Lawrence Mower

Houston Chronicle

Greg Abbott calls for school district audits to root out 'administrative bloat'

By: Lawrence Mower

The request came hours after the governor's Texas Education Agency, which oversees districts, was cited in an audit for having it's own top-heavy structure.

Austin American-Statesman

Greg Abbott singles out Austin, El Paso ISDs in call for audits into 'administrative bloat'

By: Lawrence Mower

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday asked Texas' new comptroller to examine the spending of up to four school districts to root out “administrative

Houston Chronicle

TEA printing delays leave schools scrambling for Bluebonnet materials

By: Lawrence Mower

The Texas Education Agency failed to deliver thousands of Bluebonnet workbooks and lesson plans to classrooms this month, leaving some school districts scrambling to print the materials themselves.

Houston Chronicle

'Couldn't find a school': Why only 76% of Texas' school voucher recipients have used them

By: Lawrence Mower, Elizabeth Sander

Marissa Gonzalez was one of the first parents in Texas to receive funding from the state's $1 billion private school voucher program

Houston Chronicle

Acclaimed Holocaust book part of list Dan Patrick flagged for removal from Texas schools

By: Lawrence Mower

The book, 'Night' by Elie Wiesel, is currently required reading for Texas 8th graders. It was part of a list Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick flagged last week for removal.

Houston Chronicle

Fight over Islam is key focus ahead of pivotal high school curriculum vote

By: Lawrence Mower, Haajrah Gilani

Texas high school students could be expected to explain the Prophet Mohammed's “brutal military campaigns” under a curriculum rewrite set for a vote this week.

Houston Chronicle

HISD Superintendent Mike Miles' charter network faces layoffs, $14M deficit after tripling footprint

By: Lawrence Mower

One of Texas' most high-profile charter school networks could soon begin laying off staff amid a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, throwing its

Houston Chronicle

Texas SBOE OKs new high school curriculum over objections from Muslims

By: Lawrence Mower

Texas' Board of Education approved a rewrite of the state's social studies curriculum on Friday, requiring high schoolers to learn about the Prophet

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Texas education board OKs new high school curriculum over objections from Muslim advocates

By: Lawrence Mower

Texas' Board of Education approved a rewrite of the state's social studies curriculum on Friday, req...

Houston Chronicle

Voucher program could swell to $4.4B next biennium, Texas comptroller says

By: Lawrence Mower

The cost, which includes funding waitlisted students and their siblings, will be an early political test of the popularity behind the new program.