Latest news with #CoppellISD
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Coppell ISD installs panic buttons in classrooms under new Texas law
Starting this school year, all classrooms in Texas must have a panic button. This is part of a new requirement under Senate Bill 838, which passed in 2023 but is just now going into effect. Coppell ISD says it began installing the new technology earlier this year to ensure all 17 campuses are ready by the first day of school. "It's in every classroom, every office, any space that would be occupied by a member of our staff or students that could experience any kind of distress, so there are over 100 in this building," said Sara Balarin, principal at Coppell Middle School West. Over the summer, the district has been testing the panic buttons. "We've taught our students about what this looks like and when is an appropriate time to press the button, when it's not. And we're now at the phase of sharing that with parents," said Balarin. Mark Bradford, safety and security coordinator for the district, says, "What this does is it allows for immediate notification from the teacher to the campus personnel and the campus security to be able to respond to incidents." According to the bill, districts can use funds from the state safety grant. Coppell ISD says the upgrade cost them $865,000. "You carry the weight of 1,400 people's safety being the top priority and knowing that there's another added layer, just adds to that peace of mind for us, for parents, for our students, for our staff," said Balarin.
CBS News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
North Texas mothers on opposing sides of school choice issue share their perspectives
As legislation providing public funds for students to attend private schools inches closer to the governor's desk, North Texas parents both for and against shared their thoughts on the controversial bill. Carla Behlen is against the Education Savings Account program, also known as ESAs. She has two children within Coppell ISD, and said public education is more welcoming and the best fit for them. Greta Alexander supports ESAs. She has a teenage daughter and recently took custody of a granddaughter with learning differences. She dismissed critics of ESAs who claim they will mainly benefit wealthy families already sending their children to private schools; she said she makes $35,000 a year and private education gives her kids a better life. In an interview with Lacey Beasley, both women talk about the pros and cons of the program and the hope they share for a better education system in Texas. The following conversation was lightly edited for clarity. Carla Behlen: I think it's setting a priority with funding that says a private school student is worth $10,000 to the state, and a public school student is worth less than $7,000 to the state. I have two kids in middle school, and they are at different middle schools, even within my school district. One, she was built for school. She's, you know, thriving in that environment. It's been really great. The other one was starting to struggle, and we were able to move him to another school that had a deeper fine arts program and a deeper theater program, where he has really just been able to take off and thrive there. If it was not for that school, we would be in a really different place with that kid. Greta Alexander: Private school was a must because of my own experience at high school, if I could go back that far. I was pregnant at 17, and by the time I graduated, I was pregnant again and I was crying out for help. My mom was a single parent. Two jobs. I had no one at school to talk to either. It was kind of like being in a box, you know? I think that's the difference for me to have somebody that's able to pay more attention. We have some great teachers in public school, but unfortunately, they can't be attentive to everyone when they have 25 or 30 kids in one room. Lacey Beasley: The average student would receive about $10,000. Do you think that's enough to send a student to private school? Alexander: The private school that we attend now is $11,000, so I think that that's more than enough. Behlen: So if it's $11,000, that's great if you happen to have one that's in that range in your backyard. The average one by us is closer to $20,000 to $25,000 a year. That does not include activity fees, uniform fees, getting your kid to and from school. Alexander: We have this myth that parents that send their kids to private school are rich, and that's not the case. I'm not rich. You know, I'm $35,000 a year, if that, and that's stretching it. It's not just rich people that are trying to send their kids to a private environment. There's parents like me that didn't have an opportunity when we were growing up, and we see a better opportunity for our kids. Beasley: A lot of private schools are faith based, and there's a little bit of a debate of should taxpayer dollars go to religious schools? Do you want your kids to learn religion in school? Alexander: Yes. Yes I do. Behlen: I have a real problem with public dollars going to that. By law, your public schools are not teaching religion and are open to families of all faiths, all backgrounds, all identities, all kids and all disabilities. My husband teaches in a public school and is a Christian. However, that is separate from his from his teaching identity. He is not teaching religion. He's teaching math. Beasley: Do either of any of your children or grandchildren benefit from special needs services? Alexander: My granddaughter has a 504 [plan, which provides accommodations for students with learning differences] right now. Beasley: With her going to private school with the 504 plan, does the school seem accommodating? Alexander: Yes. They already have kiddos in place right now that they're accommodating with that service, so she's going to be fine. Beasley: It takes a lot of research on the parent behalf to find, if they do have a child with special needs, they need to research the correct school for them, the best needs for their child if they want a faith-based school. A lot of it falls on the parent to research. Behlen: I wish, and I hope that the program primarily helps families who would not otherwise be able to go to private school, if that's what they wish. My concern is that most of that money is not going to go that way. I am appreciative that the legislature put a 20% cap on families making over $160,000 accessing it. That cap expires in two years. Alexander: If we want to really look at what's public schools doing, not all of them, but the ones that are in Fort Worth now. I know everybody's seen the mayor. She's fighting for kids to learn how to read. I know kiddos right now that's getting ready to graduate high school. They can't read, and it breaks my heart. You know, it breaks my heart because they're in a public setting. Behlen: I agree. Let's fix it.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas AG Ken Paxton accuses Coppell ISD of violating Texas' 'critical race theory' ban
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued leaders of the Coppell Independent School District for allegedly flouting state restrictions on teaching 'critical race theory' in public schools, based on an undercover video published by a conservative activist group. In the lawsuit filed last week in Dallas County, Paxton's office accused Coppell ISD administrators of violating a state law that, among other prescriptions, prohibits schools from teaching that 'one race or sex is inherently superior to another' or requiring students to understand the New York Times' 1619 Project, a Pulitzer Prize-winning report that examined U.S. history from the date when enslaved people first arrived to America. The school district has about 13,000 students, according to state data, most of whom are Asian and Hispanic while about a quarter are white. The lawsuit points to a video published in February by Accuracy in Media, a group with right-wing ties, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate and bigotry targeting marginalized communities. The two-minute-long video depicts an undercover representative of Accuracy in Media talking to Evan Whitfield, Coppell ISD's director of curriculum and instruction. 'Our concern is more that they're going to, and I don't know where you are politically, but it's like, learn a [Make America Great Again] version of history instead of an accurate depiction of real world events,' the undercover person told Whitfield. 'One thing that I love about this district is that despite what our state standards say and despite what, you know, is going on, we do what's right for kids,' Whitfield responded in the video. The remarks are among the ones cited by Paxton's office in the lawsuit. 'Liberal administrators who want to ignore state law and unlawfully push divisive and racist CRT curriculum in classrooms will be held responsible for their actions,' Paxton said in a statement Wednesday that drew attention to the suit. 'Texas children deserve to receive the best education in the world, not have woke ideology forced upon them.' A request for comment sent to Coppell ISD spokespeople Wednesday returned an automatic response that the school system is closed this week for spring break. Gov. Greg Abbott signed in 2021 legislation that prescribes how teachers in Texas classrooms can talk about American racism history and current events. The state joined a short list of those across the nation that sought to ban the teaching of 'critical race theory' in K-12 public school classrooms — an advanced academic concept that discusses systemic racism and is more often found in law school and college syllabi, according to scholars. The discipline is not taught in public schools but the term has become shorthand for some conservatives' criticism of how children learn about race and racism. As the 2021 measure was debated in the Legislature, proponents argued they were trying to rid public education of personal biases. Educators and education advocates expressed worries that politics were dictating instruction for the state's 5.5 million public schoolchildren. The video of the Coppell ISD administrator was first published by Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at Accuracy in Media and self-described 'school choice evangelist.' Accuracy in Media has drawn controversy in the past, most recently in August at Columbia University. The group's Center for Investigative Journalism is directed by Cliff Kincaid, who the Southern Poverty Law Center said 'is actually an unrepentant propagandist for extremist right-wing causes who knows few boundaries in his attempts to smear liberal foes.' On Wednesday, Accuracy in Media touted its undercover video and celebrated Paxton's office citing it in the suit. 'This lawsuit proves why investigative journalism matters,' the group said in a statement. 'Accuracy in Media has repeatedly exposed how school districts violate state laws and mislead parents about what is being taught in classrooms. Now, thanks to our work, Texas is taking action.' Disclosure: Southern Poverty Law Center and New York Times have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, 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. We can't wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
CBS News
19-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Texas AG Ken Paxton suing Coppell ISD over allegedly teaching critical race theory
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Coppell Independent School District officials for allegedly "illegally teaching critical race theory," his office announced Wednesday. According to the Attorney General's Office, the lawsuit was filed after a video allegedly showed the district's director of curriculum and instruction, Evan Whitfield, having a conversation on how the district had "gotten around" bans on the use of critical race theory in state policies and curriculum "by saying we're not teaching [CRT]." The AG's Office claimed that Whitfield further discussed how, despite what the state mandates, Coppell ISD does "what's right." Critical race theory is an academic and legal framework that examines how race and racism intersect with laws, policies, and institutions. It originated in the 1970s and 1980s among legal scholars who argued that racism is not just a matter of individual bias but is embedded in legal systems and societal structures, Daniel HoSang, professor of ethnicity, race and migration and American studies at Yale University, told the Texas Tribune in 2021. "These scholars and writers are asking, 'why is it that racial inequality endures and persists, even decades after these laws have passed?'" HoSang said. "Why is racism still enduring? And how do we contribute to abolishing it?" In the video, Whitfield was asked if a teacher could close the door and teach "what's right." Whitfield's responded, "Shh, that's what we do," the AG's Office said. Whitfield also allegedly boasted about using "Next General Science Standards" curriculum, which isn't approved by the State Board of Education. Textbooks with similar approaches to "environmental education" have also been rejected by the board. "Liberal administrators who want to ignore state law and unlawfully push divisive and racist CRT curriculum in classrooms will be held responsible for their actions," Paxton said in a statement. "Texas children deserve to receive the best education in the world, not have woke ideology forced upon them. My lawsuit aims to put an immediate end to this illegal and hateful curriculum and immediately stop the blatant refusal to follow state law by certain officials at Coppell ISD." CBS Texas reached out to Coppell ISD for comment, but a district spokesperson said they won't be responding until the district returns from spring break next week. In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order for U.S. schools to stop teaching what he views as "critical race theory" and other material dealing with race and sexuality or risk losing their federal money. Trump called critical race theory an "inherently racist policy." The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights investigates allegations of civil rights violations and can impose sanctions up to a total loss of federal money, though that penalty has almost never been used and must be approved by a judge.
Axios
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Texas AG sues Coppell ISD after conservative activist video claims district teaches critical race theory
The Texas attorney general is suing Coppell ISD, alleging the district is teaching critical race theory. Why it matters: The state's top conservative leaders want to eliminate teachings about race and personal identity in general. The anti-CRT push is part of the broader goal to give parents more control over what their children learn in school. Driving the news: Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the lawsuit Wednesday, saying Texas students deserve to "not have woke ideology forced upon them." The lawsuit stems from a heavily edited video posted by conservative media group Accuracy in Media that shows a Coppell school administrator saying the district doesn't always follow state standards on certain topics. State of play: The lawsuit says the Coppell school district's curriculum is violating a 2021 state law that bans kindergarten through 12th grade students from being taught critical race theory, a college-level topic that says racism is baked into U.S. history. Zoom out: President Trump issued an executive order in January to stop "indoctrination in K-12 education." The order says teaching white privilege or unconscious bias "actually promotes racial discrimination." Zoom in: The video shows an interviewer saying he's concerned students will "learn a MAGA version of history instead of an accurate version of real-world events." The school administrator responds, "One thing that I love about this district, despite what our state standards say and despite what, you know, is going on, we do what's right for kids." Reality check: The video was posted Feb. 25, but it's unclear when it was recorded. The administrator wears a protective face mask during the conversation, and the interviewer refers to orders signed by the governor "a few months ago." The interviewer doesn't mention critical race theory, but the video's text says the discussion was about the topic. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill banning CRT in June 2021. Coppell ISD is closed this week for spring break, and a district spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. The intrigue: The video ends with text that says, "Enacting universal school choice is the only way to reform education in Texas." The Texas Legislature is again considering school choice vouchers enabling families to use state money to pay for private school tuition or homeschooling. The big picture: Passing a statewide voucher program is a top priority for the governor. The measure failed during the last legislative session. During last year's primaries, Abbott targeted fellow Republicans who opposed vouchers. Context: The Senate has approved Senate Bill 2, giving families $10,000 a year per student to fund tuition at an accredited private school. The program is estimated to cost Texas $1 billion in fiscal year 2027. House Bill 3 would put $1 billion toward education savings accounts. Threat level: Critics of school vouchers say the programs pull money from the public education system and fund wealthy people's private school tuition. The other side: Proponents say vouchers help lower-income students attend better schools rather than their underperforming local campuses. They also say the funding enables parents to make the best choice for their kids.
