Daily News

The latest education news headlines of interest to TASB members:

August 10, 2020

• Teachers plan to protest reopening plan at Cy-Fair ISD board meeting on Monday, KHOU 11
• Laredo TSTA president warns of pending statewide teacher shortage, Laredo Morning Times
• Number of School Withdrawals Climb as More Families Turn to Homeschool, NBC DFW
• Northside ISD superintendent: 'We are all anxious to have students back in buildings', News 4 San Antonio
• The coronavirus means San Antonio parents have to make choices this fall — and some have more options than others, San Antonio Express News
• School’s about to start, but Texas isn’t tracking coronavirus in the classroom, Dallas Morning News

August 7, 2020

• With school reopening, Gov. Greg Abbott sets off another debate over whether local or state officials are in control, Texas Tribune (TASB Mentioned)
• Most Teachers Concerned About In-Person School; 2 In 3 Want To Start The Year Online, NPR
• Editorial: It’s the school boards’ call. Let them make it, Austin American Statesman
• We need to talk about what school closures mean for kids with disabilities, Vox
• Op/Ed: If Major League Baseball can’t prevent COVID-19, how can schools do better for teachers and students?, Houston Chronicle
• Drive-Through Voting? Texas Gets Creative In Its Scramble For Polling Places, NPR

August 6, 2020

• Gov. Abbott: Too soon to tell if TEA will allow schools to continue online classes, CBS Austin
• Coronavirus outbreaks will occur in schools, San Antonio Metro Health official says, San Antonio Express
• North Texas School Districts Lay Out Plans to Feed Kids Safely, NBC DFW
• Podcast: Texas stuck in confounding school daze, San Antonio Express
• Many American schools unprepared for online learning, Washington Post
• Special education students are not just falling behind — they’re losing key skills, parents say, Washington Post

August 5, 2020

• Gov. Greg Abbott pledges Texas schools will have ample supply of PPE, KSAT San Antonio
• Gov. Abbott: School boards will dictate reopenings. Teachers: Abbott is ‘passing the buck.’, Houston Chronicle
• Paxton: Face mask mandates OK for counties, public transportation, Austin American-Statesman
• Tarrant County sees good news in COVID data, but braces for spike when school starts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• Superintendents talk about challenges COVID-19 pandemic brings to fall semester in virtual meeting, 12 News Now Beaumont

August 4, 2020

• WATCH: Gov. Greg Abbott says school districts should decide when, how to reopen, KSAT San Antonio
• Dallas ISD Looking For Substitutes to Help With In-Person and Virtual Learning, NBC DFW
• Austin ISD board to vote on pushing first day of school back to Sept. 8, KVUE Austin 
• AISD board to vote on delaying start of school year, 8 weeks of online class, KXAN Austin
• What you need to know about HISD's reopening plans and timeline, ABC 13 Houston
• Will Texas’ retirement-eligible teachers risk going back to school in a pandemic?, KXAN Austin

August 3, 2020

• Gov. Greg Abbott says local health officials can shut down schools only in limited circumstances, Texas Tribune
• August agenda for local government includes schools, police spending, property taxes and a pandemic, Texas Tribune
• Parents rush to form pandemic learning pods, Austin American Statesman
• TASA asks state for more local control, clear guidelines in 2020-21, Community Impact
• Short supply of tech devices 'could present a problem' for schools, News 4 San Antonio

July 31, 2020

• TEA Will Offer Free Learning Management System to Texas Schools for Two Years to Help Bolster Remote and Classroom Instruction, TEA
• What will a typical school day be like when kids go back to class in person?, KSAT
• Kids' mental health can struggle during online school. Here's how teachers are planning ahead, USA Today
• Here's how the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded in Texas since March, Texas Tribune
• Texas Association of School Administrators asks state for more local control, clear guidelines in 2020-21, Community Impact

July 30, 2020

• Statement from Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on School Funding for 2020-21 Academic Year, TEA
• Texas schools are being compelled to reopen classrooms on the state's timetable, like it or not, Texas Tribune
• Three takeaways from Express-News editorial board meeting with S.A. school superintendents about the coronavirus, San Antonio Express-News
• What happens when a teacher gets COVID-19 during the school year?, KSAT San Antonio
• TribCast: Texas revises coronavirus death tally as school reopening chaos continues, Texas Tribune

July 29, 2020

• Texas attorney general says local health authorities cannot “indiscriminately” shut down schools, Texas Tribune
• Texas families now have until Aug. 21 to apply for food aid to make up for school meals, Texas Tribune
• CDC updates school safety guidelines, strongly advocates for reopening campuses in the fall, Chron
• LIST: What local school districts are planning for back-to-school, KVUE Austin
• Local education, tech leaders plan to close Texas’s connectivity divide, Houston Chronicle

July 28, 2020

• Gov. Greg Abbott extends early voting for November election by six days, starting Oct. 13, Texas Tribune
• Texas students still face STAAR amid coronavirus, but state softens penalties, Austin American Statesman
• Abbott: Students will not be held back because of STAAR scores, Houston Chronicle
• HISD To Begin Ambitious Study On Districtwide Inequity, Houston Public Media
• Active Learning: The Secret To El Paso’s Success, Forbes

July 27, 2020

• Harris County orders schools closed until Sept. 8, Texas Tribune
• Superintendent says 2020 Dallas ISD bond must pass to operate long-term during pandemic, Fox 4 KDFW
• Teachers hope school, state officials listen to concerns on returning to the classroom, KHOU 11 Houston
• Some Teachers Say Start of School Delays Aren't Enough, NBC DFW
• How to get kids ready to return to school as safely as possible amid coronavirus spikes, Houston Chronicle

July 24, 2020

• Dallas ISD Board Of Trustees Votes To Move 1st Day Of School To September 8 Due To Coronavirus Pandemic, CBS DFW
• Analysis: Texas in a state of financial uncertainty, Texas Tribune
• ‘Challenging time’ for AISD as COVID-19 highlights needs of low-income students, KXAN Austin
• North Texas school districts enforcing disciplinary action for students who intentionally cough on others, KHOU 11 Houston
• Mask mandate appears to be helping in Texas, but experts ask Gov. Greg Abbott not to rule out a shutdown, Texas Tribune

July 23, 2020

• Watch: Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar discusses the state’s $4.6 billion deficit and the next budget cycle, Texas Tribune
• Conroe ISD urges state to waive STAAR testing, accountability ratings for 2020-21 school year, ABC 13 Houston
• Dallas ISD releases 'reentry playbook' for parents and staff, WFAA Dallas
• Virtual learning due to COVID-19 could make helping child abuse victims tougher, KTXS Abilene
• 'We don't have any options': Fort Worth families with no internet, other needs worried about upcoming school year, WFAA Dallas
• Op/Ed: Texas educators need confidence, transparency in planning for school reopenings, Houston Chronicle

July 22, 2020

• Medical officials warn schools could suffer widespread COVID-19 outbreaks, Houston Chronicle
• Rural school districts face cell, internet service challenges, KTRE
• On the verge of asking voters for record bond, Dallas ISD to lose administrator tasked with overseeing projects, Dallas Morning News
• Modified UIL Activities Calendar and COVID-19 Guidelines for 2020-2021 School Year, UIL
• Some Texas teachers are preparing their wills before returning to the classroom, KHOU11
• Harris County officials recommend, not mandate, that school districts stay closed to in-person instruction until October, Texas Tribune

July 21, 2020

• TEA asking schools to hold in-person instruction for students with unreliable internet, KVUE Austin
• TEA gives direction if someone tests positive for COVID-19 during on-campus learning, KVUE Austin
• TASA Announces Regional Nominees for 2020 Outstanding School Board, TASA
• USAA Foundation awards SAISD $325K to help bridge digital divide within online learning model, KSAT
• Feds tell TEA to repay more than $2.5 million spent on special education contract, Houston Chronicle
• Houston-area school boards consider changes to reopening plans following new TEA guidance, Houston Chronicle (Joy quoted)

July 20, 2020

• Texas will allow schools to keep classrooms closed longer than previously ordered, Texas Tribune
• July 17 Update: SY 20-21 Attendance and Enrollment FAQ, Texas Education Agency
• July 17 Update: SY 20-21 Public Health Planning Guidance, Texas Education Agency
• Texas Education Agency receives $200M in CARES Act funds for e-learning devices, internet connectivity solutions, Community Impact
• Trump administration must accept new DACA applications, judge orders, Texas Tribune