Where the stories of Texas public education policy and practice meet.
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This episode of Intersect Ed was taped on the morning of Friday, November 14, 2025, just a few blocks from the Capitol, during the 2025 Texas Tribune Festival. Our panelists discussed the “Legacy Education Fund,” a new, proposed idea about a public education endowment that could move Texas beyond two-year budget cycles and establish a lasting investment in our public schools. Host Morgan Smith was…
This episode of Intersect Ed discusses the sticking points regarding HB 4 in Texas’ 89th Regular Session, as well as what the special session item – “eliminating the STAAR test” – could mean for accountability in our state. Our Intersect Ed host, Morgan Smith, is joined by Amy Dodson, Dean of Advocacy for Raise Your Hand Texas, in a question-and-answer session focused on the differences between…
This episode of Intersect Ed was taped on the morning of Tuesday, June 3, just a few blocks from the Capitol, the day after the 89th Texas Legislative Session ended. Public education and Texas legislative policy experts, who regularly meet with staffers, legislators, and advocates throughout the state, shared their top insights with a live audience. They discuss what has been hailed as Historic…
This episode of Intersect Ed discusses how we measure the performance of Texas public schools, the value of local accountability systems, and the ways HB 4 could provide meaningful assessment reform for our schools and better support student learning for the sake of learning instead of assessment. Additionally, if HB 4 passed, it would put public schools on more of an equal playing field with…
Our Intersect Ed host Morgan Smith is joined by Steven Aleman, Senior Policy Specialist at Disability Rights Texas; Amanda Fuentes, Special Education Team Lead at Cibolo Valley Elementary School in Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District; and, Paige Meloni, Superintendent at Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District.
This episode of Intersect Ed explores Texas’ early education, focusing in on the challenges faced by public pre-schools and child care providers. Current half-day pre-K funding forces public school districts in Texas to cover costs for their state-mandated full-day programs. At the same time, many Texans can’t afford traditional child care. Learn about successful initiatives and how Texas…
This episode of Intersect Ed was taped on the morning of Thursday, Jan 30, just a few blocks from the Capitol, where the 89th Texas Legislative Session is already underway. Experts who meet with staffers, legislators, and advocates throughout the state and regularly report on the issues that matter most to public education shared their top insights with a live audience. Together, they discussed…
MORGAN SMITH: Welcome to the Intersect Ed Podcast, where the stories of public education policy and practice meet. I’m your host, Morgan Smith, and I am back with you just in time for the 89th Legislative Session. And heading in, it’s fair to say lawmakers have a lot of unfinished business when it comes to education policy. Let’s do a brief review of how we got here. If one word defined the…
MORGAN SMITH: Welcome to the Raise Your Hand Texas Intersect Ed Podcast, where the stories of public education policy and practice meet. Today, we’re talking about the special legislative session that began Oct. 9, and the intense financial pressure facing Texas public schools. I’m your host, Morgan Smith. Gov. Greg Abbott has called state lawmakers back to Austin with strict orders to complete…
We’re talking about a big change that’s about to wallop Texas school districts. At the end of September, as lawmakers approach an anticipated special session this fall on private school vouchers, about one out of every four public school campuses will see the letter grade that marks their performance in the state’s A-F accountability system drop. In many cases this will happen despite student…
