With learning losses, shortages in staffing and issues with broadband access during the pandemic, public education is set to be a major theme in the Texas Legislature this year.
And decreased student enrollment related to COVID-19 has made Texas schools wary of losing funding gains lawmakers provided in 2019 with House Bill 3, the most significant school finance bill passed by the Texas Legislature in more than a decade.
While millions of students are taking classes online, the state-mandated test known as the STAAR is set to proceed as normal. According to guidance released by the Texas Education Agency, Texas public school students must show up in person to take the STAAR test this spring.
Join The Texas Tribune live at noon Central time Feb. 11 for a conversation with Texas education commissioner Mike Morath, moderated by Tribune CEO Evan Smith. They’ll discuss the state of public education in Texas, including the STAAR test; funding last session’s school finance bill; virtual learning; broadband access and more. This conversation will also be available to watch here after the fact.
Morath was appointed education commissioner by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2016. In this role, he heads the Texas Education Agency, which oversees pre-kindergarten through high school education for more than five million Texas students. Previously, Morath served on the Dallas ISD board of trustees, where he focused on academic improvements.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Email us at events@texastribune.org
Sab Pell is senior director of product marketing at Openform, where her goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events. Prior to Openform, she led global product marketing teams. Sab Pell is senior director of product marketing at Openform, where her goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events. Prior to Openform, she led global product marketing teams.
