TEA

The Board of Trustees of San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District heard from its own expert during its Monday board meeting regarding the recently available Texas Academic Performance Report for 2021-2022, The SMCISD board watched a series of slides outlining the eight sections of the TAPR, as presented by Elizabeth Nash, SMCISD coordinator of data and

Commissioner Mike Morath told a House panel Monday that he “regrets” that the conversation occurred, according to a Texas Tribune reporter.

George Balanchine's “Nutcracker” is back in full swing at New York City Ballet, a year after a number of performances were canceled due to COVID-19, and two years after being sidelined entirely due to the pandemic.

Today on the show, creepy critters, a cup of tea, Halloween treats and handcrafted home décor.

Public teacher supporters say districts are at a pivotal time when they must change the status quo to retain teachers and make the profession attractive for future educators.

The Texas Education Agency released grades this week for each school district and campus across the state, and that includes the charter districts in the area.

Southside ISD has a lot to celebrate as the school has become one of the top 5 districts in the city after previously being one of the lowest in 2019.

The Texas Education Agency released a list of A-F accountability ratings for districts — the first issued since the coronavirus pandemic caused learning disruptions and teacher shortages across the state.

A number of corrective actions were approved Wednesday by La Joya school district trustees that are meant to tighten policies around purchasing and board member conduct in the wake of misconduct scandals at the district.

On Monday night, La Vernia ISD board members voted unanimously to allow select staff members to carry concealed weapons as part of a district guardian program.

The task force was originally composed of 28 members, 16 of which were superintendents, before the TEA announced the addition of two dozen teachers.

The Texas Education Agency says no school districts in the state have applied for available funds that would help with protecting students in high crime areas who walk to and from school.

South San ISD leaders held a special meeting Monday to discuss the possibility of placing the school Superintendent Marc Puig on paid administrative leave and asking the Texas Education Agency for a monitor, citing a conflict of interest with the recently placed monitor.

Former contestants Georgia Toffolo and Jordan North share words of wisdom for this year's celebs.

The Texas Education Agency is accepting applications for Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports, a program that helps provide tutoring to students who have fallen behind due to due COVID-19.

Dysfunctional school boards could impact district leadership in the future if the community and voters don’t take action to be involved and pay attention to who represents them on their local board.

A monitor from the Texas Education Agency is being appointed to the South San Antonio Independent School District to “address material deficiencies in the district” between the board of trustees and the superintendent.

The TEA released new health guidelines for schools more than a week after legislators sent a letter to Gov. Abbott and Commissioner Morath, urging them to reconsider mask mandates in schools and funding for virtual learning due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.

In Bexar County, the San Antonio Independent School District and the School of Science and Technology will be included in the program.

With the cost of living spiralling, even maamoul is beyond the reach of many families.

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.

The state health department and Texas Education Agency (TEA) released the first data for COVID-19 cases at the district level on Thursday. The data includes new cases reported last week and cumulative cases reported from July 27 to Sept. 20. RELATED: San Antonio’s 3 largest school districts have reported more than 80 COVID-19 cases for students, staffThe cumulative report showed 80 positive COVID-19 cases for students in the 19 public school districts that have campuses in Bexar County. It showed 131 positive COVID-19 cases for staff for the same districts during the same time period. Below is a list of reported cases by Bexar County school districts since July 27.

Here’s some of the cumulative data from San Antonio’s largest school districts for the school year so far:North East ISD has reported 11 total cases among students from early education to 12th grade, and a total of 14 staff cases . Boerne ISD has reported 17 total cases for students from early education to 12th grade, and a total of 5 staff cases. Comal ISD has reported 25 total cases for students from early education to 12th grade, and a total of 9 staff cases. The TEA will report COVID-19 cases in public school districts on a weekly basis. Below is a table with the updated COVID-19 case information for public school students and staff in the San Antonio and surrounding area districts.

San Antonio – More than 3,600 Texas teachers are getting a boost in pay for the next five years. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced Tuesday its inaugural Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) list, which was made possible with the passage of House Bill 3 in 2019. Teacher pay is based on a teacher’s designation level of master, exemplary or recognized. The districts must use at least 90% of the funds on teacher pay. Dr. Saul Hinojosa, superintendent of Somerset ISD, said the pay increase is life-changing for some of his teachers.

AUSTIN – The Texas Education Agency announced Wednesday that it is committed to funding remote learning for families who choose the option for the entire 2020-2021 school year. Reminder to ALL TX Families: Every parent in our state still has the option to choose remote learning for their child—and TX leaders remain committed to fully funding remote instruction for any TX family that wants that option for their child during the entire 20-21 School Year. pic.twitter.com/COuM13fT3M — Texas Education Agency (@teainfo) July 29, 2020According to a statement by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, to generate funding for remote instruction, school systems must also provide daily-on campus instruction for families that want to come onto the campus. “Over the past month, TEA announced a funding waiver framework that fully funds schools for remote instruction for the entire year for any family that requests remote instruction,” Morath said in a statement. For more information, read TEA’s overview of remote instruction below:

Burbank High School Teacher Luke Amphlett said his biggest concern among he and his fellow educators is student safety. Amphlett said he believes the guidelines released by TEA this week are too rigid and are not in line with what local health experts are recommending. “There’s actually no reason why we can’t build flexibility into our school schedules,” Amphlett said. “We’ve just pulled off an incredible feat, which was taking school and turning it into an online practice in the span of literally two weeks. A lot of them are retired teachers and a lot of them are older.

SAN ANTONIO – Now that the Texas Education Agency has released its guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus for the 2020-2021 school year, parents and guardians have a big decision to make: Whether to send their child to school or stay at home and learn remotely. They may have to wait until the end of the grading period to do so. “Any parent may request that their student be offered virtual instruction from any school system that offers such instruction. If a parent requests virtual instruction and the school does not offer it, the parent may enroll in another school that does offer it for transfer students,” the guide said. Masks will be mandatory in many Texas schools when they reopen this fall, TEA saysYou can read the TEA guidelines below and then scroll down to vote in our poll:

SAN ANTONIO Vice President Mike Pence will address the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the U.S. and the climbing number of hospitalizations during a briefing on Wednesday morning. The White House coronavirus task force briefing is slated to begin at 10 a.m., but delays are possible. Pence has led the task force since the beginning of the pandemic, but it slowly stopped daily briefings as states began reopening efforts. 778 new COVID-19 cases, 5 new deaths reported in Bexar CountyPences update comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Texas, which surpassed 10,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day on Tuesday. Across the U.S., the personal protective gear that was in dangerously short supply during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis in the U.S. is running low again, according to the Associated Press.

AUSTIN, Texas – Masks for students and teachers will be mandatory in counties with more than 20 reported COVID-19 cases when public schools resume in-person classes this fall, under new public health guidelines released by Texas state education officials Tuesday. The final guidance has been modified from a draft that the agency accidentally posted last month which included few safety mandates for school districts, consistent with Gov. "Consistent with the executive order, masks are required in schools for the duration of the executive order," education Commissioner Mike Morath told superintendents on a phone call Tuesday. No campus should reopen until pandemic begins to subside, Texas teachers association saysAfter the final guidelines were announced, the teachers association said they don't go far enough. For the first three weeks of the school year, school districts can limit students' access to in-person instruction, as they adjust to the shift.

The Texas Education Agency released new guidelines on remote learning, funding and school attendance on Tuesday. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

A new report from the Texas Education Agency is providing possible guidance on what parents and students may expect in the 2020-2021 school year. The upcoming school year is likely to be disrupted, according to the TEA, but a new calendar may be implemented to address learning loss, considering campuses have remained closed since mid-March. Changes may include an earlier start date, a long winter break and a later end date, according to the guidelines. Thanksgiving breaks and Spring Breaks could also be longer, according to the sample intersessional calendar. “Calendar revisions require substantial change management including school board adoption that requires immediate action,” according to the TEA report.

AUSTIN, Texas – In an effort to gauge how much students have learned this school year, including being educated from home due to the coronavirus, the Texas Education Agency has launched free, optional end-of-year assessments that school systems and parents can choose to administer. The optional test is not required and does not take the place of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR Test that Gov. The results of the optional testing will provide valuable data that informs further instructional support school systems can provide this summer and into the coming school year. Parents can register their student for the optional EOY assessments from May 12 thru June 5. Districts may also print PDF versions of the tests from the testing platform and send to students along with the paper answer documents.

SAN ANTONIO – Nearly three years after the Texas Education Agency opened an investigation into the Harlandale Independent School District, the case is now making its way before the district’s new leadership. A TEA investigation opened in 2017 found that he had mishandled contracts. The school board was also accused of violating the Open Meetings Act, but the TEA found it was not as severe as presented. In December, Gerardo Soto took over as the superintendent of Harlandale ISD. KSAT’s Tiffany Huertas was at a Harlandale meeting Tuesday night, where community members didn’t hold anything back.

SAN ANTONIO - It's been another busy week in San Antonio, and we're taking a look back on some of the biggest local stories we've covered since Sunday. See what stories made the headlines in The Week in 2:10. WEEKLY HEADLINES:Ray's Drive Inn manager clarifies what started fire at eateryMan killed in officer-involved shooting after threatening to jump off overpass identifiedFormer Gonzales Junior High nurse accused of sending inappropriate Snapchat materialWorld soccer power Argentina set to face Mexico in San AntonioTEA to remove Harlandale ISD superintendent, school boardCopyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved.