When Austin public school students return to classes this month, they will find a new amenity awaiting them in the bathrooms: dispensers of free maxi pads and tampons.
Among a variety of factors that have contributed to the national teacher shortage crisis, student behavior is the number one reason most teachers are opting out of the profession, according to a survey released by Chalkboard Review this week.
The Dallas school district announced Monday that it will require students to carry clear or mesh backpacks to class, joining other Texas districts in implementing new security measures following the Uvalde school massacre.
"The hurt could last a lifetime," is one education expert's warning about the urgency of bringing students back academically after three challenging years.
The first year of COVID wiped out a decade of enrollment growth in the nation's public schools, according to the first nationwide tabulation of the pandemic's impacts on attendance.
Former Austin ISD superintendent takes over as the district is contending with learning loss, a school discipline overhaul and billions in construction projects getting underway.
