New nationally developed common science standards may be on the horizon, but it is not likely that they will make their way into Texas classrooms soon. Make that a “zero percent chance,” said Barbara Cargill, the Republican chairwoman of the State Board of Education....
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The Austin Library Commission is meeting this afternoon to discuss funding sources and how the library system can accommodate more users with a stagnant budget. “The City Council has never felt that the library should be funded at a higher level, and the library has had money taken away from it for so long that at this point they only ask for what they know they can get,” said Olga Wise, a former librarian and a member of the Library Commission. Austin is not unique in this regard. Libraries nationwide are trying to adapt to the new norm of tight budgets and a push toward replacing print items with digital versions. Rivkah Sass, director of the public library in Sacramento, Calif., says her staff has gotten creative in looking for additional revenue sources. For instance,...
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