Education Committee to focus on reading and math readiness   HOUSTON – April 15, 2024 – Good Reason Houston, a nonprofit founded to ensure that every child, in every neighborhood across the Houston region, excels in a world-class public school, highlights its support of the Texas Senate’s education priorities for the interim in preparation for the 89th Legislature. In the recently released 2024 interim legislative charges, it outlines reading and math readiness as one of the state’s four primary focuses for the Senate Education Committee this year.   “Early education, math ..read more

Event highlights key education indicators, honors Jim Postl, launches data-driven insights reports for Houston Houston, TX – Good Reason Houston hosted the 2023 State of Schools Luncheon on October 19, 2023, at The Briar Club in Houston. Some 300 Houstonians attended, uniting educators, community leaders, and education supporters for a common cause. Superintendents and district leaders from Houston-area school systems, including Houston ISD, Aldine ISD, Alief ISD, Channelview ISD, KIPP: Texas, Pasadena ISD, and YES Prep, joined public representatives from the state legislature, the State ..read more

HOUSTON – February 29, 2024 – Good Reason Houston, a nonprofit founded to ensure that every child, in every neighborhood, excels in a world-class public school, hosted a legislative panel with Texas State Representatives Harold Dutton and Charles Cunningham on Wednesday, February 28 to discuss Texas education policy. The webinar, open to the public and titled “A Houston-Area Perspective on Texas Education Policy,” covered the challenges facing school districts today and how both representatives are preparing for the 2025 session. “Houston-Area public schools face unique hurdles in meeting the ..read more

Rooted in Resilience: Black Parents Educational Advocacy Sitting in a chair across from my child’s principal, I am exhausted from a conversation I haven’t yet had but somehow feel like I’ve had a thousand times over. My face hurts from the broad smiles I have flashed to every staff member since I rang the bell at the entrance. My voice drips in honey as I inquire genuinely about the day the receptionist is having. I thank the principal’s executive assistant for escorting me. We exchange a knowing glance as an irate parent emerges from the principal’s office. The parent loudly expresses dissati ..read more

The Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR) serve as a comprehensive compass for evaluating the educational landscape in Texas. Released annually, these reports meticulously compile a wealth of data on academic performance and other key metrics like attendance and teachers, offering insights into each school and district across Texas. In this blog, we’ll dive into the basics of TAPR, shedding light on its significance and exploring some key highlights from the released data. Understanding TAPR The Texas Academic Performance Reports are a vital resource for educators, policymakers, and the p ..read more

In the educational landscape, the journey to graduation is often intricate, and for a subset of Houston ISD (HISD) high school students, this path involves Individual Graduation Committees (IGCs). These committees provide an avenue for students who may have encountered obstacles in passing their STAAR End of Course (EOC) exams but are deemed otherwise qualified to graduate. On one hand, IGCs allow districts to recognize the many challenges some of their students face, such as recent immigrants. On the other hand, an overreliance on IGCs could reflect concerns that too many graduates are not ..read more

The annual release of public school and district accountability ratings is an opportunity for reflection, celebration, and strategic planning based on these ratings. However, this year has brought about a significant change in the usual process. TYPICAL YEAR The Texas Education Agency typically releases A-F accountability ratings for districts and schools in August of each school year. The ratings serve as a compass, guiding efforts in educational progress, recognizing achievements, and identifying areas that demand attention.  However, for 2022, the TEA assigned A-C ratings only. Campus ..read more

House Bill 1 Stalled and Sent Back to Committee With the Texas Legislature in the middle of its fourth Special Legislative Session, several high profile education policy issues remain unsettled, including school finance, academic accountability, teacher supports, and school choice.   The Texas Senate has continued to maintain a narrow scope this special session with SB 1 focusing on school choice and SB 2 covering school finance. Both bills are currently awaiting hearing with the House Educational Opportunity and Enrichment Select Committee (the Select Committee).  Meanwhile, th ..read more

ARTIST Betirri Bengtson The Houston Loves Teachers campaign has enlisted Betirri Bengston, renowned Houston artist, to design a mural–with the help of students at Eisenhower Ninth Grade School (Ike 9) in Aldine ISD–to commemorate Houston hosting the title game in January. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Betirri more about his Hispanic culture and artistic journey.  Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your artistic journey and background? I was born in Puebla, Mexico, in 1982 and migrated to the United States in 1997. My educational background includes a B.A. i ..read more

ARTIST DonkeeBoy – Alex Roman Jr. ———— The Houston Loves Teachers campaign has enlisted Milby High graduate and muralist Alex “Donkeeboy” Roman to design a mural–with the help of Milby students–to commemorate Houston hosting the title game in January. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Donkeeboy more about his Hispanic culture and artistic journey.  Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your artistic journey and background? I’m Alex Roman Jr., AKA Donkeeboy. My artistic journey has been inspired by my mom. She’s an artist, and I’ve followed her footsteps from a y ..read more