Snake Oil
Electrician at Center of Beaumont ISD Scandal Sues, Alleging Massive Conspiracy
Juvenile Justice Reform Unlikely to Extend to 17-Year-Olds This Session
A coalition of advocates, judges and sheriffs have called for treating 17-year-olds as juveniles in the criminal justice system, but a key senator remains skept...Read More
House Leadership Backs School Finance Improvements
House leaders announced an $800-million plan to improve Texas' school funding system this session, without waiting for a court ruling that could require a major...Read More
Strangest State: Mickey Mouse Cons, Outerspace Scams
Fake crops for sale, a Russian spaceship that can't fly, and a make-believe Disney theme park in Dallas—just a few of the con jobs in this month's Strangest S...Read More
Sid Miller’s ‘Cupcake Amnesty’ Changed Nothing
One problem with Sid Miller's 'cupcake amnesty': Texas had not, in fact, ever banned cupcakes brought from home to school. And the rule change behind Miller’s...Read More
Following Abbott’s Lead, House Members Propose Pre-K Grants
$100 million program would stop short of funding full-day pre-kindergarten
House leadership unveiled a response to one of Gov. Greg Abbott's emergency items for the session, a $100 million plan to reward quality pre-K programs. But ear...Read More
Strangest State: Magic in the Drive-Thru and Farewell to Taco Dogs
Notes from far-flung Texas for February 2015...Read More
Lawmakers Propose New Tools to Fight a New Kind of Drug
Almost as soon as synthetic marijuana started appearing at smoke shops and gas stations—promising a legal alternative to more conventional, and more obviou...Read More
Texas Juvenile Justice Reformers Take A Victory Lap
A new study affirms Texas' juvenile justice reforms, and suggests improvements at local probation departments
After eight years of reforms, a new study shows Texas' juvenile justice system has steered more kids out of the system by keeping them close to home....Read More
End of the Road (for Now) for Home Rule in Dallas Schools
Dallas ISD's home rule commission called it quits Tuesday night, ending a process that could have dramatically redesigned Texas' second-largest school system....Read More