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PEN America has tracked a nationwide growth of laws and bills that — since 2021 — have impinged on educational free speech rights. The organization says 2023 saw 22 state legislatures approve more than 100 bills it calls “educational gag orders.
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A version of the bill that would send public money to private schools passed through a Senate committee on Thursday. Gov. Greg Abbott made such legislation one of his top priorities in this fourth special legislative session.
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Scholastic created a separate fair category for diverse books, which it says is to help schools navigate the complexities of book bans. Librarians accused the company of caving to censorship.
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Late Thursday night, Arlington ISD became the latest school district to join a lawsuit against Education Commissioner Mike Morath because of concerns their ratings will drop drastically under the state's updated system.
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A federal judge in Austin temporarily blocked a new state law restricting which books are available in school libraries. The state then appealed. But whether or not the law is upheld, efforts to censor what students can read have intensified in Texas.
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At least 20 school districts across Texas are suing the state’s education commissioner to block changes to the rating system.
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Despite recent challenges from conservative groups, Texas districts have incorporated social-emotional learning into education to help support student mental health. And at Momentous School, the practice is woven into all aspects of the curriculum.
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HB 3 requires public and charter campuses to have armed security, although funding gaps and police shortages are challenges.
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Trustees approved a property tax lower than the district’s proposed rate. Most of the cuts were because of the Texas Legislature.
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Attending a drag show at Hamburger Mary's, and later posting about it on social media, led to Kristi Maris losing her teaching job of nearly 20 years, she wrote on Facebook.
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The law requires school districts to automatically enroll fifth graders with high state standardized math test scores in advanced math in middle school. The measure had bipartisan support and sailed through the Texas Legislature.
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The Oak Cliff Film Festival Student Workshop teaches high school students some real-life lessons.