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Silas Allen

@silasallen.bsky.social
1.8K followers 692 following 92 posts

Education Lab reporter at the Dallas Morning News. Stroke survivor, Missourian, Mizzou alum. No sniveling.

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Reposted by Silas Allen
Txnewsprincess @txnewsprincess.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
If you like your kid's Dual Language immersion program, or you understand how hard it is to staff SPED teachers, you know this is BFD for every district.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Gov. Greg Abbott wants to ban school districts from hiring workers on H-1B visas. That could be a problem for Dallas ISD, which sponsors more H-1Bs than any other district in the country. Gift link: www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
Abbott wants lawmakers to ban H-1B visas in schools. Dallas ISD would lose hundreds of workers
The district has more employees hired on H-1B visas than any other school district in the country, according to federal data. Under Abbott's policy, the district would have to fire all those...
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Texas' state takeover of the Fort Worth school district started in late March. By the end of June, the district had processed more teacher resignations than it did in the entire previous school year. www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
Nearly 800 Fort Worth ISD teachers resigned after state takeover
Fort Worth ISD saw 1,026 teacher resignations by June 28, with departures spiking after the district’s state-appointed leaders took over.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
The Dallas Morning News @dallasnews.com · 16/06/2026
Elementary and middle schools in Dallas and Texas showed mixed results on standardized tests, according to new STAAR scores released by the Texas Education Agency on Tuesday. bit.ly/4vXMaki
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Texas high schoolers showed progress across all subjects on this year's end-of-course exams. National-level student achievement data tell a more complicated story. www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
STAAR results released. See how Dallas ISD, Texas students scored
Both in Dallas ISD and across Texas, high schoolers posted gains on state standardized tests compared with last year, according to STAAR results released Wednesday.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Later this month, Texas' State Board of Education will vote on two policies that inject more Bible-infused instruction into classrooms. It's the latest development in a trend that goes back years. www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
More Christianity in Texas schools being weighed
Texas’ State Board of Education is expected to vote this month on a pair of proposals that would add to the growing presence of Christianity in classrooms across the state.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Danielle Kurtzleben @titonka.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
No but like seriously everyone go pay for journalism. Pay NPR or if not us pay someone else. Just please pay someone or else seriously all these big ships are going to keep slowwwwwwly sinking.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Texas schools are wrapping up their first year under a statewide cellphone ban. I visited a school that banned cellphones years ago to see what cultural changes happened there, and what may be coming for other campuses. www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
This school banned cellphones years ago. Here's what happened.
Research into the effects of school cellphone bans suggests school those policies can be beneficial for students, but they aren’t the panacea many district leaders hope for.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
The Dallas Morning News @dallasnews.com · 04/05/2026
Mark Lamster, longtime architecture critic of The Dallas Morning News, has been awarded the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.
bit.ly
Mark Lamster, architecture critic of The Dallas Morning News, wins Pulitzer
Mark Lamster, longtime architecture critic of The Dallas Morning News, has been awarded the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Robert Downen @robertdownen.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
My colleague Aaron Parsley just won a Pulitzer for this story, written days after he survived the July 4 floods that killed his nephew. It's one of the most gutwrenching and memorable things you'll ever read. Please do.
texasmonthly.com
“The River House Broke. We Rushed in the River.”
The July 4 Texas flooding ripped our Kerr County home from its pillars, pulling us into the water and into the night. Then morning came.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Annual reminder that Opening Day should be a national holiday. www.stltoday.com/sports/profe...
stltoday.com
Goold: After a century, Cardinals' NL reign is under threat. Race to find new way begins now
Attendance is dropping, wins are lagging and the Los Angeles Dodgers are lurking, ready to overtake the Cardinals' claim to fame. A next Cardinals century must begin today.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Texas' new education savings account program offers money to help homeschool families cover costs. But are they interested in applying? www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
Texas’ education savings account program offers money to homeschoolers. Will they apply?
Homeschooling is seeing rapid growth across the country. The Texas Education Freedom Account program could make it easier for more parents in Texas to move to...
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Fort Worth ISD is getting a new superintendent as a part of a state takeover there. www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
TEA commissioner will appoint new superintendent for Fort Worth ISD
The new, as-yet-unnamed superintendent will replace Superintendent Karen Molinar, who has been in the district’s top job for about a year.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Our Schools Our Democracy @osodtexas.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
4/ @dallasnews.com's @silasallen.bsky.social also quoted Dee Carney: "Regardless of your position on vouchers, there is nothing controversial about making it easier for Texans to see how $1 billion in taxpayer dollars is spent and what results they deliver.” #txed bsky.app/profile/dall...
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Over the past few years, Texas has seen a huge uptick in uncertified teachers. Last year, lawmakers set a deadline for school districts to get their core subject teachers certified. I took a look at how it's going: www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
A challenge but ‘worth it’: Texas schools push to certify teachers even with extension
A new Texas law requires school districts to get novice educators certified. Here's a look at why and what one North Texas district is doing to meet that goal.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world
Pinned
lizzie johnson
@lizziejohnsonnn
·
Aug 19, 2021
Almost three years ago, my editor called me early one November morning. A wildfire had sparked near a town called Paradise, he said. Could I go? (1/13)
0:02 / 0:10
lizzie johnson
@lizziejohnsonnn
·
47m
I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone. I have no words. I'm devastated.
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lizzie johnson
@lizziejohnsonnn
·
Jan 25
Waking up without power, heat, or running water. (Again.) 

But the work here in Kyiv continues. Warming up in the car, writing in pencil — pen ink freezes — by headlamp.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Texas' education savings account app goes live tomorrow. Here's what you need to know about it. www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
Applications open this week for Texas education savings accounts. Here’s what to know
Applications for Texas Education Freedom Accounts, the state’s new education savings account program, open Feb. 4,2026. Here’s what you need to know.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Education Writers Association @edwriters.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
The Education Writers Association is deeply alarmed by the arrests of journalists in connection with their reporting at an anti-ICE demonstration in Minnesota. We vigorously support First Amendment protections for the press and the public. freedom.press/issues/fpf-s...
freedom.press
FPF statement on outrageous arrest of Don Lemon
If the Trump administration thinks it can bully journalists into submission, it is wrong
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
There needs to be a rule that, if you live in a place where it gets above 100 every day for a month and a half in the summer, it shouldn't get down to 8 in January. www.dallasnews.com/news/weather...
dallasnews.com
Freezing temperatures are imminent: What you need to know about D-FW’s winter storm
If you haven’t done it already, Friday evening is likely your last chance to prepare for incoming winter weather.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
KERA News @keranews.org · 20/01/2026
KERA News has identified another man who died after a Tarrant County jailer knelt on him. The federal government has cautioned against kneeling on handcuffed people.
kerane.ws
5 years before Anthony Johnson Jr.’s death, indicted guard watched another man get knelt on in jail
KERA News has identified another man who died after a Tarrant County jailer knelt on him. The federal government has cautioned against kneeling on handcuffed people.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
School districts across the DFW area have been dealing with a rash of hoax threats for the past couple of weeks. Experts say the impact of those threats is real, even if the threats themselves aren't. www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
As North Texas schools deal with a rash of hoax threats, experts say the effects are real
Hoax threats have disrupted school days across Dallas-Fort Worth over the last week. The immediate scare passes, but here's the damage it can do.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 08/01/2026
The agent, Jonathan Ross, was dragged by a vehicle and injured during a June operation in the Twin Cities, court records show.
bit.ly
ICE agent who fatally shot woman in Minneapolis is identified
Jonathan Ross, a Minnesota-based agent, was dragged in a separate incident last year by a fleeing motorist.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Education reporters! Apply for my old job! Fort Worth is a fun city, and there's plenty of school news going on, to say the least. DM with questions. mcclatchy.rec.pro.ukg.net/MCC1008MCLTC...
mcclatchy.rec.pro.ukg.net
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
After Charlie Kirk's death, the Texas ed commissioner vowed to go after the teaching certificates of teachers over comments they made on social media. Now, @texasaft.org is suing. First byline in @dallasnews.com: www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...
dallasnews.com
Texas AFT sues TEA over investigations of teachers linked to Kirk assassination comments
The Texas AFT is suing the Texas Education Agency over a series of investigations the agency launched over teachers’ comments on social media after the death...
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Fort Worth Star-Telegram @star-telegram.com · 04/12/2025
Hundreds of people applied to serve on Fort Worth ISD’s state takeover board. Here’s a look at who they are.
bit.ly
Here’s who applied to serve on Fort Worth ISD’s state-appointed school board
Hundreds of people applied to serve on Fort Worth ISD’s state takeover board. Here’s a look at who they are.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
"The stories Lizza and Nuzzi tell give you the extremely wrong idea of what it means to be a journalist. We, despite what every Hollywood property from 'House of Cards' to 'The West Wing' would have you believe, do not date our sources... We’re not rich, guys." www.washingtonpost.com/style/2025/1...
washingtonpost.com
Column | The dueling narratives of Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza
Olivia Nuzzi’s relationship with RFK Jr. is detailed in her book, American Canto. Ex-fiance Ryan Lizza now alleges she also had an affair with Mark Sanford.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
When the Texas Education Agency announced plans to take over the Fort Worth school district, parents said they were worried teachers here would have to use the same kinds of prepackaged, scripted lessons like we saw in Houston. Teachers say they're already here. www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
Fort Worth ISD’s new guidelines ask teachers to work from rigid scripts
Parents worried that a state takeover would bring Houston ISD-style scripted lessons to Fort Worth ISD. Teachers say they’re already here.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Fintan Burke @fintanburke.com · 13/11/2025
"Otter is down, but will be back online shortly" Every journalist:
Sad Pablo Escobar mem - a series of three-panel image macros featuring the character Pablo Escobar (played by Wagner Moura) from the Netflix series Narcos staring blankly in three different screen-captures from the series.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
With the state takeover process getting started in Fort Worth ISD, I talked to parents and students in Houston about what the intervention was like there, an what to expect here. All of them said they were worried for Fort Worth. Gift link: www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
‘Scared for Fort Worth’: As FWISD takeover looms, Houston families share concern
A state takeover of Fort Worth ISD would be the second largest in state history. Parents and students in Houston share their experience.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
This has been an incredible series to watch, unless you're a fan of either of these teams, in which case I suspect you aren't having very much fun at all.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Patrick Claybon @patrickclaybon.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
There's fortitude.... then there's mossing your teammate at the track in the bottom of the 9th of game 7 in the World Series after coming in the game 9 pitches ago
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
The Texas Education Agency is taking over Fort Worth ISD. It's the second-biggest district takeover in the state's history. www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
State will take over Fort Worth ISD, replace school board, commissioner says
Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced the takeover Thursday morning, which comes after one school received five straight F ratings.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
The number of teachers who use AI in the classroom is growing fast, both in Texas and across the country. But school districts are struggling to keep up. Gift link: www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
More teachers use AI in the classroom. Texas school leaders say they need a plan
More than half of Texas teachers use AI in the classroom, a new report shows. But they often don’t have any training on how to use it well.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Katherine Knott @knottkatherine.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Here's what we know about today's mass layoffs
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
It's been five years since school shutdowns ended, and districts are still dealing with chronic absenteeism. I talked to officials in the Fort Worth school district about why it's such a challenge and what they're doing about it. Gift link: www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
Too many kids are missing school in Fort Worth. District says it has a plan
Five years after the end of school shutdowns, too many kids still miss too much school. FWISD officials say they have a plan to help.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
How will the government shutdown affect schools? Depends on how long it lasts. Gift link: www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
Texas schools could face challenges due to government shutdown. Here’s why
If the shutdown lasts more than a few days, the problems could grow.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
Texas is going after teachers who celebrated the death of Charlie Kirk. Can they do that? Gift link: www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
Can teachers really be fired for social media posts about Charlie Kirk? What to know
After Charlie Kirk’s death, the TEA warned teachers about “reprehensible” posts. What does free speech allow?
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Fort Worth Star-Telegram @star-telegram.com · 10/09/2025
The district is grappling with limited funds and declining enrollment, but officials say no decisions have been made about closures.
bit.ly
Grapevine-Colleyville parents worried about possible school closures
The district is grappling with limited funds and declining enrollment, but officials say no decisions have been made about closures.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
When schools shut down at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a spike in the number of families who homeschooled. Most people expected that would normalize once the pandemic ended. But that hasn't happened. www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
More Fort Worth parents switch to homeschooling 5 years after start of pandemic
Experts thought the rise in homeschooling might slow down after a few years. So far, it hasn’t happened. Here’s why some local families choose to homeschool.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
Texas Education Agency investigators found that a Fort Worth area school district violated federal law in its dealings with students in its special education program. www.star-telegram.com/news/local/f...
star-telegram.com
Aledo ISD violated special education laws, state investigation finds
The investigation began after parents and teachers came forward with complaints about the district’s special education program.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
Texas Ed Commissioner Mike Morath was in Fort Worth this morning, ahead of a decision on whether he'll take over the district. www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
Texas education commissioner Mike Morath visits Fort Worth ISD campuses
The visits were part of the commissioner’s process for deciding if the agency will take over the district.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
DON'T DO IT
A screenshot from a Duolingo German lesson in which Vikram says "I like newspapers and want to become a journalist."
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
The Fort Worth school district is set to close 18 schools over the next few years due to declining enrollment. We looked at how groups of parents at two campuses pushed back against school closures, and why one group was successful and the other wasn't. www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
Did parental activism, or lack thereof, save or doom certain Fort Worth schools?
With schools facing closure, some families rallied hard for their campuses. Others were quieter. Did that sway Fort Worth ISD’s decisions?
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Joshua Eaton @joshuaeaton.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
FOIA exemptions.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Chris Becker @chrisbecker.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Also, sign up for PBS Passport! You pay what you want, money goes to your local station, and you get access to tons more great programming on-demand. help.pbs.org/support/solu...
help.pbs.org
What is PBS Passport?
PBS Passport is one of many member benefits from participating PBS stations that gives eligible donors and supporters extended access to an on-demand library of quality public television programming o...
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
The Fort Worth school district says it has $10 million in federal funding tied up in the Trump administration's education grant funding freeze. www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
Federal education funding freeze leaves millions in limbo for Fort Worth schools
Fort Worth ISD leaders are reviewing what positions and contracts will be affected by the funding freeze.
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
The Fort Worth school district is closing a bunch of schools due to enrollment declines. I looked at one neighborhood where enrollment is dropping even as the kid population is increasing to see what's going on. www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
star-telegram.com
More kids live in this Fort Worth ZIP code. So why are public schools shrinking?
The trend illustrates one of Fort Worth ISD’s biggest challenges: When presented with options, many families are looking elsewhere.
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Reposted by Silas Allen
Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
CNN’s reporter on scene in Los Angeles: I’m being detained..
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Silas Allen @silasallen.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Two years into a state takeover, Houston ISD is seeing higher test scores, but also a lot of turmoil. I looked at what it can tell us about where Fort Worth may be headed. www.star-telegram.com/news/local/e...
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