January 23, 2019 Austin – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today that 36 applicants, representing Texas school districts and educator preparation programs, have been awarded funding through the 2019-2021 Grow Your Own Grant Program, Cycle 2.
October 8, 2018 Austin – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has been awarded two Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act grants. Both federal grants, worth $1 million each, will be used to support mental health training for Texas school districts, as well as establish effective campus threat assessment practices across the state.
September 17, 2018 Austin – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath today announced that applications for the 2019–2021 Grow Your Own: Teachers, Cycle 2 grant program are now being accepted.
Local educational agencies including school districts and open-enrollment charter schools, as well as education service centers, educator preparation programs and institutions of higher education are eligible for the grant program, which aims to elevate the teaching profession in Texas by developing high-quality education and training courses at the high school level.
August 14, 2018 Austin – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has been awarded more than $174 million in new federal assistance under the Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students program (Emergency Impact Aid). The federal funding will assist Texas school districts with the cost of educating students displaced by Hurricane Harvey during the 2017-2018 school year.
August 14, 2018 Austin – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has established an online video library to house its new Answers in About a Minute video series.
Answers in About a Minute videos are designed to share basic information on various TEA initiatives and programs. Each video in the series is less than two minutes and directly answers specific questions in a user-friendly format that is clear and concise.
May 24, 2018 Austin – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath today announced three specific actions in response to online testing issues that occurred during the April and May administrations of the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR®). The Commissioner’s actions include:
April 25, 2018 Austin – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today that 25 school districts, universities and education service centers have been awarded a Texas Education Agency (TEA) 2018-2019 Grow Your Own grant.
Grow Your Own grants will be used to encourage high school students to consider teaching as a career, as well as paraprofessionals and/or teacher aides to pursue certification. The grant will also assist grant recipients in providing support to student teachers during their year-long clinical teaching.
March 27, 2018 Austin – The U.S. Department of Education today announced that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has approved the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) consolidated plan. Commissioner of Education Mike Morath issued the following statement in response to the plan’s approval:
January 24, 2018 Austin – The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has made available an online survey to solicit feedback on its draft corrective action plan for special education. The online survey, which is available on the TEA website (https://tea.texas.gov/TexasSPED), is open to anyone wishing to provide input on the draft plan.
October 17, 2017 Austin – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath today announced the launch of Start Smart Texas, a collaborative effort between the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Texas PBS and the United Ways of Texas.
Start Smart Texas is a parent-focused initiative designed to work with families, community leaders and schools to promote the role of parents in making any time a learning time. It is a component of Governor Greg Abbott’s Texas Public Elementary School Reading Initiative – Texas Readers – which was announced earlier this year.