This Burned-out Texas Teacher Unseated His School Board President
The Texas public school system almost broke Andrew Gonzales' spirit. Then he won a leadership role in Austin Independent School District.
Michelle Pitcher
Michelle Pitcher is a staff writer at the Texas Observer, covering criminal justice, housing, and education. She received her master’s in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley and was part of the team at The Marshall Project that won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. Her reporting has been featured on NPR, FiveThirtyEight, The Dallas Morning News, and more. Michelle was born and raised in Dallas and is now based in Austin.
Articles by Michelle Pitcher
Two Executions, Many Questions about Mental Health, Innocence
Texas' deadly spring continues: Two Black men, Gary Green and Arthur Brown Jr. are set to be killed this week by the state.
‘One of the Most Mentally Ill’ Inmates in Texas Is About to Be Executed
Andre Thomas is scheduled to be executed in April.
Mapping the Legacy of Prison Hunger Strikes in Texas
"I'm willing to die for the cause, because I can't live."
Supreme Court Sides with Defense on Death Row Case
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals will now reconsider Areli Escobar’s case which prosecutors and defense attorneys agree relied on flawed forensics.
Students Taking Back ‘Ownership’ of Education
“We defended these books, which remained in the library ... We saw book banning slow down, and that was really phenomenal to see.”
Naked Man Shot In Hospital By Houston Cop Gets $900K Settlement
The city quietly paid off Alan Pean, a man injured by an off-duty Bayou City police officer during a mental health crisis.
Texas Cities Prioritize Police over People
Fort Worth spends six times more on criminal justice than community services.
Course Corrections: The Return of Prison Education
Federal grants are rebooting higher education behind bars, but the benefits aren't evenly distributed to all of the incarcerated.
Voters Reinforce Republican Stronghold on State Board of Education
“Critical Race Theory” boosts multiple new conservative voices onto the board, including a participant in January 6 pro-Trump rally.