P.E.R.S.O.N.A.L. News
Latest P.E.R.S.O.N.A.L. News Stories
'We did not see this coming': UT staff, students react to layoffs, DCCE closure after SB17
"In order for any marginalized students to be treated fairly at the University of Texas, because they weren't accepted for so long, diversity and identity-specific programs and partnerships are critical in developing students' sense of belonging" on a campus where white students are the majority, she added. "If I was a freshman, I'd be considering transferring and getting my degree from a different university." - April 4, 2024, Austin American Statesman
How School Voucher Programs Hurt Students
Voucher schools also rarely enroll children with special academic needs. Special education children tend to need more resources than vouchers provide, which can be a problem in public schools too. But public schools are at least obliged under federal law to enroll and assist special needs children—something private schools can and do avoid. - April 19, 2023 , TIME
Supreme Court extends temporary hold on Texas immigration law
The ruling is now blocked indefinitely.... the Texas law is “flatly inconsistent” with Supreme Court precedent dating back 100 years. - March 18, 2024, NBC NEWS
As doors close and funding fades, students worry UT-Austin is taking Texas’ new DEI ban too far
“It wasn't taken seriously because I don't think people really understood how severe it was until it was already in effect and it was too late.” - February 19th, 2024, The Texas Tribune
This OB-GYN was terrified for her patients who needed abortions. Then she became one.
It didn’t matter in my state that we found this diagnosis early. It did not matter that this baby was never going to survive outside my womb. It didn’t matter that I was a doctor. It didn’t matter that I was a sixth-generation Texan. In that moment, I realized that I had no control over my body, over my baby—all that control and all those decisions were being made by the state, and that’s a feeling of complete hopelessness.” - February 19, 2024, The Copper Courier
‘The Cavalry Isn’t Coming,’ Texas Doesn’t Care About Public Schools
Despite having a historic budget surplus, and 246 days in session — the longest legislative session in history — lawmakers only passed 10% of education bills, thanks to Gov. Greg Abbott’s obsession with vouchers. - February 19, 2024, Reform Austin
‘Never in a million years did I think it would apply to me’: Woman thrown in abortion ban debate
“I knew that I didn’t feel good, but I didn’t know until much later when I was reviewing my medical records, that the doctors, the nurses, the techs, they were all fearful that I wasn’t going to make it through the night,” said Zurawski. - February 15, 2024, KPRC 2
Judge expresses skepticism at Texas law that lets police arrest migrants for illegal entry
A federal judge on Thursday voiced concerns over a Texas law that would give police broad authority to arrest migrants on charges of illegal entry starting in March, saying it would be a “nightmare” if the U.S. became a patchwork of states enforcing different immigration laws. - February 15, 2024, NBCDFW
Expanding Medicaid improves everyone’s health. So why hasn’t Texas done it yet?
“When you expand Medicaid, the increase in financial security for many families goes up significantly,” Searing said. “That means they can make their car payments. They can pay their rent. They can continue to go to the restaurant down the street or buy toys for their kids at the local toy store. - August 16, 2023, WFAA
School Districts are Feeling the Pain of the Political Debate to Divert Public School Dollars to Private Schools
"Well, I never liked to be told I told you so. So I'm not going to do and I told you," said Stephanie Elizalde, Superintendent, Dallas ISD But she did tell us, all last year, that the money wasn’t enough to keep up with inflation, wasn’t enough to handle all the mandates schools are being forced to pull off. - February 13, 2024, NBCDFW
Anti-DEI Law Implementation Has Been a Disaster
This flagrant disregard for sound judgment and a culture of fairness and equity that we all strive to maintain at the university may be violating federal law and guidelines that guarantee equal rights under the law. - February 13, 2024, The Texas Observer
School Vouchers will make North Texas Public schools worse according to school leaders
"They’re funneling money away for other interests and there’s really no proven evidence to say that it works, that’s a serious blow to public education. We’ll all struggle if this moves forward," said Frisco ISD Superintendent Mike Waldrip. - September 29, 2023, NBCDFW
Over 26,000 Rape Related Pregnancies in Texas since abortion ban
“This is the type of Texas that the Republicans and Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz and Monica de la Cruz wants us to have,” said Monique Alcala, the executive director of the Texas Democratic Party. “We know people who experience rape don’t always come forward, that we know that it’s even worse than the 26,000.” - January 25, 2024, CBS Austin