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Texas News
Hundreds of parents, community members show up at TEA meeting about HISD takeover
Hundreds of parents and those residing in the Houston community showed up for the third Texas Education Agency meeting that was held at Delmar Field House on Wednesday night.

The purpose of the informational meetings is to inform the community about the TEA’s process for appointing a new board of managers to lead the Houston Independent School District.

The TEA says the district is in the middle of a state takeover, because of unacceptable academic accountability.
TASB Legislative Report – Week of March 27, 2023
Senate panel to consider moving ISD elections to November: The Senate State Affairs Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. on March 30 to consider SB 946 (Sparks) that would require all elections regarding the issuance of bonds or other debt or a tax increase to be held on the November uniform election date. The bill would prohibit these elections from being held as emergency elections. Watch the hearing. 
Why Schools Are Training All Teachers to Use Lifesaving Overdose Drugs
Texas is attempting to address the fentanyl crisis gripping schools by having staff learn how to administer lifesaving medication.

As illegal opioid use rises among young people, several bills filed by state lawmakers would require Texas teachers to be trained and equipped to treat fentanyl overdoses, both on campus and at school-related events.

Several bills call for educators and school staff at public, charter and private schools, as well as those at colleges and universities, to know how to reverse deadly opioid overdoses with Narcan and other overdose medications known as “opioid antagonists.”
All Texas students deserve to have their history count
I grew up watching my mother, father and grandparents help build Houston. I am a third-generation resident of Houston’s Segundo Barrio, which I am now proud to serve as Texas State Representative for District 145.

I am grateful to understand that our family and people like us helped shape our city and our state. I want more of our Texas students to feel the same way. They need to understand that they, too, can make the choice to give back to our great state, beginning in their own community.

We must teach our history.
A landscape that generations of Latinos fought to preserve is now a national monument
Castner Range in El Paso, home of Indigenous ancestral lands, dozens of archaeological sites and wildlife, was designated as a national monument by President Joe Biden.

A historical and ecologically rich swath of land in El Paso was designated a national monument by President Joe Biden last week.

The announcement making Castner Range, an almost 7,000-acre landscape located along the Rio Grande, a national monument was lauded by residents and groups who have been advocating for its preservation for over a half-century.
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National News
Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) Partners with Scholastic to Create Latino-inspired Book Collection
The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) partnered with Scholastic to help them develop “ Rising Voices: Elevating Latino Stories,” a new collection of books for grades K-5 which showcases positive images of Latino protagonists.

ALAS Executive Director Dr. Maria Armstrong, along with author Sulma Arzu-Brown and Emmy-award-winning actor and producer John Leguizamo, serve as mentors for the project, providing insight and guidance during the development of the collection.
New FAFSA will debut in December, Education Department says
A new, simplified version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, will debut sometime in December, the U.S. Department of Education confirmed Tuesday.

Normally, the financial aid form goes live in October every year, but the Education Department is in the process of streamlining the application after Congress approved changes to it in 2020. The redesigned FAFSA will apply to students seeking aid for the 2024-25 academic year.
Some Students Are Less Likely to Have Absences Excused. Why That Matters for Schools
Students from low-income households and certain racial and ethnic groups have a higher percentage of their school absences deemed unexcused than their peers, which means they are more likely to be met with consequences after missing school, rather than support.

That’s the conclusion of an analysis of California attendance data released this week by researchers from the University of Tennessee, the University of California, Davis, and Attendance Works, a national organization that promotes tracking and addressing poor school attendance.
6 ways districts can embrace marketing as an enrollment strategy
By fall 2030, just nine states are projected to have higher public school enrollment than in fall 2020.

Public schools across the country are dealing with concerns about declining student enrollment, and therefore funding, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It used to be that if you live in the neighborhood, you come to your local school. That’s not the case anymore,” said Mellissa Braham, associate director for the National School Public Relations Association. “Today, schools have so much more competition from private and charter schools, as well as virtual and home schools.”
How One Nonprofit is Using Sports to Deter Youth from Violence
Youth violence is a global public health problem that ranges from bullying and can escalate to severe sexual and physical assault and homicide

With its high rates of drug cartel deaths and femicide, Ciudad Juárez has often been described as one of the most violent cities in the world – if not the single most dangerous city.

“When you speak about Juárez, you have to speak about violence,” said Luis Mendoza, who has been living in the city across the border from El Paso his whole life.
Las Tienditas
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Walsh Gallegos Treviño Kyle & Robinson P.C. provides legal services to Texas school districts and related entities. With offices throughout Texas and also in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we have served districts across both states with prompt, efficient and reliable representation since 1983. Our attorneys serve as fierce advocates in the areas of employment, special education, constitutional law, civil rights, construction and business. We are innovators in client service and pride ourselves on practical, straightforward counsel. With Walsh Gallegos, you can be confident that your attorneys have the motivation and experience to protect and promote the best interests of your district.