Tag Archives: vouchers

It’s Greg Abbott’s fault if your school district is facing a budget crunch

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

News item #1: Houston-area school districts brace for big budget cuts. Staring down a $100 million deficit budget, even after deciding to close three campuses in February, Aldine ISD trustees have a difficult decision to make this week. Voting on … Continue reading →

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Another Speaker contender

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I suspect this list will get longer. Whether they all make it to the actual vote for Speaker is another story. State Rep. Shelby Slawson announced Thursday she is running for Texas House speaker, becoming the second member to challenge … Continue reading →

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Primary runoff results: Statewide

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Unlike Harris County, most of the races of interest here were on the Republican side. We’ll start with the race against House Speaker Dade Phelan, which the Speaker has won by a narrow margin. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, the … Continue reading →

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A “WTF, HISD?” roundup

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Expect more protests later this week. Houston ISD families plan to protest Saturday morning near City Hall as word of forced principal and teacher departures rip through campuses as the end of the first year since state takeover approaches. Community … Continue reading →

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More on the coming HISD cuts

Posted on May 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I repeat, this is going to suck. An undisclosed number of Houston ISD teachers and principals received notices this week that they will be out of a job, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said Thursday. Miles said principals have begun making … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of the HD139 runoff

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

While I hope that the Chron runs overviews of all of the primary runoffs, I really hope they run at least one freaking story about the HCAD special election. Angie Thibodeaux is an affordable housing consultant who wants to make … Continue reading →

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The STAAR test will be graded by AI this year

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Surely something like this was inevitable. Students sitting for their STAAR exams this week will be part of a new method of evaluating Texas schools: Their written answers on the state’s standardized tests will be graded automatically by computers. The … Continue reading →

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Rep. Oliverson files for Speaker

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Something like this was inevitable. State Rep. Tom Oliverson on Thursday announced a surprise challenge to Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, condemning his fellow Republican’s “dysfunctional” leadership as he fights for political survival in a May runoff. Oliverson, an anesthesiologist … Continue reading →

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Another Republican done dirty by Abbott speaks

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome to the table, Rep. Clardy. When state representative Travis Clardy, of Nacogdoches, first heard rumblings of a potential Republican primary challenger early last summer, he was surprised. The woman who was considering challenging him, Joanne Shofner, was someone who … Continue reading →

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There’s only one way forward after this primary

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The worst people you know had a very good week last week. It’s likely to get better for them after the runoffs. These headlines capture the essence of it: ‘Disastrous’: A shaken Texas House prepares for rightward shift after record … Continue reading →

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Ousted Rep. Rogers has some thoughts about why he lost

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He’s on the right track. It’s just a question of whether he takes it to the correct destination. The corruption that exists at the highest level of Texas state government would have made Governor “Pa” Ferguson blush. Governor Greg Abbott … Continue reading →

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Primary 2024 results: Republican headlines

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s going to be a late night and I have a couple of long days ahead of me, so I’m going to do some quick summaries based on what I now know, and will come back later to fill the … Continue reading →

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Getting revenge is the best revenge

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have one thing to say to these Republicans. State Rep. Glenn Rogers is mad as hell, and he’s not being shy about it. “Kiss my ass!” he recently told a statewide Republican official who had endorsed his primary opponent. … Continue reading →

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On HISD’s budget issues

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

They’re Mike Miles’ problem now. It would be nice if he shared with us how he intends to deal with them. Last fall, when Houston ISD’s new superintendent, Mike Miles, first laid out his expensive plans for Texas’ largest district, … Continue reading →

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Vouchers die another death

Posted on November 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What a great use of everyone’s time these special sessions have been. ​The Texas House on Friday voted to strip school vouchers from the chamber’s massive education funding bill, effectively gutting Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority from the legislation. The … Continue reading →

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Do unto public schools as you would not do to charter schools

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Infuriating, but hardly surprising. In June, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath embarked on the largest school takeover in recent history, firing the governing board and the superintendent of the Houston Independent School District after one of its more than … Continue reading →

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It’s special session time again

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Break’s over, y’all. Back on your heads. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday released his agenda for the third legislative special session of the year, asking lawmakers to pass “school choice” and further crack down on illegal immigration. The special session … Continue reading →

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Once again with questions about Mike Miles’ finances

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

More good work from Houston Landing. New Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plans for the district are built on the promise of more. More pay for teachers. More staff in classrooms. More security officers on campuses. But all of those … Continue reading →

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Republicans finally agree on a property tax cut

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Our moderate-length semi-statewide bit of unpleasantness is coming to an end. Probably. The $18 billion compromise between the Texas House and Senate — which includes more than $5 billion approved for relief in 2021 — would give increased tax relief … Continue reading →

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Abbott threatens special session if he doesn’t get his voucher bill passed

Posted on May 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not the Lege these days without a special session threat. Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday said he would veto a toned-down version of a bill to offer school vouchers in Texas, and threatened to call legislators back for special … Continue reading →

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So now we start processing what happened and what will happen with the TEA takeover

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron editorial board points to three key items. Still, if this takeover must happen — and Texas Education Agency announced Wednesday that it is indeed happening — we want it to work. Houston’s schoolchildren don’t have time for another … Continue reading →

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Republicans have begun attacking Mike Collier

Posted on July 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Fox News host Laura Ingraham is joining a growing list of Republicans attacking Mike Collier, the Democratic candidate for Texas lieutenant governor, as polls indicate a narrowing race between him and incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Ingraham reposted an article from a … Continue reading →

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House passes its budget

Posted on April 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The rites of spring in Texas: The start of baseball season, the first 90-degree day, and in odd-numbered years, the House Budget Amendment-Palooza. The Texas House on Thursday night unanimously passed its proposed two-year, $246 billion state budget after members … Continue reading →

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Will teachers turn out for Mike Collier?

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

He sure hopes so. On his long-shot campaign to unseat incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Collier is hoping he’s popular in a lot of rooms that look like this one — where after hearing from him, education-focused voters in a … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Star system

Posted on October 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has made a change in how it presents its endorsements. The quality of candidates on the ballot varies widely from race to race. At times, both candidates are good choices. At times, there are no good choices to … Continue reading →

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Republicans “against” Dan Patrick

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

RG Ratcliffe reports on a “loose coalition” of business and education interests who are seeking to clip Dan Patrick’s wings. [FBSID Board President Kristin] Tassin is now running for a seat in the state Senate, and she is just one … Continue reading →

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House passes school finance bills

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I doubt they’ll meet a different fate than they did in the regular session, but kudos anyway. The Texas House on Friday passed a package of bills that would put $1.8 billion into public schools and help out struggling small, … Continue reading →

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Halfway through the session

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The House is doing House things, and that’s fine. Brushing aside concerns that they are not moving swiftly enough to enact Gov. Greg Abbott’s 20-point agenda, Texas House members opened the second half of the special session Wednesday with a … Continue reading →

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Senate has mostly completed the Abbott special session agenda

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just going to hit the highlights here because this stuff is happening quickly and often late in the day, but most of the Abbott 20-point special session agenda has been turned into bills that have as of this morning … Continue reading →

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Special session officially set

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves, it starts next week. Gov. Greg Abbott issued a declaration for a special session of the Texas Legislature Monday, formally inviting lawmakers back to Austin to pass “sunset legislation” that will keep several key state agencies open. The … Continue reading →

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What West Texas can do to improve their schools

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an op-ed from the Statesman about one educator in West Texas who has had enough. My hero this week is Graydon Hicks, Fort Davis superintendent of schools. A West Texas publication published his open letter to Gov. Greg Abbott … Continue reading →

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House still opposes vouchers

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Keep on keeping on, y’all. The top House education leader said Sunday that “private school choice” is still dead in the lower chamber. “We only voted six times against it in the House,” House Public Education Committee Chairman Dan Huberty … Continue reading →

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Even the SBOE opposes vouchers and the bathroom bill

Posted on June 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A rare bout of sanity. The Texas State Board of Education is known for its conservative ideals, but a majority of its Republican members said Tuesday they oppose GOP Gov. Greg Abbott’s demand that lawmakers pass a school voucher program … Continue reading →

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The special session could get a little testy

Posted on June 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Sow a little discord, Joe. We approve. Speaking to educators Wednesday, House Speaker Joe Straus took some jabs at the Senate for focusing on a bill to regulate public bathroom use instead of putting more than a billion dollars into … Continue reading →

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