Latest TexEdNews:

Reported Elsewhere:

Having problems?
Please refresh your browser.

Reported Elsewhere

Where possible, these headlines link to no-paywall or soft paywall articles, or to websites offering free trials. TexEdNews neither condones nor endorses the accuracy of this news feed.

Sept. 14, 2026
Teacher prep programs across Texas directed to bar faculty from teaching about the 1619 Project

(Texas Public Radio) A new mandate from the Texas Education Agency says teacher preparation programs at both public and private colleges must promise to follow the state’s K-12 anti-DEI law under penalty of perjury. The promise comes with the apparent weight of a legal document. The form obtained by Texas Public Radio required the signature of the leadership of every Educator Preparation Program in the state by September 1, including their full name, birthdate and address.

Texas has a new plan to better include young children with disabilities in classrooms

(KERA) Texas is trying to do a better job of including young children with disabilities in preschools and childcare centers alongside their peers.

Houston ISD special education program improved class sizes, staff-to-student ratios, district leaders say

(Community Impact) A majority of Houston ISD self-contained special education classrooms have met the district’s goals for size, staff-to-student ratios and number of grade levels per class, after the district rolled out a new program in August, district leaders said Sept. 10. Related:

More choices, fewer students: How San Antonio school options are changing this year

(San Antonio Express-News) As school choice expands in San Antonio, microschools, virtual schooling and new charter options are redefining education.

‘The fear is palpable’: Fort Worth ISD managers hear concerns as listening sessions near end

(Fort Worth Report) As Fort Worth ISD’s state-appointed board of managers wraps up its community listening tour ahead of a Sept. 15 deadline, a recurring theme has emerged: pervasive fear among teachers and parents about violating new district expectations, from pausing instruction to help a struggling student to unclear bathroom policies. The board will use feedback gathered through Sept. 15 to set districtwide goals and define limits on Superintendent Peter Licata’s leadership.
Related:

These 5 Houston-area districts are asking voters for $137M as enrollment drops and costs climb

(Houston Chronicle) Five Houston-area school districts are asking voters for a combined $137 million in new revenue this November to shore up multi-million dollar budget deficits driven by declining enrollment, inflation and rising insurance costs. Voters in Cy-Fair, Channelview, Huffman, La Porte and Spring ISDs can expect to see a voter-approved tax-rate increase, or VATRE, measure on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Behind Austin ISD’s Paredes Middle School closure: Emails show rushed planning and trustee concerns

(Austin American-Statesman) In late July, Austin ISD moved quickly to shutter Paredes Middle school, just three weeks before classes began. The change came in the face of a growing state takeover threat because of failing state scores at two North Austin middle schools — Burnet and Webb.

Nacogdoches ISD adopts new curriculum to avoid TEA takeover

(KETK) The Nacogdoches Independent School District is making major changes to avoid a potential takeover by the Texas Education Agency following consecutive years of low accountability grades. The district’s efforts follow ratings released in August, when three out of the six elementary schools in Nacogdoches ISD received “F” ratings.

Ysleta ISD offers $7,500 separation incentive

(El Paso Matters) The Ysleta Independent School District is offering employees a $7,500 payout to voluntarily resign at the end of the semester to reduce personnel costs for the remainder of the school year. In an email sent out to administrators last week, YISD states it is offering to buy out the first 100 teachers or administrators who submit an early notice of their plan to retire or resign in December. YISD offered a similar $7,500 separation incentive earlier this year for teachers who planned to resign or retire over the summer. More than 220 teachers left the district at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

POLICE: Palestine ISD High School coach arrested, charged with assault

(CBS19) Palestine High School head boys basketball coach Montez Heade was arrested Friday at the high school following an alleged assault involving a student at the school, according to the Palestine Police Department. Palestine Police Chief Mark Harcrow confirmed Heade was arrested and charged with assault of a family or household member by impeding breath or circulation, a felony offense. Police have not released additional details about what led to the arrest. Palestine ISD said in a news release that the incident involved a student and the student’s parent, who is also a district employee. The parent was arrested.

Frost ISD authorized guardian placed on administrative leave after leaving unattended gun in restroom, officials say

(WFAA) The firearm was located by another campus employee moments later who took measures to properly secure the weapon and reported to the campus principal, officials say.

Richardson police arrested local teacher after reading a conversation he had on Grindr

(Dallas Morning News) A Richardson teacher was arrested after the social media platform Grindr flagged a conversation he allegedly had with a minor that eventually was sent to police, according to an arrest warrant affidavit recently obtained by The Dallas Morning News. The teacher, Michael Fouse, was arrested on suspicion of online solicitation of a minor Aug. 28, but police released little information about what they reviewed that led to Fouse’s arrest. Fouse, 41, was not on campus when he was arrested. He argued in an interview with police that he had never met the 16-year-old face-to-face, nor did he ever have any sexual relationship with any of his students. Richardson Independent School District, which employs Fouse, placed him on administrative leave shortly after his arrest, according to a statement from the district.

Two Lamesa ISD employees arrested in security breach

(KMID/KPEJ) Two Lamesa ISD employees were arrested yesterday for their involvement in allegations of a security breach. According to Lamesa ISD, the allegations do not involve disclosing or compromising District data or student, personnel, or security information. LISD insists that it involved the alleged deletion of a set of records maintained by law enforcement. The investigation is still ongoing.

University of Houston removes professor over child abuse material allegations

(Houston Chronicle) A University of Houston adjunct professor has been suspended over allegations of possessing child abuse material after he was confronted on campus by a social media predator catcher. The UH police department removed the adjunct faculty member and Ph.D. candidate from campus. The University is currently investigating the allegations.

Profits over kids? No more graduations to be held at Reliant Stadium

(KTRK) The corporation that operates Reliant Stadium says the venue will no longer host graduation ceremonies for area school districts. The Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation (HCSCC) tells ABC13 that those ceremonies will now be held at Reliant Arena. Members of the Humble ISD community attended Harris County Commissioners Court earlier this week in hopes of reversing the decision. District officials who spoke at the meeting said they believe Reliant Stadium is the only venue in the area that allows graduates to bring their entire support groups to the ceremony. Harris County commissioners court ultimately decided to discuss the matter further at its next meeting, in part to discuss the possibility of reversing the HCSCC decision.

One year after Texas phone ban, Valley schools see positive impact

(myRGV) After a full school year with the Texas cellphone ban in place in schools, Rio Grande Valley school district administrators and educators are highlighting the benefits they see in students, learning and a decline in bullying.

More professors want to leave Texas this year, citing political climate, censorship, survey says

(Dallas Morning News) A greater percentage of Texas professors want to leave the state this year than last year, citing its political climate and concerns about censorship, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Association of University Professors.

Reporter Shares Shocking Field Temperature Ahead of Ohio State-Texas Game

(Heavy) AccuWeather lists a temperature of 97 degrees at kickoff in Austin. That is the temperature in the air itself. One reporter shared her own thermometer reading that almost seems impossible. ESPN’s Holly Rowe appeared for some pregame coverage and was holding a thermometer that read 163 degrees on the field. Her report sounded like a mistake, but it’s the reading she had. CBS Austin shared its own reading, coming in at nearly 152 degrees. The account also shared a post noting how fans are already huddling in cooler areas before kickoff. Related:

Family sues Fort Worth daycare over alleged child fight club, lawyer says that puts all daycares on notice

(WFAA) A Fort Worth family is suing their child’s daycare over “fight club” allegations. The family claims the daycare employee instigated a fight between some of the children.

Fort Worth girl’s death highlights guns as leading killer of Tarrant County kids

(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) After a 5-year-old Fort Worth girl accidentally shot and killed herself, experts stressed the importance of safe gun storage to save lives. Fatal gun injuries are the leading killer of children and teenagers from age 1 through 19 in Tarrant County, according to federal data.

Several Texas Republicans condemn Bo French’s racist posts calling Asian students at UT a “problem”

(Texas Tribune) Bo French, the Republican nominee for a statewide position regulating Texas’ oil and gas industry, posted a photo of University of Texas students, while decrying “foreigners” displacing Americans. The morning after the Texas Longhorns pulled off a major comeback to upset Ohio State, French shared a photo of students of South Asian descent cheering in burnt orange gears from the stands. The former Tarrant County GOP chair, who has called for the deportation of 100 million people which would include U.S. citizens, said the scene shows “how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners.”    

Texas universities limit their brands in political ads. Dan Patrick used them anyway

(Texas Tribune) It is not clear if Patrick’s campaign sought permission from three Texas universities to use their trademarks in a college football-inspired ad that appears to be AI-generated.

The Threat of Service: Texas officials face rise in hostility, insults

(Dallas Morning News) Local officials have been experiencing an uptick in threats and harassment in the past three and a half years, according to data from Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative.

Risky Risk Pools Plague Texas School Districts

(RiskManagers.us) An article by Robert Reim on Texas school district risk pools argues that these pools — essentially unregulated mutual insurance arrangements — shift all financial risk onto member districts while the pool managers and agents bear none, since no outside insurer or state guaranty fund stands behind them if losses mount. The article also notes that agents’ own errors-and-omissions insurance typically won’t cover claims tied to unrated pools or insolvent insurers. Overall, it frames risk pools as a significant, underappreciated financial vulnerability for Texas school boards and superintendents acting as fiduciaries of public funds.

Tarrant County College trustees approve property tax increase 5-1 after spending debate

(Fort Worth Report) Trustees approved a 12-cent rate after debating wether TCC had found enough savings before asking property owners to pay more.

Texas House Committee Considers CPS Compliance With Records Law

(Texas Scorecard) Witnesses testified that parents have struggled to acquire medical records from Child Protective Services.

Texas Supreme Court blocks Galveston County from using new precinct map in November election

(Houston Public Media) The 2026 precinct maps were redrawn and approved on June 29 — between the March primary election and the November general election. The Texas Supreme Court now barres the county from using those new boundaries in November.

Dallas-area charter high school football team drops 105 points in blowout win

(Houston Chronicle) There have been epic beatdowns in the history of Texas high school football. Life School in Dallas’ Oak Cliff area just added its name to the list. On Friday night, the open-enrollment charter school serving kindergarten through 12th grade took on Bonham, which has 559 students in grades 9 through 12. That figure did not matter to Life Oak Cliff, who managed to put up 100+ points on Bonham in a 105-14 rout. What was even worse for Bonham? This was their homecoming game, according to the school’s website.

Click for Earlier
“Reported Elsewhere” Dates

Latest from TexEdNews!

$ = Subscribers Only

TexEdNews Article Archives

$ = Subscribers Only

Commissioner’s Decisions
(Through August 2026)
SY 2025-26
PEIMS Articles: