Dallas ISD hosts first-ever multi-location elementary chess tournament

1600 chess players from 104 Dallas ISD elementary schools participated in the multi-location chess tournament held at Thomas Jefferson High School and Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy. 159 gold medals were awarded to players who won all matches and each school announced their chess MVP.

Saginaw ISD’s Book Battles Recharge a Love of Reading

Teachers at Remington Point Elementary in Saginaw ISD have introduced “Book Battles” to reignite a love of reading and get students comfortable working in groups again after the pandemic. Students work together and battle over who has read and retained the most information from various books.

Are 4-Day School Weeks Good for North Texas Students?

Many North Texas districts have adopted 4-day school weeks for the 2023-2024 school year in an effort to retain and attract teachers. Evidence suggests that districts on 4-day school weeks have seen small to medium negative effects on test scores, but 4-day districts have seen overall reduced rates of bullying and fighting in schools.

Texas schools say it’s time to stop tying mental health funding to school safety money

Over 73% of schools in Texas reported using ESSER funds for mental health in the last two years. Outside of these federal funds that expire next year, funding for mental health is mostly found in the school safety allotment, but school officials believe that most of this allotment will be used to upgrade campus security measures such as improved locks and security cameras.

Texas Senate committee revamps school funding bill to revive voucher-like proposal

House Bill 100 has been changed by the Senate committee in response to Governor Abbott’s statement last week that he would veto the previous version. The new version increases basic student allotment by $50 instead of the original $90 proposed and includes an education savings account program, giving parents who opt out of public school up to $8000 in taxpayer money per student per year.

Texas community colleges geared for state funding revamp, would get hundreds of millions

Under the proposed House Bill 8, Community College funding will be tied to student outcomes for the first time. Funding will be influenced by the number of degrees and certificates awarded and students who transfer to 4 year universities. The bill also addressed workforce shortages by expanding partnerships between colleges and private employers to create paid, work-based learning opportunities.

Teachers Need PD on Artificial Intelligence. What It Should Look Like

Artificial Intelligence Technologies are becoming increasingly a part of the toolbox that educators and students are using, but many educators lack even a basic understanding of this new technology. Experts believe that teachers should learn about how to use it and teach about it in their classrooms, as AI is predicted to be a large force in the future that current students are living in.

Is Homeownership Out of Reach for Most Teachers?

An analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality found that in many cities across the US, it would take a teacher more than two decades to buy a home. A growing number of districts are offering housing perks to teachers as a recruitment and retention method.

Being a new teacher is hard. Having a good mentor can help

The Alaska Statewide Mentor Project (ASMP) employs retired teachers as mentors to young teachers, particularly in rural, difficult to staff areas. Research shows that high quality mentoring improves classroom skills of new teachers, increasing student achievement, and can help young teachers feel good about their work and not leave the profession.