Education
A Stroke of Genius: SBOE Round 4
Social studies standards pass; Cynthia Dunbar's sleight-of-hand
Imagine, if you will, that you are a social conservative on the State Board of Education. You have been criticized by everyone from Fox News to The Colbert Repo...Read More
History Takes a While: SBOE Round 3
State Board of Education goes late into the night discussing social studies
I once attended a Cubs-Padres game that went 14 innings. While it was long, it wasn’t particularly exciting—every time it looked like someone might scor...Read More
The Parent Trap
First you’re arrested for abandonment, then comes child-care assistance.
On the morning of May 19, 2009, a maintenance worker in a north Austin apartment complex knocked on the door to apartment 1226. The door swung open, and before ...Read More
Social Study: SBOE Round 2
State Board of Education hears lengthy public testimony and engages
Friends, the last several hours have been quite exciting. You see, your friendly reporter got an upgrade from the overflow arena into the actual meeting. Imagin...Read More
Coming Soon: State Bored of Education?
New SBOE members may be bring relative calm to the normally tempestuous board
As the buzz continues about this week’s State Board of Education meeting (which I’ll be covering here), it brings to mind one incontrovertible truth...Read More
Too Black for School?
How race skews school discipline in Texas.
Brandarion Thomas didn’t fit the stereotype of a sex offender. He was handsome, popular and 14 years old. But in June 2008, during summer school at Travis Jun...Read More
Defending Invisibles
Tyrant’s Foes
From a cramped office in their Edinburg home, Nadezhda Garza and her older sister, Anayanse, publicize the plight of an almost invisible population—thousands ...Read More
Texas Dropouts: Vroom-vroom vs. Gloom-and-doom
Here’s a study in political contrasts: Yesterday, Rick Perry announced that he’s buying himself a NASCAR sponsorship – temporarily taking over (irony aler...Read More
School House Crock
Why is Texas prosecuting adults for dropping out?
In the fall of 2007, LaDarrius Gunn’s senior year of high school started fine. A lightning-fast cornerback and kick returner, Gunn starred at Paris High and h...Read More
David Dewhurst’s Terrible Swift Sword
It’s been striking to see Christian Right wedge issues almost entirely disappear from Gov. Rick Perry’s bag of political tricks as he runs for his t...Read More