Latest news with #TexasMornings
CBS News
14-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
How a North Texas school is breaking students' phone habits using "phone lockers"
CBS News Texas is dedicated to keeping you informed on the current state of education in Texas with a new segment called "The Learning Curve." You can watch "The Learning Curve" every weekday morning during CBS News Texas Mornings at 6 a.m. If you have something education-related you would like us to look into, send us an email at texaseducations@ . Educators know that capturing students' attention in the classroom is harder than ever — and they say it's in part because of phones. One school in Willow Park has seen success through a pilot program that's getting students to forget about their mobile devices using what they're calling "phone lockers." Trinity Christian Academy said it's on the forefront of a nationwide movement. Students start their mornings with a quick pit stop to phone lockers. "We were definitely upset about it. We were like, they are taking our phones away our senior year," Anna Nelson, a student at TCA, said. The school's new initiative kicked off this year: All students must leave their phones in their cars or locked up outside the classroom, where no chimes, dings or any alert can be heard. Slowly but surely, students learned to live without their devices. "I had a habit back in the day where I was just constantly like every day after class, grab my pocket, check my phone, and then like scroll and look at everything. Now, I never even have the instinct to. Even at home, it's gone away mostly," Jonas O'Dell, a junior at TCA, said. And in the classroom, teachers said they've seen a drastic change. "It's just night and day difference. They are engaged. Grades have gone up 2-3 points overall. It takes a lot of the battle between student and teacher off the table," TCA teacher Candice Gables said. Another teacher, Christy Creasy, agreed. "They're not trying to make TikToks in the hall or wanting to make them in the classrooms," Creasy said. "I've seen more laughter. I'm seeing a lot more talking going on this year than I have in the past." TCA leaders also believe this is more than about battling phone distractions. Social media can stir anxieties and insecurities in children. Secondary principal Jesse Whiteaker said this is about being proactive. "I think it's the way of the future. I think a day of reckoning will be coming sooner rather than later, where the adults will look back and say, 'Boy, we really didn't nail this one, and how did we let this happen?'" Whiteaker said. What's the most unexpected benefit from getting off the screens? Newfound friendships. "Our entire grade now, we used to sit at like three different tables all around the lunchroom. Now our entire grade sits at one table together. Everyone does. We're just growing in unity together," O'Dell said. For other schools thinking about implementing a program like this, principals told CBS News Texas' Lacey Beasley that the best way is to be clear with students beforehand. This is also a means to an end. The end goal is to return students' phones to them, but this time, with less dependency.
CBS News
11-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could end accommodations for special needs students
CBS News Texas is dedicated to keeping you informed on the current state of education in Texas with a new segment called "The Learning Curve." You can watch "The Learning Curve" every weekday morning during CBS News Texas Mornings at 6 a.m. If you have something education related you would like us to look into, send us an email at texaseducations@ . A lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could end federal protections for special needs students. More than 400,000 students in Texas benefit from 504 plans in school , according to the Texas Education Agency. These are federal accommodations for students who have disabilities, but do not require special education services. Disabilities include ADHD, dyslexia, visual and hearing impairment and emotional disorders. Paxton's lawsuit could threaten that right. Last September, Texas, along with 16 other states, filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services challenging the law. Specifically, a portion that added "gender dysphoria" to the definition of "disability" by the Biden administration in may of 2024. Gender dysphoria is the mental stress a person experiences when that individual doesn't identify with the body they were born with. Paxton said the "HHS has no authority to unilaterally rewrite statutory definitions and classify 'gender dysphoria' as a disability." While much of the lawsuit focuses on this change, it also asks for section 504 to be declared unconstitutional. However in February, the plaintiffs filed a joint status report saying they don't want the court to declare section 504 unconstitutional "on its face" or at first look.
CBS News
10-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
What is a 504 plan for students with disabilities? The Learning Curve
CBS News Texas is dedicated to keeping you informed on the current state of education in Texas with a new segment called "The Learning Curve." You can watch "The Learning Curve" every weekday morning during CBS News Texas Mornings at 6 a.m. If you have something education related you would like us to look into, send us an email at texaseducations@ . There is no "one size fits all" way to learning. So for kids who may need extra support, help is available through what's known as a 504 plan, or 504 accommodations. The number refers to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a civil rights law making sure students with disabilities have help if they attend a school that receives federal funding. Examples of qualifying disabilities include: Accommodations include sitting at a specialized desk with adaptations that help students focus. It allows extra time for assignments or test taking, fidget items during instructional time and the use of speech-to-text technology and modified textbooks. After the dismantling of the Department of Education , the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special needs programs like the 504 plan. The Texas Education Agency said it does not anticipate any changes in services for students who receive these accommodations. To get a 504 plan, parents should contact their child's school and request an evaluation.
CBS News
09-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
How will Texas' school choice bill impact public schools? A state educator responds
CBS News Texas is dedicated to keeping you informed on the current state of education in Texas with a new segment called "The Learning Curve." You can watch "The Learning Curve" every weekday morning during CBS News Texas Mornings at 6 a.m. If you have something education related you would like us to look into, send us an email at texaseducations@ . With Texas' school choice bill one step closer to becoming a reality, one public educator is addressing how it will impact public schools. Mark Terry, deputy executive director of the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association, has spent 33 years working in public education. He said there are aspects of the bill that many parents may not be aware of. He said that the bill will give schools the power and money, not the parents. "I have a fundamental problem with saying that we're going to expand school choice and then limit who can get into a school," he said. The bill would allocate a $10,000 voucher to students to use towards private school education. That would barely cover tuition for some schools in the state – Terry said that he knows one school's tuition is $26,000. Why does he think parents should choose to keep their student in public school? "I don't care if I'm in the roughest school in an urban area, way out in a small rural school, or if I'm in a suburban school with a lot of money," Terry said. "All those kids need an excellent education and the opportunity to receive that. If you're going after kids in the neediest areas and they can't afford the tuition, what does it matter?" Another element Terry touched on was school boards. Public school boards are elected officials with open meetings where parents can sign up to talk. Private schools are more often appointed and do not have to have open doors. They also often meet in communities outside of where the school is located, so Terry said access can be limited. He recommends to parents who are curious about public school, reach out to administrators and ask for a tour.
CBS News
07-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
North Texas private school headmaster gives her perspective on school choice vouchers
CBS News Texas is dedicated to keeping you informed on the current state of education in Texas with a new segment called "The Learning Curve." You can watch "The Learning Curve" every weekday morning during CBS News Texas Mornings at 6 a.m. If you have something education-related you would like us to look into, send us an email at texaseducations@ . If Texas' proposed school choice bill is passed, it could send shockwaves through private and public schools. With the bill , most students would receive just over $10,000, with higher amounts available for those with disabilities. Homeschooling families could receive up to $2,000. The money would come from state tax dollars, with lawmakers proposing to allocate $1 billion from Texas' budget surplus for the program. If passed, the program would go into effect during the 2026–2027 school year, giving the Texas Comptroller's Office one year to implement the logistics and educate the public. Still, opposition remains , particularly from rural lawmakers who fear the measure could siphon funds away from public schools. Deborah Hof, headmaster at Selwyn School, an independent day school in Argyle, recently sat down with CBS News Texas to talk about how the program would impact her students. Selwyn School is K-12th grade and has 135 students enrolled. Lacey Beasley : From a bird's eye view, how do you see this potentially impacting Selwyn? Hof : You know, that's a really good question because I don't know. As far as I can tell from the legislation I've read so far, it seems like it's going to be really a small number of kids. I'm not anticipating an influx of applicants. I think this, no matter how well this legislation is written, is going to be confusing for a long time. Beasley : Some students could get $10,000 with [the vouchers]. There's also the question of, would tuition rise along with that? Would those kind of cancel out? Hof : I'm certainly not going to talk about other private schools because I promise you, I've heard the conversation as well. The answer for Selwyn is absolutely not. That is not the goal. The goal is not to use public tax money to raise our tuition. Beasley : Would Selwyn consider declining the vouchers? Hof : Absolutely. Without a doubt. The way the law is written [it] says this is about giving parents choice. It's not about the state deciding what curriculum is used. Very few, I'm not going to say none, I think it might be none, but very few independent schools take any state or federal money, and we're not going to take any money if it means that we have to sidestep our mission. And when we finally get a decision and we can read every single word in the legislation, we can make an informed decision. I think you're going to find that more private schools say no than you think. Beasley : How do you think this will impact public education? Hof : OK, so this is a little more personal and a little less professional. I don't know how else to say that. It a little bit breaks my heart. I said earlier, I'm going to say it again. Public schools have to be fabulous for any of us to be fabulous. And so, as I think it through, I can't imagine how it's not going to hurt the public schools.
