bastrop school district joined other districts across the Texas Tuesday night in calling for the repeal of a 2015 state law that would assign school ratings on an A through F grade scale.  view article

Longview ISD is giving teachers more than $720,000 in merit-based bonuses today as part of its Longview Incentive for Teachers Pay for Performance Award program. The teacher and campus personnel incentive pay is given as a reward for good performance during the 2015-16 school year.  view article

During the last several years, the San Benito School District has utilized social media to inform parents, students and the community about what goes on inside the many school buildings. Most recently, Celia Longoria, the district communications director, has started to implement more awareness about the districts and its happenings on Facebook, Twitter and online. view article

Austin ISD says they’ll be ready on Wednesday for students who learned their school, T.A. Brown Elementary, will not reopen after structural problems caused it to be unsafe. Saturday morning, district and school leaders sat down with parents to answer some of their questions. Students in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten will go to Reilly Elementary just over two miles away and the other students, grades first through fifth, will go to the district’s Allan facility. view article

A meeting in Frisco on Thursday night could determine the future of several schools which are currently under construction. The school board is considering a delay in the openings of four new campuses: Memorial High School, Lawler Middle School, Talley Elementary School and Liscano Elementary School. The new campuses are all being built to ease overcrowding at other schools. Currently, they are supposed to open in the fall of 2017. view article

The people of America recently woke up to witness the independent spirit of the people of Great Britain. Despite the polls, the people voted 51.8%to 48.2% to leave the  [Education schoolkids] European Union and chart their own path. What were the issues that the Brits were upset about? The first thing I thought about the morning after was, we need a Brexit in education. view article

A new Judson Independent School District high school is on the verge of changing its name before it opens. Mackey High School opens in August and nine trustees from Judson ISD host a special meeting to vote on a name change. view article