Teacher prep

White Oak ISD will pilot a new teacher evaluation system next school year before it is rolled out statewide in 2016-17.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In Texas public schools, your child gets three tries to pass the STAAR test. But we found their teachers get an unlimited number of chances on their own required exams. Like many professions, teachers and principals must pass certain tests to become certified. It's the state's way of ensuring they're qualified for the job. But educators are commonly allowed to work in schools even while they're still trying to become certified. A KXAN investigation found some have failed over and over.

The Senate continued its most serious effort to date to rewrite the education law known as No Child Left Behind with a hearing Tuesday that focused on improving the nation’s teachers.

AUSTIN — The U.S. Department of Education has rejected Texas’ proposed teacher and principal evaluation method, threatening the state’s compliance with federal mandates and risking the loss of its control over millions in federal funds for struggling schools.

The Obama administration unveiled a proposal Thursday to regulate how the country prepares teachers, saying that too many new K-12 educators are not ready for the classroom and that training programs must improve.

The Obama administration proposed new rules Tuesday for teacher training programs that would tie federal aid to metrics—including how well their graduates perform in the job market and in the classroom—as officials attempt to toughen accountability for the programs.