Instead of addressing the underlying causes of kids missing school, Texas—almost alone among the states—is treating truancy as a criminal matter. But a growing body of research shows that using adult criminal courts to punish students and their parents is not just overly punitive and inequitable, but also ineffective.
Forrest Wilder, a native of Wimberley, Texas, is the editor of the Observer.
In ‘Separated,’ One Journalist’s Close-up View of the Family Separation Crisis
Jacob Soboroff’s new memoir is a thorough account of how such a cruel policy came to be and how it traumatized hundreds of children and their families.
Poet Alok Vaid-Menon on Protest Art and Immigrant Detention
“So often the way that racism operates is through patriotism. ... I actually think there’s a way to be proud of this country in terms of inclusivity and intersectionality.”
How Texas Lawmakers and Industry Have Weakened Citizens’ Rights to Fight Pollution
At the behest of the industry, legislators have chipped away at the environmental permitting process in Texas, stacking the deck against concerned people protesting industrial projects.
