Some San Antonio students may have to wake up a few minutes earlier next school year. Parents can blame it on the politicians who passed a new state law changing the amount of time students spend in school. During the last legislative session, lawmakers approved House Bill 2610. view article

Arlington parents are hoping a few extra minutes in school every day will mean their students are out for summer break days earlier. The school district is about to lengthen its school days hoping to either provide a buffer in case weather-related school closures are needed or give everyone an early summer break. When kids go to school they’re literally on the clock. Their school year isn’t over until the school has clocked 17,600 minutes of student time. Arlington is hoping it can push all those minutes into a shorter school year. view article

A special board meeting for the Judson Independent School District is set to take place Wednesday night. On the agenda is the possibility of rescinding the name of Dr. Willis Mackey High School. The school was named after the district's former Superintendent who retired last year, and the topic has since been widely debated. view article

There is no replicating the classroom teaching experience, and having that experience should not be optional for public school superintendent job candidates. The State Board of Education is voting in Austin today on the states requirements for public school superintendents and is considering removing teaching experience from the list of qualifications. view article

Extending the student/teacher ratio for a few third-grade classes and approving a request made by the Texas A&M Agri-life Extension office were the only highlights during November's Plainview ISD school board meeting Thursday. With a unanimous vote, PISD trustees voted to approve an application for a waiver to exceed the ... view article

Six-year-old Harry Brown plopped down on the colorful rug in his kindergarten class and shook a clear little plastic container with two dice. He looked at the sets of dots facing up, added the two numbers aloud and pointed to the total number in Mandarin Chinese on his worksheet. view article

A MacArthur High School freshman said school officials overreacted and called police after mistakenly thinking a digital clock he rebuilt looked like a fake bomb. "They arrested me and told me I committed a crime of a hoax bomb - a fake bomb," he told News 8. view article

Every week brings more evidence that John Frossard gets it. In ways big and small, the new superintendent of the Beaumont ISD is doing one thing after another to help turn around the district. The latest example came last week, when Frossard brought in Larry Bell as the keynote speaker for the teacher in-service convocation. "Keynote entertainer" might have been more accurate, and not in a bad way. Bell - part preacher, part comedian, part singer and part dancer - energized and motivated BISD teachers to do their best this new school year. Frossard has known Bell since both were teachers in northern Virginia years ago. view article

The Killeen Independent School District board of trustees and the community seem to be at odds over an issue involving $10,000 and the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce. Currently, Killeen ISD pays $10,000 annually to the chamber for membership dues for 11 administrators. Board president Terry Delano brought this fact to light at a July 27 workshop meeting. view article

The Killeen Independent School District board of trustees and the community seem to be at odds over an issue involving $10,000 and the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce. Currently, Killeen ISD pays $10,000 annually to the chamber for membership dues for 11 administrators. Board president Terry Delano brought this fact to light at a July 27 workshop meeting. view article

Northside ISD will cap attendance at Taft High School because of overcrowding in the area. Northside ISD said about 200 students will have to enroll at Brennan High School, which is roughly four miles from Taft High School. view article

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We want to give our kids the best education possible. Textbooks are a huge part of that, but are we giving them the best and most accurate books?  According to an article in the Washington Post, the new history textbooks are downplaying the role of slavery as a cause of the Civil War. They don't mention the Ku Klux  Klan or Jim Crow. Why not? It's part of the history of how southern states teach history according to University of St. Thomas professor Lisa Mundey. view article

The National Weather Service is predicting that severe weather caused by Tropical Storm Bill will hit the Houston area. School district and local officials are taking precautions, announcing closures and cancellations. view article

After 24 hours of uncertainty, Lloyd Treadwell officially accepted the interim superintendent job at Alvord ISD. The school board approved his hire with a 5-0 vote Monday night, but Treadwell's availability was uncertain due to another job opportunity on the table. He accepted the Alvord post Wednesday. Moving forward, Treadwell understands his role as a caretaker until the permanent hire is made, but he is happy to be in Alvord. view article

The Willis ISD board approved an adjustment to salary pay scales for teachers and district staff Tuesday for the 2015-16 school year. There will be a $1,580 pay increase for all teachers, while the starting pay for teachers with a bachelor's degree will be $44,000 – a $1,000 increase over the 2014-15 school year. view article

Last week's news that students at a middle school in the McKinney ISD were asked to leave for wearing 'Gay is OK' t-shirts in support of a bullied classmate points out the glaring lack of LGBTQ-specific anti-bullying and anti-harassment protections for public school students across North Texas. Now that the school year has ended across the region, the time is now to make changes and improve protections for LGBTQ students view article

State Rep. DeWayne Burns, R-Cleburne, characterized the recently wrapped 84th Legislature as productive generally speaking, albeit a bit of a learning curve from his standpoint. “I worked with [members of the Texas Legislature] 20 years ago in advisory roles,” Burns said. “But it's different being on the other side of that desk for sure. Of course, I'm sure each session is always different from the next as well and you never know what to expect.” view article

Letzny Leyva's inspiration started in high school. As a senior at Veterans Memorial Early College High School she was introduced to Blanca Davila, then a student ambassador. Leyva credits Davila for pushing her to complete the necessary paperwork for college. Leyva was inspired then to give back to the program. view article

And so another school year comes to an end, marking a perfect time to honor all the hardworking teachers who gave it their best. But I'd like to honor one teacher especially — one who isn't just ending a school year but also a 34-year career in public education. That would be the teacher I'm married to. view article

The end of the 84th Texas Legislature is the day free market folks in Texas look forward to every two years. There are fewer opportunities to block progress when they are not in Austin. Taking a macro view of this session's fiscal outcomes, it was largely successful with passage of a conservative budget and historic tax relief. view article

A special night for special people is how Sheldon Harrison described Friday night's commencement ceremony for Karnack Junior and Senior High School as he addressed the 2015 graduating class - the last class to graduate from the soon-to-be closed sc view article

Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” As the Socorro ISD superintendent, my first goal was to build a unified team that would work together to ensure globally competitive graduates. view article

Spring Independent School District launched its summer reading program recently at the Chick-fil-A on FM 1960 with hundreds of families attending. “We know May is a busy time for families and we want to make sure that everyone in our district has an opportunity to participate in Slide into Summer Reading,” said Lupita Hinojosa, Spring ISD academics chief. “This program will continue throughout the summer, so families who weren't able to attend the launch can still get involved.” view article

When my wife and I work on our family budget, we talk about how to make the best use of the money we have. We set aside funds for necessities and plan for our long-term goals, and never stop looking for ways to spend and save smarter. The Texas Legislature goes through a similar process every other year. During the 2015 session, Texas legislators crafted a responsible budget for the next two years, passed laws to make tax collection more efficient and reduced the tax burden for many Texans.

Early this year, Brennan Johnson moved into his Dixie Lane ranch home just one street east of Gaston Middle School. Once a 1950s duplex, it was renovated into a single-family home. Now, he might relist it in a few years. Leo Landin, who lives across the street at the corner of Mariposa Drive and Dixie Lane, has talked of moving out then, too. That’s when the lease on his duplex ends. view article

Spring ISD Superintendent Rodney Watson is planning to unveil his much anticipated five-year strategic plan to the Spring ISD board of trustees on May 21. The meeting will be begin at 6 p.m. and will be held atFallbrook Church, 12512 Walters Road in Houston. view article

Tyler ISD on Monday commemorated opening its Career and Technology Center as a long-sought facility to produce workforce-ready graduates. The $34 million, two-story 147,000-square-foot structure on Earl Campbell Boulevard was among a half dozen projects funded with a bond issue approved at the polls in May 2013. view article

At the beginning of the school year, Taft ISD opened the doors to their first daycare for the children of employees and there's been a lot of progress since our first visit. In August, Taft ISD's Early Learning Academy looked like this...now these classrooms are bright, cheerful, and full of activity. With positive response from parents, like Maisavel Saldivar, who's able to nurse and visit her 6 month old throughout the day while teaching with the district. view article

The Dallas ISD home-rule commission voted Tuesday not to write a proposed charter that could have overhauled how the district operates and is governed. The commissioners voted 10 to 5 not to move forward with a proposed charter, effectively ending the contentious effort to convert Dallas ISD into the state’s first home-rule charter district. Despite that vote, the commissioners decided to continue meeting in the coming months to discuss DISD and eventually write recommendations for the school board. Unlike a proposed charter, however, the recommendations would not be binding. view article

The Texas Education Agency is taking a close look at the Donna Independent School District. The TEA is meeting with district leaders because many of their students are underperforming. Superintendent Jesus Rene Reyna said the TEA is also meeting with parents within the district. view article

Because of a federal rule, kids throw away millions of dollars of fruits and vegetables every single day at school. But a new study shows a simple, no-cost trick that should leave federal policy makers saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?” When recess takes place before kids sit down to eat – instead of after - fruit and vegetable consumption increases by 54%. view article

More local parents will now be able to receive free literacy instruction as McLennan Community College and Waco Independent School District expand their parent enrichment classes starting with an orientation session Tuesday. A Texas Workforce Commission grant pays MCC instructors to teach basic literary instruction, GED and citizenship classes twice a week at Cesar Chavez PDS Middle School. view article

The Dallas ISD home-rule commission will decide next month whether to create a charter that could determine how the district is operated and governed. Voters would need to approve it in an election with at least a 25 percent turnout. view article

Roxton ISD is taking its first step to bring back their football team next fall. The school board voted, 5-0, to add a 6 man football team. This will be the first time the school has had a football team in over fifty years. The school already has a football field, but will still need to add stands, facilities and purchase equipment. They will also look at in-house candidates for the coaching job. view article