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Superintendent finalist Stephanie Elizalde: Dallas is ‘calling me back’

Longtime educator, Austin ISD superintendent and former Dallas ISD top administrator, Stephanie Elizalde was unanimously voted by trustees to return as superintendent for Dallas ISD. Elizalde will have the opportunity to continue to oversee key strategies developed previously alongside outgoing superintendent Michael Hinojosa around early childhood education, racial equity and career preparation.

These Texas teachers are addressing the state’s staffing shortages

The Texas Education Agency announced the new teacher members of the state’s revamped Teacher Vacancy Task Force, including Burnet Elementary educator and former Teacher of the Year, Eric Hale. The 52 task force members are aiming to combat the educator shortages across the state. Josue Tamarez Torres serves as chair of the task force.

Texas Instruments Awards Innovations Grants to 14 Secondary STEM Teachers

Fourteen Dallas ISD teachers received the Texas Instruments’ Innovations in STEAM Teaching Award. The $140,000 grant provided by Texas Instruments, was given to Dallas Education Foundation to award recipients with $10,000 for the teacher directly and to increase their own professional development or instructional technology.

Gov. Greg Abbott voices clear support for school voucher program

In an effort to give Texas parents more say in their children’s education, Governor Greg Abbot has voiced support for a school voucher plan to use state funding to send children to any public, charter or private school. Abbott says it is possible to fully fund public schools and give parents a choice, but critics disagree. A poll conducted in early May before Gov. Abbott’s announcement showed that 53 percent of likely Texas voters are against taxpayer-funded private school vouchers when hearing vouchers mean less money for the local public schools.

Texas schools can’t withhold student health info from parents, AG Paxton says

In a non-binding opinion released by Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas public schools cannot withhold students’ health information from parents in response to expressed concerns that some school officials suggested that student confidentiality should be respected, such as if a student identifies as transgender or non-binary. Failure to comply would subject the district to civil liability and financial ramifications.

With Plunging Enrollment, a ‘Seismic Hit’ to Public Schools

According to a recently published national survey, America’s public schools have lost at least 1.2 million students since 2020, with no signs of a rebound. Coronavirus severely increased the broad decline previously underway caused by low birth and immigration rates, forcing large cities to consider combining classrooms, laying off teachers, or shutting down schools. 

New Biden Administration Rules for Charter Schools Spur Bipartisan Backlash

A new proposal by the Education Department to oversee the federal grant program for charter schools is facing bipartisan backlash. The proposal would add requirements to charter schools applying for grants, such as adding stricter restrictions on schools that collaborate with for-profit organizations and requiring schools to develop a social impact analysis. Many debates on whether this new proposal will help or hinder the growth of charter schools.

Billions in School Covid-Relief Funds Remain Unspent

School districts across the US have 93% of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan left to spend before the end of 2024. This federal funding aims to address learning loss, mental health, and pandemic related issues. In a use-it-or-lose-it situation, schools struggle to spend their funds by the deadline due to supply chain issues, workforce shortages, and construction. Many schools want to use these funds to hire more staff but critics warn that this isn’t a sustainable way to pay for staff in the long run. A few critics worry that some may spend quickly and ineffectively due to the approaching deadlines.