Rob Reid

texastribune.orgGrowth in Texas’ rural area puts pressure on public schoolsTexas has limited how much money it gives fast-growing school districts, creating million-dollar gaps between what is owed and what's given.

In rural Liberty County northeast of Houston, charters added nearly 3,400 students while traditional schools added fewer than 2,100 since 2022. www.texastribune.org/2026/10/08/t...

Rob Reid reposted

Megan Menchaca

@meganmenchaca.bsky.social

21 Sept

Is Houston ISD’s playbook under the state takeover sustainable? The high price tag, coupled with less state funding from students leaving the district, raises questions about whether other districts can afford to replicate it. More via @texastribune.org: www.texastribune.org/2026/09/21/h...

texastribune.orgHouston ISD’s state takeover playbook is costing a fortuneOther Texas districts are mirroring HISD’s costly efforts to boost academics. Superintendent Mike Miles acknowledges tough cuts are necessary to pay for it.

21 Sept

Excited to interview Diane Ravitch! Born in Texas and educated in its public schools, her career included education roles under Bush and Clinton. Observing the unintended consequences of national reform efforts later challenged her beliefs in school choice and standardized testing.

austincurrent.orgAustin ISD to close Paredes Middle SchoolAustin ISD plans to close Paredes Middle School as the district awaits pivotal state accountability ratings, district leaders announced Wednesday.

23 July

labor leader Zarifis: "But it’s a matter of, of all the terrible things we have to do, which is a bunch of terrible things because of the state, this is the least terrible of all of them.” austincurrent.org/2026/07/22/a...

Rob Reid reposted

Megan Menchaca

@meganmenchaca.bsky.social

21 May

From Yates to Heights, 11 Houston ISD schools are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. Here's a look at the campuses that have persisted through segregation, school closures and a century of upheaval. www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/202...

houstonchronicle.com11 HISD schools reflect Houston’s history as they celebrate 100 yearsAt least 11 HISD schools have persisted through segregation, school closures, and a century of upheaval to celebrate their 100th anniversary this school year.

13 May

Catches my attention when someone's been around long enough or studied history enough to talk about centuries: “If there is one consistent lesson that one may glean from studying school reform over the past century, it is the danger of taking a good idea and expanding it rapidly, spreading it thin.”

13 May

"What is stunningly successful in a small setting, nurtured by its founders and brought to life by a cadre of passionate teachers, seldom survives the transition when it is turned into a large-scale reform."

🧵 @audacityofdespair.bsky.social and Ed Burns self-describe their work as "stand-around-and-watch" journalism, but I'd label it something like "relational" journalism or "I see you" journalism. It respects their real-life corner characters by truthfully capturing their depth and flawed humanity. 1/

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"...for the children of Fayette Street, the idea of education–the formal education of a classroom, at least–has no meaning." 6/

"To those who argue that the urban school systems of this nation are underfunded, or understaffed, or poorly managed–and in Baltimore, at least, these are fair accusations, every one–there is this equal and opposite truth: The schools cannot save us.” 7/7

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"...the reckoning already at hand in the West Baltimores of this country comes replete with a string of seeming victories:" 4/

"tens of thousands warehoused in prisons; millions in contraband and dollars confiscated; generations of police commanders and lawyers compiling impressive stats to assure themselves promotion...The tactics are flawless, but the strategy is nonexistent.” 5/

Regardless it's a perfect antidote to the "spreadsheet" journalism that I practice, drowning in a world of education data where it's all too easy to focus on what's most measurable instead of what's most important. 2/

It's the characters that make this a page-turner, but the armchair sociologist in me kept nodding at the musings about broken systems (police, schools, job markets) that share structural flaws in part from misguided data-driven incentives. For instance: 3/

4 May

My first collaboration with our Austin newsroom, and a good example of where data can help find a story. The proportion of Austin ISD students receiving dyslexia services nearly doubled in the past year to 23%, compared to 7% statewide. austincurrent.org/2026/05/04/a...

austincurrent.orgAISD librarians cuts draw backlashAustin ISD’s proposed changes to librarian roles that would move them into support roles to save money prompted backlash among librarians, parents and students

15 Apr

Austin ISD's preliminary proposal for addressing its budget shortfall suggests moving dedicated librarians into other support roles to save $2 million. austincurrent.org/2026/04/09/a...

texastribune.orgWhite families make up bulk of Texas voucher applicantsOf the almost 275,000 students who applied for vouchers, 45% are white and 75% attended a private school or home-school in 2024-25, final numbers show.

3 Apr

...and about 75% of voucher applicants attended a private school or home-school during the 2024-25 academic year. www.texastribune.org/2026/04/01/t...

schools.texastribune.orgTexas Public Schools Explorer | The Texas TribuneWhat the data says about your Texas public school. Explore data on 1,202 districts and 9,113 public schools.

1 Apr

New Schools Explorer is up and running, and it literally adds a whole new dimension to the old version: time. Not to mention money (funding & spending). My hope is that this will help us all have better, more data-informed discussions about our public schools. Go explore! schools.texastribune.org

austincurrent.orgAISD land sales face city restrictionsAustin ISD could sell campuses to cut a growing deficit, but a city proposal could reshape deals and put parkland at stake.

26 Mar

"For Austin ISD, those campuses represent potential revenue as the district works to close a growing budget gap. For the city, they represent land and money it could lose if it signs away its interest without pushing for a fair price." austincurrent.org/2026/03/26/a...

texastribune.orgWichita Falls school district avoids state takeover, officials sayThe threat of a Texas Education Agency takeover was triggered by one of the North Texas district’s schools that had been underperforming for years.

6 Mar

The school triggering the would-be takeover moved its students to a school operated by a charter school network founded by Mike Miles—the state appointed superintendent of Houston ISD. www.texastribune.org/2026/03/05/t...

5 Mar

Indianapolis, IN—here for a conference but found a place to stay a couple miles' walk from the conference hotel, half the price, and astoundingly Victorian in all directions as far as I can see

texastribune.orgUNT blames shortfall on loss of international students, cutsTravel restrictions and sharper federal attention are dissuading foreign students from attending U.S. colleges, advocates say, hitting the Denton university harder than most.

23 Feb

"International students typically pay significantly higher tuition than Texas residents, making their decline especially costly for public universities..." www.texastribune.org/2026/02/20/u...

austincurrent.org/2026/02/19/a...

19 Feb

austincurrent.orgAustin ISD pushes for property sales amidst budget deficitAustin ISD is selling the former campuses Brooke and Rosedale elementary schools to buoy finances as it faces a nearly $20M deficit.

austincurrent.orgAustin-area students unite against ICE in school walkoutsStudents in school districts across Central Texas rallied together to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite pushback from the Texas governor.

17 Feb

Student voice: "We are so young, we think that our voice is not going to really make a change. But, seeing how all of us were gathered there that day made me feel really hopeful after a period of being really scared for my family and my friends.” austincurrent.org/2026/02/16/a...

austincurrent.orgAustin ISD seeks to exit $72 million in bond contractsAustin ISD spent $24 million in bond renovations on closing schools and has another $72 million in contracts that the district hopes to exit.

9 Feb

Our Austin newsroom follows up on the school district's efforts to recoup (or try to justify) funds committed to expanding/modernizing schools now slated for closure. austincurrent.org/2026/02/05/a...

Rob Reid reposted

Jon Collins

@jcollins.bsky.social

6 Feb

One reason Minneapolis remains in the world's eye is we have one of the most robust & independent media ecosystems remaining in the country. You all need this...and more! @mprnews.org @startribune.com @sahanjournal.bsky.social @minnesotareformer.com @minnpost.bsky.social @racketmn.com etc.

“...a stretch of river that seemed so wild that we immediately felt transported to a different time...the river clear and bright as it flowed over mussel shoals and cut deep channels around unexplored islands.”

"An accidental refuge, paradoxically protected by industrial land uses that were oblivious to their ecological imprint but kept most of the human activities out of the riparian corridor hidden behind them."

...3/3 from Chapter 2 of @christopherbrown.bsky.social 's "A Natural History of Empty Lots," which sets the scene along the Colorado I think near where I scouted a half-abandoned trail between Bolm District Park and the Montopolis Bridge. Saw two 'dillos, countless birds, and no humans.

Rob Reid reposted

Jess Calarco

@jessicacalarco.com

To process the chaos, I'm spending a few minutes each night stitching a news diary--embroidering tiny icons representing an important story of the day. One month in, and it feels like I've already sewn a year's worth of news. But it helps me make sense of it all, so I think I can manage 11 more.

1.5 years and 16 cross-city walks in to being an Austinite, I feel more strongly than ever that the best way to get to know a city is to travel across it as inefficiently as possible-- on foot. I just put four more walks on the calender for the spring. If you're in town, hope you can join one!

texastribune.orgTEA moves to fix 4,200 errors in Bible-infused curriculumState Board of Education members criticized the publishing errors and postponed their vote on the agency’s request until their next meeting.

31 Jan

Texas Education Agency moves to correct 4,200 errors in Bible-infused curriculum www.texastribune.org/2026/01/30/t...

Rob Reid reposted

Alberto Cairo

@albertocairo.com

30 Jan

The Open Visualization Academy (OVA) IS LIVE! openvisualizationacademy.org Thread follows #dataViz #infographics #dataJournalism #dataVisualization

Rob Reid reposted

Texas Tribune

@texastribune.org

28 Jan

The Texas Tribune is dedicated to helping Texans vote. Ahead of the 2026 election, we’ve collected our voting resources on this page for you to easily find and share them with others:

texastribune.orgVoting resources: How to vote in Texas - The Texas TribuneHow to vote in Texas.

texastribune.orgThe common traits in Texas schools that trigger takeoversThe demographic makeup of the “trigger” schools raises questions about whether Texas' accountability system fairly considers historic inequities tied to race and poverty.

27 Jan

Highest poverty schools were 30x+ as likely to receive a D or F from the state as lowest poverty schools. Compared to majority-white schools: majority-Black schools 4x+ as likely, Hispanic schools 2x+ www.texastribune.org/2026/01/27/t...

I'm thankful for the holiday and a beautiful day for a walk thru Austin's Black history, from early councilman Henry Madison's restored cabin...

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neighborhoods in flux between gentrification and displacement...

...and winding up at an MLK festival at HBCU Huston-Tillotson, where I waited 30 minutes for delicious fried catfish and met a retired soul singer who Google Search AI Overview confidently misassured me had died two years ago.

I'm thankful for the holiday and a beautiful day for a walk thru Austin's Black history, from early councilman Henry Madison's restored cabin...

thru three historic black cemeteries these days clearly labeled with a little history lesson they forgot in school...

austincurrent.orgAustin ISD spent $100 million on schools it will soon closeThe bond was pitched as a way to shore up struggling schools as Austin ISD faced mounting financial pressures and declining enrollment.

12 Jan

Our local Austin newsroom officially launched today. Here's their first education story. austincurrent.org/2026/01/12/a...

texastribune.orgTop stories from the Texas Tribune’s data visuals teamThe Tribune’s team of data journalists produced a congressional redistricting tool, covered several education data releases, visualized the measles outbreak and more.

5 Jan

Our data viz editor Chris put together a greatest hits compilation of work by Alex, Carla, Dan, Yuriko, Edison, and me in 2025. Chris's name doesn't show up in the bylines of most of these works, but he played a key role in all of them. www.texastribune.org/2025/12/29/t...

25 Dec 2025

decades of Christmas: 1950s record/1960s custom built media cabinet and centralized audio distribution system/1990s wave radio/2010s turntable

texastribune.orgTexas college completion rises, low-income students left behindEconomically disadvantaged students are much less likely to go on and attain degrees, according to new state data that tracks long-term outcomes.

19 Dec 2025

The same old story about the intractability of poverty—and the uphill efforts of those who help students work past it—needs retelling in as many ways as we can. www.texastribune.org/2025/12/18/t...

Rob Reid reposted

Alberto Cairo

@albertocairo.com

6 Dec 2025

"The government has restricted the collection/publication of data on its initiatives; oversight committees hold few hearings; the immigration agencies’ watchdogs have been dismantled. At this moment in history, the measuring falls to the media" link.propublica.net/view/5f0a0af... @propublica.org

link.propublica.netlink.propublica.netOurs is a time of provably wrong claims, vociferously stated.

texastribune.orgtexastribune.org

3 Nov 2025

Fort Worth ISD had reduced the number of F-rated schools from 31 to 11 in the two years leading up to the takeover. www.texastribune.org/2025/10/29/t...

texastribune.orgWhat are the 17 Texas propositions on the November ballot?A majority of the proposed constitutional amendments address tax cuts for homeowners and businesses.

2 Nov 2025

My colleagues at the Trib put together this straightforward guide to the 17 state propositions on Tuesday's ballot in Texas. I'm finding it handy myself! www.texastribune.org/2025/09/22/t...