Early voting ends Friday; election is Tuesday, Nov. 8 Early voting for the general election ends on Friday, Nov. 4, with the closely watched governor’s race pitting incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott against challenger Beto O’ Rourke headlining the ballot. A number of other statewide races are on the ballot, including lieutenant governor, attorney general, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and comptroller. Voters can find polling places in their county by visiting VoteTexas. gov. Those voting early can visit any location in the county in which they’re registered. However, those who choose to vote on Election Day must go to the specific precinct in which they live.
DPS director says he won’t resign Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw is fending off calls for his resignation in light of his department’s handling of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde last May, in which 19 students and two teachers died. However, McCraw said “every responding officer needs to be accountable for their actions,” according to the Austin American-Statesman. The Texas Rangers, an arm of the DPS, reportedly are investigating several troopers among the 90 who were on the scene. DPS Sgt. Juan Maldonado was fired recently for his role in the shooting response. As the Statesman reported, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies delayed confronting the gunman for 77 minutes even as those trapped inside called for help. McCraw said the Rangers’ investigation will be complete by year’s end.
Report card: Texas students lag in math Like students across the country, students in Texas are struggling to recover from learning losses stemming from the pandemic, particularly in math, the Nation’s Report Card indicates. Officially called the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the test is administered in reading and math for a sample of students in 4th and 8th grade roughly every two years, according to the Texas Education Agency. The bright side appears to be that students in Texas showed more progress than most in their academic recovery, TEA reported. Reading scores for Texas students are not statistically different than in 2019, the last time the test was administered — and before the pandemic struck. However, math scores are significantly lower than they were in 2019.
