Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · 1d

Houston ISD's Board of Managers will consider terminating a teachers' union president at its meeting Thursday — the second attempt to remove her from the district.

via @nusaiba.bsky.social
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Houston ISD Board of Managers will consider terminating teacher union leader

Michelle Williams was assigned to home duty in August.

www.houstonchronicle.com

Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · 3d

Oliver Elam, 17, moved to Houston as a freshman and felt welcome at Houston ISD's Bellaire High School.

The school has had a robust GSA for years.

But since SB 12, there is no longer any explicit teacher support and attendance has dwindled. via @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/u...

Texas L.G.B.T.Q. Teenagers and Families Navigate a Public School Clampdown

www.nytimes.com

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Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · 5d

More than 120 Texas school districts have teachers/staff under investigation for their comments on Charlie Kirk.

Here's which school districts' employees are facing complaints, according to the Texas Education Agency.

via @houstonchronicle.com

www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

See the districts with teachers under investigation for Charlie Kirk comments

Teachers at 124 school districts are under investigation after more than 350 complaints were filed after the shooting of conservative leader Charlie Kirk.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · 6d

NEW: Houston ISD moved the entire student body of Las Americas Newcomer School into Jane Long Academy.

The move comes as enrollment at the school for recent immigrants dropped by more than half this year.
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

HISD closes school for immigrants as enrollment plummets

Houston ISD reassigns entire Las Americas student body to adjacent Jane Long Academy.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Nusaiba Mizan @nusaiba.bsky.social · 8d

Houston ISD cut 160 uncertified teachers and reassigned 232 teachers Gift link: www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

HISD cuts, reassigns hundreds of teachers, staff members amid enrollment drop

The state's largest school district is undergoing annual staff reductions and reassignments.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Nusaiba Mizan @nusaiba.bsky.social · 16d

"Wedged between his mom and dad in a packed Houston courtroom, a 9-year-old boy sighed and closed his eyes." by Houston Chronicle's Claire Partain. Gift link: www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Hundreds of Houston families face evictions daily. How does that impact kids?

Houston is the most impoverished big city in America. Eviction rates have risen. Rental assistance is drying up. How does this affect the city's students and schools?

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Alan Fossler @alanfossler.bsky.social · 20d

Texas A&M president resigns in fallout over professor's transgender teaching, via @samanthakett.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Texas A&M president resigns in fallout over professor's transgender teaching

Political pressure forces Mark A. Welsh III out of his post as Texas A&M president after viral video surfaces.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · 21d

Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles spent nearly an hour today answering questions from Houston City Council members about academic achievement + more.

Here's a recap of his first public City Hall appearance in more than a year. via @houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

City Council questions Superintendent Mike Miles on HISD’s academic achievement

HISD Superintendent Mike Miles promoted the district’s “historic” student achievement results in a presentation to Houston City Council members Wednesday.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Alan Fossler @alanfossler.bsky.social · 23d

Houston ISD spends $350K to billboards celebrating test scores, school rating increases, via @nusaiba.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

HISD pays $350K for billboards to brag on academic gains

Texas' largest school district is in its third year of a turnaround strategy implemented by state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Nusaiba Mizan @nusaiba.bsky.social · 22d

"Houston ISD state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles earned a $173,660 bonus after receiving a score of 91.4 out of 100 from the Board of Managers on his second annual evaluation last week." by @meganmenchaca.bsky.social Gift link: www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

HISD Superintendent Mike Miles earns $173K bonus from evaluation

Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles earned a $173,660 bonus after receiving a score of 91.4 out of 100 from the school board on his second annual evaluation.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · 23d

NEW: Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles has earned a bonus of more than $173K this year.

He received the bonus after earning a score of 91.4 out of 100 on his annual evaluation.

via @houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

HISD Superintendent Mike Miles earns $173K bonus from evaluation

Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles earned a $173,660 bonus after receiving a score of 91.4 out of 100 from the school board on his second annual evaluation.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · 23d

Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles will be speaking to a Houston City Council committee on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

He'll be discussing "remarkable academic progress for Houston students in just two years."

Public speakers can register here: www.houstontx.gov/council/comm...

Houston City Council - Committees and Agendas - Economic Development Committee

Sixteen Council Members, along with the Mayor and City Controller, are elected every four years. Council Members are limited to serving two terms of four years each, with each term beginning on Januar...

www.houstontx.gov

Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Alan Fossler @alanfossler.bsky.social · 25d

Texas A&M's firing of professor is a 'dangerous turning point' for academic freedom, advocates say, via @meganmenchaca.bsky.social and @samanthakett.bsky.social

www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Texas A&M professor's firing endangers academic freedom, speech advocates say

Texas A&M University's move to fire a faculty member involved in controversy over a gender identity lesson has sparked major alarm among multiple free speech advocacy organizations.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Houston Chronicle @houstonchronicle.com · 27d

Hundreds of Texas A&M University students attended a vigil on campus to mourn Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who died in a shooting. bit.ly/4mWEPgv

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Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · 27d

NEW: Texas State University fired an associate professor for “controversial statements” that they said advocated for inciting violence.

It's the second Texas professor to be fired this week for videos on social media. via @houstonchronicle.com
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Texas State University fires associate professor for 'controversial statements'

Texas State University fired associate history professor Thomas Alter for “controversial statements” at a conference that they said advocated for inciting violence.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Houston Chronicle @houstonchronicle.com · 28d

Texas State University fires associate professor for 'controversial statements,' inciting violence

More: bit.ly/4mYOG5J

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Alan Fossler @alanfossler.bsky.social · 29d

Texas A&M University System orders audit of all courses after gender identity lesson goes viral, via @meganmenchaca.bsky.social and @samanthakett.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Texas A&M University System orders audit of courses at all 12 universities

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents ordered an audit of courses at the system's 12 schools amid backlash over a professor’s gender identity lesson.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Pop Crave @popcrave.com · Aug 26

🚨Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged.

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Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · Aug 25

Houston ISD's teacher turnover rate shot up by 12.5 percentage points in fall 2024 after the first year of the state takeover.

That pushed the district's rate significantly higher than the statewide rate. www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

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Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · Aug 20

Houston ISD reports that the number of A-rated campuses in the district has more than doubled since 2023.

Here's a look at the top-rated schools in the state's largest school district:
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Here are HISD's top-rated schools, per latest A-F accountability ratings

Houston ISD had more than 70 A-rated campuses in the TEA's 2025 accountability ratings, up from 35 in 2023. See the district's top campuses here.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · Aug 20

NEW: Federal judge blocks Texas law requiring Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Federal judge blocks Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms

A federal judge sided with 16 Texas families to stop a law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments from going into effect.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Alan Fossler @alanfossler.bsky.social · Aug 16

HISD sees sharp decline in overuse of committees to award diplomas to high school students in 2024, via @meganmenchaca.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

HISD reduces overuse of committees to award high school diplomas, data shows

Houston ISD reported a sharp decline in the number of high schools abusing graduation committees to award diplomas to students in 2024, state data shows.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Nusaiba Mizan @nusaiba.bsky.social · Aug 15

"A record four Texas school districts are now at risk of a state takeover even as many others showed positive progress in new A-F accountability ratings released by the Texas Education Agency on Friday." Gift link: www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/art...

Four Texas school districts at risk of state takeover under new A-F ratings

Texas Education Agency released accountability scores that show positive progress among most of the state's 1,200 districts.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Megan Menchaca

Houston Chronicle @houstonchronicle.com · Aug 15

NEW: At least two dozen HISD campuses improved from failing grades to A's or B's this year, according to the newly-released ratings from the Texas Education Agency.

At a Senate Committee for Education meeting, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath called the gains “nothing short of historic.” bit.ly/41AwYg0

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Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca.bsky.social · Aug 15

Houston ISD reports 100 fewer New Education System campuses earning failing ratings from TEA in two years.

via @houstonchronicle.com
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

HISD reports 100 fewer NES schools earning failing ratings from TEA in two years

HISD reported more than 100 fewer New Education Schools earning D or F ratings after two years, according to the TEA's unofficial 2025 accountability ratings.

www.houstonchronicle.com