Today the Senate Finance Committee approved its substitute for the Senate budget proposal (Senate Bill 1), the General Appropriations Act for 2018 and 2019. Total spending proposed for the next budget cycle in SB 1 is $217.7 billion, a 0.7
Texas students in grades four through eight (known as “the middle grades”) are considered at-risk in the education pipeline. These “tweens” are at a make or break period for determining future academic success. Research has shown that students who are
Recently the Texas Education Commissioner changed the interpretation of a long-standing statue in order to give $100 million to wealthy homeowners in wealthy school districts. KEY TAKEAWAYS: *It’s understandable that school districts have concerns about the underfunding of the Texas public school
One of the most effective ways we can help kids compete and succeed in life is to make sure they are ready to start Kindergarten. Research has shown positive results from the state-supported Pre-K program, yet Texas regularly receives low
If you’re a budget analyst like me, the summer before the Legislature meets is as exciting as watching a rodeo rider get ready for what’s always a wild ride. Even if you’re not a budget analyst, it’s worth paying attention to
If Texas wants to remain one of the top states for business growth and job creation, then we must get serious about workforce development. We currently rank 40th in the nation with only 35 percent of adults attaining a postsecondary
The Texas Supreme Court forecast a scary future for Texas kids with their Friday the 13th school finance decision last week. While the Court repeatedly acknowledged serious flaws in how we support public education, they refused to do
We’re eagerly awaiting the Texas Supreme Court’s school finance ruling, expected almost any day. It’s a good time to consider what it would take for our school finance system to adequately and equitably fund our public schools so all Texas
One of the things I love about my job is the chance to travel around the state and meet Texans committed to helping other Texans reach their full potential. Last week I spent two days in Fort Worth, inspired by
