The Latest Breaking News from Brad Buckley

Texas teachers, parents fear STAAR overhaul won’t take testing pressure off kids

Skeptics of the replacement, which requires three exams throughout the year, want to see less restrictions on testing day and more teacher input.

The Texas Tribune · Sep 24, 2025

Texas is poised to replace STAAR. Here is what schools’ new standardized tests would look like.

A bill scrapping the state’s standardized test heads over to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. It would replace STAAR with three shorter tests at the beginning, middle and end of the year.

The Texas Tribune · Sep 4, 2025

House Democrats’ frustration with STAAR bill highlights divide over how new test should look

Democrats say recent changes to the bill give too much power to the TEA and fall short of meaningfully easing the pressures of standardized testing.

The Texas Tribune · Aug 27, 2025

How Greg Abbott took a flailing school voucher movement and turned it into a winning issue

Abbott tapped into a powerful national conservative movement and his own campaign war chest to turn legislative races into multimillion-dollar affairs.

The Texas Tribune · May 2, 2025

In historic first, Texas House approves private school voucher program

The bill would let families use taxpayer dollars for their children’s private schooling. Lawmakers also signed off on a sweeping $7.7 billion package to boost public school funding.

The Texas Tribune · Apr 17, 2025

House Committee Passes ‘Texas Two Step’ of Vouchers and Public Ed Funding

Dems could do little but sound the alarm on vouchers—and warn the $7.7-billion school-finance package is still not enough.

Texas Observer · Apr 4, 2025

Different pace and priorities separate Texas Senate and House on school vouchers

The gaps over eligibility and on spending levels are narrower than the fundamental differences of the previous session.

The Texas Tribune · Mar 20, 2025

Marathon Hearing on School Vouchers Features Intense Bipartisan Opposition

“There is a disconnect between the rhetoric and what the bill actually says,” Democrat James Talarico summarized of House Bill 3.

Texas Observer · Mar 12, 2025

Debate on House’s school voucher bill centers on a question: Should wealthy Texans be included?

The hearing on House Bill 3 started Tuesday and ended Wednesday morning. Hundreds of Texans waited overnight to testify.

The Texas Tribune · Mar 12, 2025

Texas Democrats criticize school leaders for being too “nice” about their funding needs

Lawmakers this week listened to testimony on House Bill 2, which would raise schools’ base funding per student by $220 — a figure that falls short of what many Texans say is needed.

The Texas Tribune · Mar 5, 2025