Latest news with #TexasEducationAgency
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas SBOE Proposes Enhanced Training Standards For School Trustees
(Texas Scorecard) – State Board of Education members are considering new standards for local school district trustee training that emphasize elected officials' accountability to Texas families and taxpayers, representing a fundamental shift in public school governance. The State Board of Education is the policy-making body of the Texas Education Agency, which coordinates all government K-12 educational activities. State law requires the SBOE to provide trustee training and adopt a framework for continuing education that outlines critical governing performance areas for public school boards. Five of the 15 elected SBOE members serve on the board's Committee on School Initiatives, which is responsible for developing the trustee training standards: LJ Francis, chair; Julie Pickren, vice chair; Staci Childs; Tiffany Clark; and Brandon Hall. During a meeting on Thursday, the committee approved a revised Framework for School Board Development that emphasizes elected trustees' supervisory role over the superintendents they hire and prioritizes trustees' responsibility to students, families, and taxpayers. 'The board of trustees is the governing body for Texas public schools and holds the ultimate responsibility for the district's success in educating students. Above all else, trustees owe the highest duty to students and their parents, and the board represents taxpayers, attempting to maximize learning outcomes while minimizing resources required,' states the preamble to the proposed new framework. The existing framework instructs trustees to govern in tandem with the superintendent as a 'Team of Eight,' and board members frequently state that their primary responsibility is to the district as a whole, rather than to individual constituents. Francis, Hall, and Pickren voted in favor of the revised framework, which will be put to a vote of the full SBOE on Friday. The rewritten framework focuses on five core areas: —Setting a clear vision and goals for students —Evaluating the likely success of the superintendent's strategic plan —Monitoring progress —Ensuring transparency —Maintaining accountable governance The core areas emphasize trustees' roles and responsibilities in overseeing the superintendent as well as the board's accountability to families and taxpayers for achieving district goals related to students' success. The standards also put transparency in place of the current framework's 'advocacy and engagement.' During Thursday's committee discussion of the revisions, Hall, who represents District 11 in North Texas, cited the arrest of a local superintendent for failing to report teachers accused of abusing students as an example of why trustees need better training. 'As I dug into the issue and communicated with the board, it just became really clear to me that they did not understand their proper role of oversight and accountability,' said Hall. 'I think another thing that's tackled here is the importance of focusing on student outcomes, because the ambiguity of the original framework that we had in front of us from 2020 pretty much allows almost anything as continuing education credits,' he added. 'And so I think narrowing the focus to student outcomes and also emphasizing the role and responsibility of the trustees as elected officials accountable to the taxpayers is really important.' Pickren, who represents District 7 east of Houston, noted the need for improved training on school electioneering, which has been a significant issue in recent election cycles that has sparked several lawsuits. 'One of the largest school boards in Texas… our superintendent of that board was actually under attorney general investigation for electioneering,' said Pickren. 'The members of the school board, they are very well-meaning people. They come from both sides of the aisle. They just want to serve children,' she said. 'So I appreciate this clarification on behalf of my trustees.' She added that the new training framework 'sticks very closely with the letter of the law, and I think that is the safest place that we can put all of our trustees in.' Clark, who represents District 13 in the Dallas area, voted against the new standards, asserting that the committee had not considered sufficient public input. 'I've heard from my colleagues, and they are not in favor of this proposed framework, because it does leave out advocacy and engagement, which are vital components of school board trustees and the work they do,' added Clark. The original Framework for School Board Development was adopted in 1996. It was amended in 2012 and again in 2020. The latest revision was first presented during the committee's meeting in April, but Chairman Francis postponed a vote until the June meeting. The full State Board of Education will vote on the proposed new framework during its meeting on Friday, June 27.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Yahoo
Student's Cell Phone Sought In Elgin ISD Coach Sex Solicitation Investigation
(Texas Scorecard) – Prosecutors are seeking cell phone evidence in a case against a Central Texas high school basketball coach accused of sexual misconduct with a female student. Devin Ryan Anderson, 27, was arrested last December on charges of improper relationship between educator and student and possession of child pornography while he was working for Elgin Independent School District. Both charges are felonies punishable by at least two years in prison. 'Improper relationship' includes sexual contact or sexually explicit communication with a student, regardless of the student's age. In February, a Gregg County grand jury indicted Anderson on the charges. The indictment accused Anderson of soliciting the student for sex via text messages and possessing pornographic images of a minor. Last week Anderson appeared in court for a hearing during which prosecutors told District Judge Alfonso Charles they believe the victim's cellphone may contain evidence relevant to the case. Judge Charles directed prosecutors to request that the victim turn over the phone to the Kilgore Police Department. Anderson remains free after posting a $55,000 bond. State records show Anderson's teaching certificate, issued in 2022, remains valid but is under review by the Texas Education Agency. According to his LinkedIn page, Anderson began working at Elgin High School in August 2024 as a world geography teacher, assistant basketball coach, and head boys' cross country coach. Elgin ISD officials said Anderson was placed on administrative leave after his arrest. He is no longer employed by the district. Anderson previously worked as a basketball coach and PE teacher at Cumberland Academy in Tyler in the 2023-24 school year, and as an assistant football and basketball coach and special education inclusion teacher for Taylor ISD in 2022-23. He is among hundreds of Texas school employees accused of sex crimes involving students and other children in just the past few years.
NBC News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Texas' Ten Commandments in schools law challenged by families and faith leaders in lawsuit
A group of Dallas-area families and faith leaders have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a new Texas law that requires copies of the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom. The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday, claims the measure is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church and state. Texas is the latest and largest state to attempt a mandate that has run into legal challenges elsewhere. A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a similar law in Louisiana. Some families have sued over Arkansas' law. The plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit are a group of Christian and Nation of Islam faith leaders and families. It names the Texas Education Agency, state education Commissioner Mike Morath and three Dallas-area school districts as defendants. 'The government should govern; the Church should minister,' the lawsuit said. 'Anything else is a threat to the soul of both our democracy and our faith.' Ten Commandments laws are among efforts, mainly in conservative-led states, to insert religion into public schools. Supporters say the Ten Commandments are part of the foundation of the United States' judicial and educational systems and should be displayed. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Ten Commandments measure into law on June 21. He also has enacted a measure requiring school districts to provide students and staff a daily voluntary period of prayer or time to read a religious text during school hours. The Texas Education Agency did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Abbott, who was Texas attorney general in 2005 when he successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court to keep a Ten Commandments monument on the state Capitol grounds, defended the state classrooms law in a social media post on Wednesday. 'Faith and freedom are the foundation of our nation,' Abbott posted on X. 'If anyone sues, we'll win that battle.' Opponents say the Ten Commandments and prayer measures infringe on others' religious freedom, and more lawsuits are expected. The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation have said they will file lawsuits opposing the Ten Commandments measure. Under the new law, public schools must post in classrooms a 16-by-20-inch (41-by-51-centimeter) or larger poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the commandments, even though translations and interpretations vary across denominations, faiths and languages and may differ in homes and houses of worship. The lawsuit notes that Texas has nearly 6 million students in about 9,100 public schools, including thousands of students of faiths that have little or no connection to the Ten Commandments, or may have no faith at all.
CBS News
25-06-2025
- CBS News
North Texas high school coach and athletic director placed on leave after arrest on child sex-related charges, officials say
Howe ISD has placed its head football coach and athletic director on administrative leave following his arrest earlier this month on three child sex-related charges, according to the school district's superintendent. Andrew Michael Harvey, 35, of Rhome, is charged with solicitation of a prostitute under the age of 18, online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct, and the sale, distribution or display of harmful material to a minor, according to arrest records. Part of multi-agency sting Harvey was arrested on Tuesday as part of a multi-agency online solicitation of a minor operation, carried out June 17–18 by the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office Human Trafficking/Child Exploitation Unit. Andrew Michael Harvey, 35, of Rhome Tarrant County Sheriff's Office District response and reporting In correspondence with Howe ISD families, Superintendent Kevin Wilson said Harvey has been barred from district property and contact with students and staff as the district cooperates with law enforcement. In addition, Wilson said the incident has been reported to the Texas Education Agency and the Department of Family and Protective Services. Background and employment history Harvey's teaching certificate is currently under review by the Texas Education Agency. He previously worked in Keller ISD and Sanger ISD. According to Wilson, Harvey passed fingerprint-based background checks upon being hired in June 2022. "As with all employees, Harvey completed and passed an initial fingerprint-based background check that identifies criminal history results through both the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety," Wilson said. "Howe ISD maintains a subscription to all staff background reports for the entirety of their employment. "... We are cooperating fully with law enforcement and are committed to transparency as this case develops, within the limits of what the law allows us to share and while maintaining confidentiality for any victim, as outlined by law." Community urged to report concerns Wilson urged anyone in the Howe ISD community with concerns or information to contact the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office at (817) 884-3099 or the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at (800) 252-5400. "We will continue to keep our community informed as appropriate," Wilson said. Ongoing coverage CBS News Texas will provide additional information as it becomes available.
San Francisco Chronicle
25-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Faith leaders and families sue to block Texas' new Ten Commandments in schools law
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A group of Dallas-area families and faith leaders have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a new Texas law that requires copies of the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom. The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday, claims the measure is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church and state Texas is the latest and largest state to attempt a mandate that has run into legal challenges elsewhere. A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a similar law in Louisiana. Some families have sued over Arkansas' law. The plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit are a group of Christian and Nation of Islam faith leaders and families. It names the Texas Education Agency, state education Commissioner Mike Morath and three Dallas-area school districts as defendants. 'The government should govern; the Church should minister," the lawsuit said. "Anything else is a threat to the soul of both our democracy and our faith.' Ten Commandments laws are among efforts, mainly in conservative-led states, to insert religion into public schools. Supporters say the Ten Commandments are part of the foundation of the United States' judicial and educational systems and should be displayed. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Ten Commandments measure into law on June 21. He also has enacted a measure requiring school districts to provide students and staff a daily voluntary period of prayer or time to read a religious text during school hours. Opponents say the Ten Commandments and prayer measures infringe on others' religious freedom and more lawsuits are expected. The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation have said they will file lawsuits opposing the Ten Commandments measure. Under the new law, public schools must post in classrooms a 16-by-20-inch (41-by-51-centimeter) or larger poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the commandments, even though translations and interpretations vary across denominations, faiths and languages and may differ in homes and houses of worship. The lawsuit notes that Texas has nearly 6 million students in about 9,100 public schools, including thousands of students of faiths that have little or no connection to the Ten Commandments, or may have no faith at all.
