Skip to content
What You Missed in Texas Education

What You Missed in Texas Education: AI Classrooms, Best Places to Work, and Data Breaches

Edustaff |
Texas education moves fast. It can be tough to keep up with all the stories that shape our schools. That’s why we’re rounding up some of the biggest headlines you might have missed.
 
From a district being recognized as one of the best places for educators to work, to a major tech company facing questions about student data security, to a small rural school system leading the way with artificial intelligence in the classroom, these stories highlight the challenges and bright spots across our state.
Let’s take a closer look at what's been happening in Texas education: 
 
Klein ISD Named Best Workplace for Educators in Texas
 
Klein Independent School District (Klein ISD), serving over 53,000 students in northwest Harris County, was recently named the top education employer in Texas by Forbes (Houston Chronicle, 2025).
 
What stood out about the recognition:
 
  1. Survey feedback came not only from teachers, but also staff, families, and education professionals (Houston Chronicle, 2025).
  2. The evaluation looked at factors like pay fairness, school culture, chances for staff to grow their careers, and how the district handles serious issues (Houston Chronicle, 2025).
  3. Starting salary for teachers (depending on degree and experience) is about $62,076 (Houston Chronicle, 2025).
  4. The student-teacher ratio is roughly 14.3 students per teacher, which creates more manageable class sizes (Houston Chronicle, 2025).
Why it’s worth knowing: This is a strong example of how a school district can build an environment where teachers and staff feel respected, supported, and able to do their best work. If you want to see what policies or practices Klein ISD is using, this might be a good model to look into.
 
 
PowerSchool Data Breach: What Happened & What Was at Stake
 
Almost 880,000 Texas students and educators had personal information exposed in a data breach involving PowerSchool, a company that owns tools like Schoology and Naviance (Houston Chronicle, 2025).
 
Here’s a breakdown:
  1. The leak included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, medical info, and special education data (Houston Chronicle, 2025).
  2. A hacker from Massachusetts obtained admin-level access to PowerSchool’s systems (Houston Chronicle, 2025).
  3. Experts say the breach happened partly because basic security tools were missing, including multi-factor authentication and encryption (Houston Chronicle, 2025).
  4. The Texas Attorney General has filed a lawsuit. PowerSchool says they will defend themselves while offering identity protection to those affected (Houston Chronicle, 2025).
Why it’s worth knowing: Student privacy is important. When large tech systems fail to protect data, the effects can ripple out — from students’ personal safety to their families’ sense of trust. This story should push schools and tech vendors to beef up their safeguards.
 
 
Floydada Collegiate ISD Leads Innovation in Rural AI
 
In Floydada, Texas, the small Floydada Collegiate ISD is stepping into something big: integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms. They’ve been selected as one of the first districts in the RAISE AI Collaborative, a pilot that helps rural schools use AI thoughtfully (Floyd County Record, 2025). 
 
Key points:
  1. RAISE, which stands for Rural AI Schools of Excellence, is led by several organizations and universities, including Northern Arizona University (Floyd County Record, 2025). 
  2. The focus is not on just trying out random tools; rather, the goal is to align AI tools with the district’s own learning goals, values, and instructional policy (Floyd County Record, 2025). 
  3. Teachers in Floydada will co-design strategies, try them out in cycles, and share what works with peers and experts (Floyd County Record, 2025). 
  4. The goal is to build sustainable, useful AI integration rooted in local needs, rather than isolated experiments that may fade away (Floyd County Record, 2025). 
Why it’s worth knowing: Rural districts often have fewer resources but also unique opportunities. Floydada’s work shows how rural schools can lead innovation. For people interested in how AI might help learning (not replace teachers, but support them), this is a promising model.
 
The Big Picture: What These Stories Tell Us
Reading these three stories together gives us a lens into where Texas public education seems to be headed:
 
  1. Valuing Educators More: The Klein ISD story highlights that not only what we teach matters, but how we treat the people doing the teaching. Compensation, working conditions, career growth are becoming more visible priorities.
  2. Tech & Privacy Are Front of Mind: The PowerSchool breach is as much a scary headline as it is a warning. As schools lean more into digital tools, reliability and security can’t be afterthoughts. Students’ data must be protected, just like their learning is.
  3. Innovation From the Edges: Floydada’s involvement in the RAISE AI Collaborative is exciting because it shows innovation doesn’t just come from big, urban school districts. Small, rural districts can lead, especially when given support, resources, and collaboration. 
If you’re curious to dig deeper:
  1. How does Klein ISD keep up teacher morale and support over time?
  2. What exactly are the new laws or regulations (if any) that come out of the PowerSchool case?
  3. What specific AI tools and strategies will Floydada try, and how will they measure success? 
Thanks for reading this snapshot! Be sure to share and subscribe for more Texas ed updates.

Share this post