Courier DFW – TEXED

PLUS: Texas can require Ten Commandments in classrooms Share with a friend Hey y’all,  In case you missed it, last night a federal judge ruled the state can require public schools to display the Ten Commandments, going against a group of Texas families who sought to block the new rule from taking effect in their…

PLUS: A call to advocate for higher ed Hey y’all, Welcome back to another TexEd Report! Before we dive into this week’s news, I wanted to give you all an update on last week’s State Board of Education meetings.  After a week full of meetings and hours of testimony, the Republican-dominated board advanced both the…

PLUS: SBOE deliberates required reading list Hey y’all! We’re taking “From the Capitol to the Classroom” a bit more literally this week. I went down to Austin yesterday, where the State Board of Education kicked off their week-long slate of meetings to go over two major agenda items that have caught the attention of Texans:…

PLUS: Why free pre-K is a ‘game changer’ Happy April 1st, y’all! This past weekend, I joined over a thousand DFW residents at Dallas’ “No Kings” protest at city hall. I spoke with a retired school teacher from Oak Cliff, and heard from several speakers who shared uplifting messages about the importance of community and…

PLUS: FWISD names new leadership Hey y’all! This week, we’ll take a look at changes coming to the University of North Texas as Republican lawmakers continue to reshape higher education across the state, and you’ll also find an update on Fort Worth ISD’s state takeover. I’m also excited to introduce a new section to The…

PLUS: Why Texans are voting with education in mind Welcome back to another edition of The TexEd Report! We’ve got a lot of news to cover this week. Last night was supposed to be the final chance to apply for private school vouchers. However, a federal judge ordered Texas to extend the application deadline until…

PLUS: Republicans’ anti-Islam rhetoric continues Good afternoon, y’all! In today’s edition, you’ll find recent news surrounding private school vouchers, including a breakdown of new data that reveals who is applying for the program, and information on a new lawsuit the state is facing over discrimination within the voucher application process. Don’t forget to check out…

PLUS: Who won SBOE primary elections Happy Wednesday, and an even happier post-Election Day! Today we’ll take a look at some of last night’s primary election results and see how they’ll impact education across the state, including former educator James Talarico’s US Senate win.  You’ll also find coverage on the 4,000+ errors the state found…

PLUS: UT bans ‘controversial’ topics in class Hey y’all!  I hope you’re enjoying your Wednesday afternoon. Today, we’ll take a look at a recent win in the fight against Texas’ diversity, equity, and inclusion ban in public schools. We’ll also dive back into further attacks on academic freedom and free speech on higher education campuses…

PLUS: How this educator will ‘return respect’ to teaching Hey y’all!  Welcome to another edition of The TexEd Report. If you didn’t catch last week’s, read it here. This week, you’ll learn about a progressive candidate who’s running for the Texas State Board of Education, and get an update on the implementation of Senate Bill…

PLUS: How much does a school voucher cover in TX? Hey y’all,  Welcome back to another edition of The TexEd Report. This week, you’ll find a conversation I had with a local mother on the role education played in a Democrat’s win in Tarrant County. Now that families can apply for private school vouchers, I…

PLUS: Texas A&M scraps Women’s and Gender Studies program Hey y’all! Welcome back to another edition of The TexEd Report. If you missed last week’s, check it out here.  This week, we’ll look at the threats Republicans Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton are casting at Austin Independent School District after students walked…

PLUS: Abbott halts foreign hiring at TX universities Happy Wednesday,  I hope you all are staying safe and warm after the winter storm that took over Texas this weekend.  Today, you’ll find a breakdown on the Texas Education Agency’s required reading list that the State Board of Education is currently reviewing.  If approved as-is, the…

PLUS: Texas Ten Commandments fight continues Happy Wednesday!  This week, you’ll hear from a Texas A&M professor whose ethics course was canceled days into the semester because of a new university policy that restricts discussions of race and gender in the classroom. This is just one in a long string of attacks on academic freedom…

PLUS: Plato censored at Texas A&M Hey y’all! Welcome back to another edition of The TexEd Report—we’ve got a lot to cover this week.  On Monday, I attended a town hall in Plano with Democratic US Senate candidate James Talarico. Throughout the night, the former educator emphasized the importance of investing in Texas teachers. You’ll…

PLUS: School DEI ban challenged in federal court Happy New Year! Welcome back to The TexEd Report. I hope you and yours had a cozy, relaxing holiday season.  As we enter 2026, what education topics are top of mind for you? Let me know. This week, we’ll take a look at why the Texas American…

And what do they do? Happy Wednesday! A few weeks ago, we looked at how artificial intelligence is impacting book bans in schools. This week, we’ll see how it’s impacting courses in higher education.  We’ll also dive into who will be on the ballot for the State Board of Education election in 2026, and break…

PLUS: Greg Abbott announces Turning Point partnership Hey y’all, It’s been a busy week in Texas thanks to Monday’s candidate filing deadline for the 2026 election.  But that didn’t stop other lawmakers from making headlines. This week we’ll take a look at Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that was made at the Governor’s Mansion on Monday…

PLUS: Do you think these degrees are ‘unprofessional’? Happy December! I can’t believe we’re nearly through the year, and three months into The TexEd Report. If you’ve been with me since the start, thanks for sticking around. This week, we’ll take a look at the recently finalized rules for Texas’ new private school voucher program,…

PLUS: Changes are coming to TX social studies Happy Wednesday! I hope you’re able to relax, recharge, and spend time with friends and family this week and reflect on all that you’re thankful for.  In this week’s edition, we take a look at changes coming to social studies in Texas classrooms and the impact artificial…

PLUS: Lawmakers discuss free speech on college campuses Hey y’all! Between Texas A&M restricting how professors can teach race and gender, Fort Worth ISD appealing a state takeover by the Texas Education Agency, and a second federal judge ruling that requiring the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms is unconstitutional—there’s no shortage of education news…

PLUS: Students share why diversity is important on college campuses Hey y’all! Last week, I had the honor of moderating a panel in partnership with Americans United for Separation of Church and State at COURIER Texas’ “Faith, Freedom, and the Future of Texas” event over the infusion of white Christian nationalism into our Texas public…

PLUS: Join me in Dallas tonight! Hi there! Last weekend, I attended a town hall in Fort Worth focused on the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of Fort Worth ISD. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa and other education advocates answered questions from concerned parents, and shared information on how to mobilize and fight for their public schools.…

PLUS: Lawmakers denounce FWISD takeover Good afternoon, y’all! Did you know there’s an election happening right now in Texas? Early voting runs now through Friday, and Election Day is Nov. 4. There’s a lot on the ballot, including some local school board elections.  Below you’ll find a breakdown on the importance of school boards, and…

PLUS: New Braunfels shutters its school libraries Hey y’all👋 I attended the “No Kings” rally in downtown Dallas this past weekend, and was blown away by the number of people who braved the harsh rain to hear from some incredible speakers. They included Javier García del Moral, co-owner of The Wild Detectives, one of my…

PLUS: Texas State faculty fight curriculum audits Welcome back to another edition of The TexEd Report!  If you missed last week’s edition you can check it out here, and if there are any topics you think I should be covering that I’m not, please let me know. The government shutdown just hit its two-week mark,…

PLUS: More schools adopt Bluebonnet Learning Hey y’all!  We’re celebrating Banned Books Week—a week that highlights efforts to fight censorship in our school libraries and celebrates literary works. Below you’ll find a breakdown on all things banned books in Texas. We’ll also take a look at more schools adopting Bluebonnet Learning—the controversial religion-infused curriculum that…

PLUS: Attacks on academic freedom continue 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…

PLUS: A former educator is running for US Senate Hey y’all, Welcome back to another edition of The TexEd Report!  Last Thursday, I covered a campaign rally in Deep Ellum for James Talarico. The 36-year-old Democrat from Round Rock is a former 6th grade English teacher in San Antonio who is running for US Senate…

PLUS: Free speech for educators is being tested Happy Wednesday!☀️ Welcome to the second edition of The TexEd Report. In case you missed our debut edition, you can read it here. This week we continue our conversation with educators across our state navigating a slew of new education-focused laws in their public schools.  You’ll hear…