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Happy October! 🍂

I can’t believe we’re already four weeks into The TexEd Report. I hope you’ve found my reporting insightful. If there are any topics you think I’m missing out on or want to learn more about, let me know. I want to hear from you!

In case you missed last week’s edition, you can find it here—you don’t want to miss out on learning more about US Senate candidate James Talarico or getting a rundown on how much our teachers are making here in Texas.

This week, I:

 • Breakdown what a Texas Education Agency takeover of a school district looks like, and which ones are at risk.

• Dive into further attacks on academic freedom across our college campuses, this time in the form of LGBTQ+ censorship.

• Challenge you to test out your STAAR-taking abilities.

• Kick off our banned book club!

Let’s get into it.

  Photo by Getty Images

This summer, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath notified five school districts that the state could take them over after at least one school in each received a failing grade for five consecutive years. 

The Texas Education Agency, which Morath oversees, rates school districts throughout the state on an A-F scale based on three categories: Student achievement, which is test scores and graduation rates; school progress, or how students improve over time; and closing the gaps, which looks at how well schools are making sure students of all backgrounds are successful.

The rating system is controversial, and in a 2023 lawsuit, school districts argued that the rating system made it harder to achieve an A—despite improved performances. They also argued that the scores penalized districts for factors they don’t control, such as standardized tests.

The lawsuit delayed the scores in recent years, but the state eventually released school ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years in August, and the 2022-23 school year in April.

  Photo by Shutterstock

Higher education in Texas has faced dire headline and after dire headline over the past several weeks. A Texas A&M professor was fired for discussing gender identity in class. Then, Texas A&M president Mark Welsh resigned after receiving criticism from Republican lawmakers for not moving quickly enough to fire the professor. 

Now, five campuses in the Texas Tech University system have banned all faculty from discussing gender identity in the classroom. The new order also removes all transgender-related content from syllabi, prohibits the use of preferred names for students, strips pronouns from email signatures, and bans LGBTQ+ flags on campus.

These new policies come after Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 8 into law. It bans trans people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity. Students and professors are also being investigated for their comments about the death of far right political activist Charlie Kirk.

Late last month, though, a court ordered the reinstatement of a Texas State professor who was fired after comments he made during a virtual conference organized by socialist groups that the university claimed incited violence were shared online. 

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR testing, made headlines this year as state lawmakers voted to replace the exam with three shorter tests given over the course of the school year starting in 2027.

Even though the STAAR will no longer be given in Texas public schools, have you ever wondered if you’d pass if you took the test today? Now you can find out! 

Check out this short quiz that City Cast Houston put together and let me know below if you passed. (I gave it a shot, and let’s just say I won’t be trying out for “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” anytime soon … 🫣)

🏫More North Texas school districts facing budget deficits could close: Parents in Grapevine-Colleyville and Coppell are fighting back against potential elementary school closures due to due to budget strains. (WFAA)

🏈Are Friday Night Lights dimming in North Texas?: Communities investing in high school football in North Texas is dwindling, with taxpayers saying no to new stadiums or upgrades. (Dallas Morning News)

✏️Houston dominates top school ratings: Houston-area schools claimed seven of the top 20 spots in a recent ranking of Texas high schools. (KHOU)

Welcome to the first week of the Texas Banned Book Club! This month, we’ll be reading “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini.

Each week, I’ll post a handful of discussion questions to keep in mind while you read:

1. How would you describe the relationship between Amir and Hassan during their childhood? Do you think Amir sees Hassan as an equal friend, or more as a servant? What moments in the early chapters support your view?

2. What stood out to you about the way Afghan society, class, and traditions are portrayed?

3. What do the kite and the act of kite running symbolize to Amir in this early part of the story?

Send me your responses and you could be featured in the next edition!

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Katie Serrano. The TexEd Report is happily free to read for everyone. Your financial support means a lot to us. Donate here.

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