Houston ISD administrators plan this fall to bring a recommendation for a to-be-determined number of campus closures, arguing they’re a necessary response to dramatic enrollment declines.
Asher Lehrer-Small
Asher Lehrer-Small is an education reporter covering Houston ISD for the Houston Landing. His work focuses on helping families understand how HISD policies and practices impact their children, holding district leaders accountable for providing a high-quality education and giving students a voice in their school experience. He previously spent three years covering schools for The 74, a nonprofit education news outlet, where he was recognized by the Education Writers Association as one of the top three education beat reporters in the nation working at a small newsroom. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe, Fast Company, The Guardian and other outlets. He graduated from Brown University after studying education policy, and he worked as a summer school math teacher in Providence, Rhode Island. Off the clock, you can find him tending to houseplants or frying up homemade donuts for a crowd.
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Houston ISD to join lawsuit against social media companies over student mental health
Hundreds of school districts across the country are suing large social media companies, arguing they’ve fueled a student mental health crisis and should pay schools for costs associated with addressing it.
Posted inEducation
Answer Key: Could my child get school vouchers under proposed Texas plan?
The vast majority of Texas families could apply for a voucher to use on public school tuition, though not all are guaranteed to get approved.
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TEA teacher cheating ring probe snares another 60 people, including 24 in Houston area
The latest batch of Texas Education Agency investigations brings the total number of people under review to about 160.
Posted inEducation
Exclusive: HISD audits detail depth of special education dysfunction, signs of improvement
Houston ISD staff routinely violate special education laws and district policies, though some issues are getting better, district records show.
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TEA warns 460 school districts about potentially illegal suspensions of homeless students
Texas Education Agency officials said the districts, including 19 of the 20 largest in Greater Houston, may have violated a 2019 state law designed to keep homeless students in school.
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Q&A: How these HISD students went TikTok viral playing Mariachi at Whataburger
Three students recount how two groups from Houston and Klein ISDs turned into an impromptu concert at the Texas institution.
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Houston ISD scores mostly flat on ‘Nation’s Report Card’ as state, US results slip
Houston ISD didn’t make big gains on the biannual tests, but it also bucked state and national trends showing students falling behind.
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Houston ISD releases new teacher rating system proposal as pay-for-performance plans loom
Houston ISD teachers would continue to be evaluated largely based on ratings by campus leaders and student test scores under the draft plan.
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HISD board approves up to $870 million in vendor contracts after policy breach
Houston ISD board members voted 7-1 to sign off on spending agreements that weren’t brought to them for 16 months, a breach of district policy.