KSAT Investigates is searching for solutions to classroom violence — examining what works, pressing lawmakers for answers and tracking efforts to better protect teachers.

Democrats say recent changes to the bill give too much power to the TEA and fall short of meaningfully easing the pressures of standardized testing.

Texas Democrats said the state legislature is holding flood victims “hostage” by focusing on approving new congressional maps, instead of working to provide aid.

House Bill 4 would make the test shorter and base scores on how students’ performance compares to national averages.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning issues are persisting in some San Antonio Independent School District classrooms, according to tips received by KSAT.

Texas State Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio) is familiar with and understands the district's challenges. Bernal’s District 123 represents a large amount of SAISD schools.

The House Select Committee on Community Safety is scheduled to hear testimony on bills that would change how people buy firearms and how authorities report those purchases. One of these bills would raise the minimum age to 21 years old to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles.

Find election results from San Antonio-area state House races, including Districts 31, 44, 53, 73, 74, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125

State Republicans say conservative wins in local school board elections on Saturday mean parents are taking a stand against “left-wing” ideologies.

Republican and Democratic state legislators joined Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith in a panel at the University of Texas at San Antonio on Wednesday.

Three Texas House Democrats testified before a congressional committee on their efforts to thwart voting restrictions — and were met with heat from their Republican counterparts.

The House Oversight and Reform’s Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee will hold a hearing regarding voting bills in Texas on Thursday morning.

The legislative branch budget includes funding for House and Senate lawmakers, their staffers and those working in nonpartisan legislative agencies. In total, there was more than $410 million allocated in the 2022-23 fiscal budget.

SAN ANTONIO – Dozens of Texas state representatives, led by San Antonio Democrat Diego Bernal, asked the Texas Education Agency to allow Texas parents to opt their children out of STAAR testing this year. The letter was signed by 68 state representatives in all, including all 10 from Bexar County. AdThis AM we sent a letter to TEA requesting a formal STAAR opt-out procedure. #txlege pic.twitter.com/42Viz03oQu — Diego Bernal (@DiegoBernalTX) February 8, 2021Speaking to KSAT, Bernal noted this year’s testing will matter less than usual. Bernal said parents could already opt-out in a fashion by keeping their children out of school.

“Absent the STAAR test, you’re not going to have a valid, reliable view of grade-level mastery of student skills,” he said. Last spring, Texas applied for and received a waiver from the federal government allowing it not to administer the STAAR. Texas has already committed to allowing elementary and middle school students who fail the exams this spring to move up to the next grade, with district permission. Usually, student scores on the test determine whether high school students can graduate, whether some elementary and middle school students can move on to the next grade, and whether schools can remain open. The Texas State Teachers Association, which has been calling for a suspension of STAAR testing since June, quickly came out in support of the legislators’ letter.

SAN ANTONIO – A member of the Texas House of Representatives from San Antonio is urging the Texas Education Agency to cancel the administering of the STAAR exam for the 2020- 2021 school year, citing COVID-19 concerns. Rep. Diego Bernal, a Democrat who represents District 123, sent a letter to TEA requesting that the agency seek the waivers necessary from the United States Department of Education for the cancellation. The letter has been signed by 68 Democratic and Republican members of the Texas House. But Bernal said instead of having students take the exam, the TEA “should be focused on providing high-quality public education with an emphasis on ensuring the health and safety of students and educators. You can read the letter Bernal sent to TEA below:

Advocates called the move by the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners, which has not yet been finalized, an attempt to create “two classes of Texans” during a press conference organized by the Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. There is currently no law in Texas that protects LGBTQ people from discrimination. The code will no longer prohibit social workers from discriminating on the basis of a disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. Greg Abbott’s office recommended the change, board members said, because the nondiscrimination protections went further than those laid out in state law. The change sparked national backlash, including from 11 members of Texas’ congressional delegation who called on Abbott and the board to reverse the decision.

SAN ANTONIO The coronavirus pandemic has caused uncertainty and lingering questions about how or when students, teachers and other education staff can safely return to classrooms. The special will air live on KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT-TV and for the first time, viewers will have the chance to join the conversation and ask questions through our new live chat feature. Were excited to bring this important town hall to our viewers on-air or online. Viewers can ask questions live or ahead of time on our Chat with KSAT page, where you can also watch the full broadcast. Guests will include:Watch Episode 7 of KSAT Explains, Back to School during the COVID-19 pandemic, below:

The following afternoon, during Abbotts weekly call with members of the Texas legislature, the question went unanswered, according to Bernal, D-San Antonio. Especially if they were challenging questions or questions that maybe put science ahead of the economy, said Bernal. On June 17, as new daily COVID-19 cases climbed over 3,000, Bernals staff again reached out to the Governors office and asked if Abbott was reconsidering his reopening strategy. Not only did the states positivity rate continue to increase after Bernals inquiries, but so did the number of daily cases statewide and in San Antonio. The KSAT 12 Defenders reached out to Abbotts office for more information on these weekly calls with legislators.