Author | Lightnews

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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 5d

The pride of Randolph County, Missouri

More teachers use AI in the classroom. Texas school leaders say they need a plan

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 6d

The number of teachers who use AI in the classroom is growing fast, both in Texas and across the country. But school districts are struggling to keep up. Gift link:

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

More than half of Texas teachers use AI in the classroom, a new report shows. But they often don’t have any training on how to use it well.

Trump Fires More Education Dept. Employees

Reposted by Silas Allen

Katherine Knott @knottkatherine.bsky.social · 15d

Here's what we know about today's mass layoffs

Ryan Quinn @ryanequinn.bsky.social · 15d

More Education Dept. Employees Fired (and HHS employees in these shutdown-related layoffs, though we don't know whether any were at NIH. If you know, please DM me or email [email protected] )

The Trump administration threatened to lay off federal workers because of the government shutdown. An unspecified number of employees got pink slips Friday.

www.insidehighered.com

Too many kids are missing school in Fort Worth. District says it has a plan

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 16d

It's been five years since school shutdowns ended, and districts are still dealing with chronic absenteeism. I talked to officials in the Fort Worth school district about why it's such a challenge and what they're doing about it. Gift link:

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

Five years after the end of school shutdowns, too many kids still miss too much school. FWISD officials say they have a plan to help.

Texas schools could face challenges due to government shutdown. Here’s why

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 25d

How will the government shutdown affect schools? Depends on how long it lasts. Gift link:

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

If the shutdown lasts more than a few days, the problems could grow.

Can teachers really be fired for social media posts about Charlie Kirk? What to know

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · Sep 18

Texas is going after teachers who celebrated the death of Charlie Kirk. Can they do that?

Gift link:

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

After Charlie Kirk’s death, the TEA warned teachers about “reprehensible” posts. What does free speech allow?

Grapevine-Colleyville parents worried about possible school closures

Reposted by Silas Allen

Fort Worth Star-Telegram @star-telegram.com · Sep 10

The district is grappling with limited funds and declining enrollment, but officials say no decisions have been made about closures.

The district is grappling with limited funds and declining enrollment, but officials say no decisions have been made about closures.

bit.ly

More Fort Worth parents switch to homeschooling 5 years after start of pandemic

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · Sep 10

When schools shut down at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a spike in the number of families who homeschooled. Most people expected that would normalize once the pandemic ended. But that hasn't happened.

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

Experts thought the rise in homeschooling might slow down after a few years. So far, it hasn’t happened. Here’s why some local families choose to homeschool.

Aledo ISD violated special education laws, state investigation finds

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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · Sep 2

Gift link:

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/f...

The investigation began after parents and teachers came forward with complaints about the district’s special education program.

Aledo ISD violated special education laws, state investigation finds

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · Sep 2

Texas Education Agency investigators found that a Fort Worth area school district violated federal law in its dealings with students in its special education program.

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/f...

The investigation began after parents and teachers came forward with complaints about the district’s special education program.

Texas education commissioner Mike Morath visits Fort Worth ISD campuses

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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · Aug 28

Texas Ed Commissioner Mike Morath was in Fort Worth this morning, ahead of a decision on whether he'll take over the district.

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

The visits were part of the commissioner’s process for deciding if the agency will take over the district.

Did parental activism, or lack thereof, save or doom certain Fort Worth schools?

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · Aug 19

DON'T DO IT

A screenshot from a Duolingo German lesson in which Vikram says "I like newspapers and want to become a journalist."

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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · Aug 7

The Fort Worth school district is set to close 18 schools over the next few years due to declining enrollment. We looked at how groups of parents at two campuses pushed back against school closures, and why one group was successful and the other wasn't. www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

With schools facing closure, some families rallied hard for their campuses. Others were quieter. Did that sway Fort Worth ISD’s decisions?

Federal education funding freeze leaves millions in limbo for Fort Worth schools

Reposted by Silas Allen

Joshua Eaton @joshuaeaton.bsky.social · Aug 1

FOIA exemptions.

ekko astral @ekkoastral.bsky.social · Jul 31

quote this post with one thing you hate that the government made up

miri says: it’s made up by the government

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Reposted by Silas Allen

Chris Becker @chrisbecker.bsky.social · Jul 18

Also, sign up for PBS Passport! You pay what you want, money goes to your local station, and you get access to tons more great programming on-demand. help.pbs.org/support/solu...

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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · Jul 14

The Fort Worth school district says it has $10 million in federal funding tied up in the Trump administration's education grant funding freeze.

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

Fort Worth ISD leaders are reviewing what positions and contracts will be affected by the funding freeze.

More kids live in this Fort Worth ZIP code. So why are public schools shrinking?

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · Jul 10

The Fort Worth school district is closing a bunch of schools due to enrollment declines. I looked at one neighborhood where enrollment is dropping even as the kid population is increasing to see what's going on.

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

The trend illustrates one of Fort Worth ISD’s biggest challenges: When presented with options, many families are looking elsewhere.

Reposted by Silas Allen

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · Jun 10

CNN’s reporter on scene in Los Angeles: I’m being detained..

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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · May 19

Two years into a state takeover, Houston ISD is seeing higher test scores, but also a lot of turmoil. I looked at what it can tell us about where Fort Worth may be headed.

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

Volume 5, Issue 40: Cold Cuts

Reposted by Silas Allen

Raffi Melkonian @rmfifthcircuit.bsky.social · May 14

If you are not originally from Texas, but practice law here, a good thing to do is occasionally say things like "pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered" or "that man's got less sense than a peach orchard goat."

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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · May 13

"Pete Rose was a lot of things... but in the end, there was one thing that anyone who had ever dealt with him in even the slightest passing way ultimately agreed upon: He was a miserable asshole."

Will Leitch @williamfleitch.bsky.social · May 13

williamfleitch.substack.com/p/volume-5-i...

"A lot of things didn't happen that seem like they happened."

williamfleitch.substack.com

BenFred: Sorry, but Pete Rose still doesn't belong in Hall of Fame

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · May 13

Seems like a good day to re-read this column from @stltoday.com's Ben Frederickson

www.stltoday.com/sports/colum...

Putting Pete Rose in the Baseball Hall of Fame would send wrong message to players regarding Major League Baseball Rule 21

www.stltoday.com

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · May 5

Texas' education commissioner warned the Fort Worth school district that it's at risk of being taken over by the state after one of the district's campuses received five straight failure ratings — a campus the district has already shut down.

www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...

Texas Education Agency notifies Fort Worth ISD of potential state takeover

A now-closed school got five years of failure ratings. Now Fort Worth ISD is at risk of a state takeover.

Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · May 5

Already very aware of stroke, thanks

An email subject line reading "Stroke risk increases with age, but strokes can be prevented. May is National Stroke Awareness Month." The email in question landed in the inbox of a stroke survivor who is already extremely aware of stroke, thanks very much.