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Staffing shortages in education have become a pressing issue, with 44% of public schools starting the year with teaching vacancies, particularly in high-poverty areas. The Institute of Education Sciences has launched a new center to analyze the teacher workforce and improve staffing strategies. Dan Goldhaber, principal investigator for the center, highlighted that while some areas may see a decline in K-12 enrollment, the demand for qualified teachers, especially in STEM and special education, remains high. The center will evaluate various recruitment and retention policies over the next five years, aiming to bolster the pipeline of new educators. Goldhaber noted, “You could have declining [full-time employees] in elementary ed., at the same time that you're still struggling to hire enough STEM teachers.”

 

Education Week News

The U.S. Department of Education is implementing a staggered launch for the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to mitigate issues experienced in previous years. The phased rollout, starting on October 1, will gradually increase the number of students able to complete the form, with full availability by December 1. This approach follows challenges faced by the 2024-25 FAFSA, which was revised under the FAFSA Simplification Act. Jeremy Singer, FAFSA executive adviser, stated: “Thanks to the wonderful organizations, we expect closer to 1,000 students in Beta 1 as opposed to the 100 we initially thought.” The department has also announced 78 organizations to participate in subsequent testing phases and is releasing updated resources to assist families in preparing for the application cycle.

 

Florida Phoenix

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October can be a challenging month for educators, as the initial excitement of the school year fades and workloads increase. Ellen Moir, founder of the New Teacher Center, describes this period as the “disillusionment phase” for new teachers, while veteran educators also feel the strain. Roxanna Elden, an author and former teacher, highlighted the exhaustion many face, stating: “It's a very, very long stretch while you're tired.” To combat the October blues, teachers are encouraged to engage students with creative lessons and build relationships. Strategies include using a “Feelings Wall” for emotional expression and prioritizing mental health through breaks and celebrations. Madeline Will, assistant managing editor for Education Week, highlights the importance of maintaining a sense of humor during this tough time.

 

Education Week News

Argyle ISD is to host a number of presentations to help inform families about the School Funding Referendum that will be presented to voters in November - with Superintendent Dr. Courtney Carpenter and Chief Financial Officer Liz Stewart to lead the presentations. The referendum, if approved, will allow the district to retain $2.5m to address budget priorities including pay raises, class size ratios, support personnel and programs. The 7.7-cent tax increase to the Maintenance & Operations tax rate would represent an increase of $385 for a taxpayer with a taxable home value of $500,000, the paper notes.

 

The Cross Timbers Gazette

The Somerset ISD's Education Foundation has announced more than $56,000 in surprise classroom grants - including 10 grants to support classroom innovation at Somerset Elementary, ranging from a "bring back cursive" program to a specialized curriculum for students with disabilities, making use of adaptive books. A grant was also awarded to Somerset Early Childhood Elementary to establish a sensory space to help students practice self-regulation and learn coping skills without distractions.

 

Star-Telegram

Leondra Holman, a special education teacher at Permian High School, has been awarded two grants from the Education Foundation to support the creation of a sensory room for students, and to help teach students key skills that will help them become more independent and prepare them for the world of work. Ms Holman said the $2,000 Sensational Sensory Room and Beyond grant will help provide students "the opportunity for a calm down room, to be able to have a room where they can go and take a break when needed", while the $1,395.04 Skill Building Leads to Independence! grant will help students "practice those skills that will help them transition to adulthood", from cooking and laundry to preparing for job interviews.

 

Star-Telegram

Oscar Ortiz, principal of Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, writes in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on the school's experience since banning cellphones from classrooms two years ago. While the move "wasn't easy", he writes, with "plenty of eye rolls from students, concerns from parents, and even a few second guesses among staff", the "results have been undeniable", with students more focused in class and more engaged in conversations. "To my fellow school leaders across Texas", he writes, "I say this: It is not easy. But we owe it to our students to create a learning environment free from distractions, even if that means taking the harder, less popular path." Mr Ortiz's call comes as Wilson ISD officials announce a no-phone policy during the school day, with the district seeking to remove classroom distractions. Students, who will have to deposit their phones in designated bins during school hours, will be able to access them at lunch time.

 

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Star-Telegram

Matthew Spivey, Executive Director of Human Resources at Ector County ISD, has shared some of the district's findings from surveys carried out at the end of the contract year to learn more about why teachers leave the district. Mr Spivey said the district had launched the surveys to identify "more actionable items" to help understand why teachers leave and to help improve retention. Comparing the district's findings to a national comparison group through Upbeat, Mr Spivey noted that while issues like pay and work/life balance were identified as issues, the district scored better in both areas than the national comparison group.

 

Star-Telegram

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram carries an interview with Letty Bernal, who has taken on the role of Director of Student Support Services at Ector County ISD's Community Outreach Center after many years working alongside outgoing director Scott Randolph. Ms Bernal said she and Mr Randolph "had been here so long together. We've just been here from the beginning, and it just evolved after all these years, so, yeah, I felt I was ready." Ms Bernal said 690 families have come in to the center since July 8, with 1,120 students who have been identified as homeless under federal law, up around 100 on last year, including around a dozen unaccompanied youths not living with their parents. The center also works with kids who fail to show up to school, and Ms Bernal said: "My goal is to reach more of the kids, to get them reengaged in school, to get them more involved so they'll be successful and graduate. But it's just more making connections to kids."

 

Star-Telegram

A group of residents who live near Ranchland Hills Golf Club has filed a petition with the 441st District Court seeking a writ of mandamus and a declaratory judgement to prevent the course from being used as the site of a new Midland High School. Midland ISD, the city of Midland, Assistant City Manager Chris Saladine and city Building Officer Jeff Pinkstaff are listed as defendants. Midland ISD, responding to the petition, said it "stands firm in its belief that it not only is within its legal right, but also has a responsibility to parents and taxpayers, to proceed with the voter-approved construction of the Bond 2023 projects as communicated to the public when the property was purchased in 2019 and throughout the bond".

 

Star-Telegram

Star-Telegram

The Lamar Consolidated ISD has held a ribbon-cutting dedication of the Bernard Clifton Terrell Jr. Elementary School, named for the late businessman who was born in Waco in 1931, serving in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War before spending years supporting Texas businesses. Superintendent Dr. Roosevelt Nivens said: "Individuals like Clifton Terrell Jr. helped lay the foundation for the incredible growth Lamar CISD and Fort Bend County as a whole are experiencing today, including the hypergrowth we're seeing here in our district." Mr Terrell Jr., he added, "was a valued member of the community and the kind of person who served others first, with humility and generosity of spirit", and the district is "proud that the legacy of his achievements and contributions to Richmond and Fort Bend County will live on and inspire our young people here at the school that now bears his name".

 

Fort Bend Herald

Lake Travis ISD Superintendent Paul Norton has written to parents to report that a Bee Cave Middle School student has been arrested and charged with a terroristic threat. The arrest follows an earlier incident where students at Lake Travis High School reported receiving threatening text messages last month, although police determined that the texts were not credible. This week's arrest follows a social media threat made against Bee Cave Middle School campus - with a Snapchat post threatening a school shooting during a pep rally. Mr Norton said: "It brings us no joy to have a student charged with a criminal offense. However, school threats carry very real consequences. These actions generate an atmosphere of fear and anxiety, placing a substantial burden on district resources."

 

Austin American-Statesman