Tagged: Texas Education Agency

State Education Commissioner Michael Williams has been campaigning over the weekend to reducing the number of high-stakes exams required for graduation. 

At a business luncheon put on by the Texas Association of Businesses, Williams spoke about reducing the number of end-of-course exams from the current number of 15 tests.

After a complaint from the San Antonio Independent School District, the Texas Education Agency has suspended or put on probation several tutoring agencies that may have committed fraud.

SAISD filed its complaint in February, claiming several tutoring agencies were falsely submitting names of students they may not have tutored for reimbursement of more than $280,000.

The TEA maintains a list of more than 100 tutoring companies that are entitled to receive school district funds as part of the No Child Left Behind Act and parents choose from that list.

State Sen. Leticia Van De Putte expressed her outrage and disappointment toward the Texas Education Agency commissioner and his re-vamped public schools rating system. 

Van De Putte said Education Commissioner Michael Williams’ reason for changing the school rating system from language of "acceptable or unacceptable" to a report card system of an "A through F" is an insult.

One of the possible solutions for solving issues with school finance is consolidating school districts; HB 2542 would study possible Bexar County school district consolidation. Even though Gov. Perry is not swaying on Medicaid expansion, there is still hope that Texas will do something to get people care and the federal money that goes with it.