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Eliminating STAAR: What it Means for Texas Schools


This episode of Intersect Ed discusses the sticking points regarding HB 4 in Texas’ 89th Regular Session, as well as what the special session item – “eliminating the STAAR test” – could mean for accountability in our state. Our Intersect Ed host, Morgan Smith, is joined by Amy Dodson, Dean of Advocacy for Raise Your Hand Texas, in a question-and-answer session focused on the differences between criterion-referenced tests and nationally norm-referenced tests.
Read the full transcript here.

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Previous Episodes

Recap of the 89th Texas Legislative Session: A Historic Session for Public Education

This episode of Intersect Ed was taped on the morning of Tuesday, June 3, just a few blocks from the Capitol, the day after the 89th Texas Legislative Session ended. Public education and Texas legislative policy experts, who regularly meet with staffers, legislators, and advocates throughout the state, shared their top insights with a live […]

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The Future of School Measurement: Examining HB 4 and Texas Education Reform

 This episode of Intersect Ed discusses how we measure the performance of Texas public schools, the value of local accountability systems, and the ways HB 4 could provide meaningful assessment reform for our schools and better support student learning for the sake of learning instead of assessment. Additionally, if HB 4 passed, it would […]

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A $2 Billion Gap: The Financial Reality of Special Education in Texas Public Schools

 This episode of Intersect Ed discusses an often misunderstood topic: funding special education in Texas public schools. Our schools provide special education services to the almost 800,000 students with disabilities in the state. This episode will explore why it costs so much to do it right and the $2 Billion dollar gap that Texas […]

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Promotional image for Season 3, Episode 3 of the 'Raise Your Hand Texas' podcast. Features text about the topic 'Pre-K vs. Child Care? Why Texas Families Need Both' and photos of three podcast guests: Sarah Baray, David Feigen, and Michelle Rinehart.

Pre-K vs. Child Care? Why Texas Families Need Both

 This episode of Intersect Ed explores Texas’ early education, focusing in on the challenges faced by public pre-schools and child care providers. Current half-day pre-K funding forces public school districts in Texas to cover costs for their state-mandated full-day programs. At the same time, many Texans can’t afford traditional child care. Learn about successful […]

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The 89th Texas Legislative Session: Issues & Insights

This episode of Intersect Ed was taped on the morning of Thursday, Jan 30, just a few blocks from the Capitol, where the 89th Texas Legislative Session is already underway. Experts who meet with staffers, legislators, and advocates throughout the state and regularly report on the issues that matter most to public education shared their […]

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Graphic for Raise Your Hand Texas' Intersect Ed podcast, Season 3, Episode 1, featuring the five people interviewed in the podcast

Teacher Trouble: How Texas’ Teacher Shortage is Hurting Our Kids

If one word defined the Legislature’s approach to education policy in 2023, it was gridlock. Bill after bill — including crucial proposals for school funding and teacher pay raises — fell victim to lawmakers’ battle over vouchers. This only intensified the pressure on Texas public schools, leaving them to deal with teacher shortages, budget shortfalls, […]

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Intersect Ed Podcast Image

Special Session: School Finance & Vouchers

We’re talking about the special legislative session that began Oct. 9, and the intense financial pressure facing Texas public schools. Gov. Greg Abbott has called state lawmakers back to Austin with strict orders to complete some unfinished business from the regular legislative session that ended back in May. And if you listened to our legislative […]

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Rulemaking

Rulemaking: How Agencies Change the Rules of the Game

We’re talking about a big change that’s about to wallop Texas school districts. At the end of September, as lawmakers approach an anticipated special session this fall on private school vouchers, about one out of every four public school campuses will see the letter grade that marks their performance in the state’s A-F accountability system […]

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Rethinking the STAAR Test

How we measure success in Texas public schools? Right now, standardized testing and an A-F accountability system that assigns grades to campuses is used almost entirely to grade our schools. Accountability, and the transparency it brings, is essential. We need to make sure the 5.4 million students in Texas public schools are provided with the […]

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Podcast Episode Speakers Headshots

Recap of the 88th Texas Legislative Session: A Session Out of Balance

The 2023 legislative session started with a lot of promise. Lawmakers had a historic $33 billion dollar budget surplus, and there was energy and consensus to address a number of public education issues. Instead, lawmakers failed to give Texas public schools enough funding to even keep up with inflation, much less provide teacher pay raises […]

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