Laura Isensee

Education Reporter

Laura Isensee covers education for Houston Public Media, including K-12 and higher education. Previously, she was a staff reporter at The Miami Herald and contributed to South Florida’s NPR affiliate. Her work has also appeared in The Dallas Morning News, Reuters and Clarín in Argentina. Laura has won awards for her work in print and radio, including best specialty/beat reporting from the Texas AP Broadcasters Association in 2014.

A native Houstonian, Laura graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in Spanish and Plan II, a liberal arts honors program. She earned her master’s in journalism from Columbia University. Her radio stories have aired on national programs, such as NPR’s All Things Considered and Here & Now. She enjoys dancing, biking and exploring new places. You can follow her @lauraisensee on Twitter.

Education News

Here’s What You Need To Know About A Potential State Takeover Of Houston Schools

Posted on January 15, 2019 · State law requires the Education Commissioner to intervene if even one school chronically fails state standards.

News

Fight Intensifies Over Future Of Struggling Houston Schools, District

Posted on January 5, 2019 · Advocates and parents renewed their call for a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency at a crowded town hall this weekend.

Education News

Quality Pre-K Can Improve Children’s Health, But Texas May Be Missing Out

Posted on January 3, 2019 · State standards for early education programs miss most of the national benchmarks for quality pre-K.

Education

Three Trends To Watch In 2019 As Houston Tries To Grow Its Future Workforce

Posted on January 2, 2019 · Some nonprofits and school districts in Greater Houston are trying new approaches to develop the next generation of workers.

Education News

Houston District Still Hasn’t Received $7.5 Million For Naming Rights At Fine Arts High School

Posted on December 21, 2018 · The nonprofit HSPVA Friends has collected the donation from the Kinder Foundation and is waiting on bank details to transfer the money to HISD in January.

Education News

If Pulled Over By Police, Texas Teenagers Should Watch For These Seven Things

Posted on December 17, 2018 · After the death of Sandra Bland in 2015, Texas lawmakers wanted to beef up training for both teenagers and police officers on how to interact with each other.

News

Houston School District Reviewing More Bus Routes

Posted on December 12, 2018 · District managers hope to finish the review and make any changes by February.

Education News

City-Sponsored Nonprofit Aims To Partner With Houston School District, Manage 15 Schools

Posted on December 11, 2018 · The Houston school board will decide later this week if they want to request any outside partnerships.

Education News

With Bush’s Passing, Houston Students Send Condolences, Learn More About The Former President

Posted on December 5, 2018 · Houston Christian High School plans to send the students’ condolences to the Bush Presidential Library in College Station.

News

Houston District Projects $76 Million Deficit For Next School Year

Posted on December 4, 2018 · Final numbers will depend on property values, enrollment and if state lawmakers take on school finance reform next year.

News

Union Leader Urges Houston School District To Cross-Train Custodians As Bus Drivers

Posted on December 4, 2018 · Earlier this fall, the interim transportation chief, John Wilcots, said that the district needed to hire about another 120 drivers.

News

How Houston Parents, Teachers Can Chime In On Superintendent Search

Posted on November 29, 2018 · The same search firm -- Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates -- that found the last superintendent will conduct a similar process.

News

How Houston Plans To Help Fix The Statewide Shortage Of Computer Science Teachers

Posted on November 26, 2018 · With a new $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the University of Houston plans to try and recruit more computer science majors to the classroom.

News

University Of Houston-Downtown Debuts City’s First College eSports Center

Posted on November 21, 2018 · University of Houston-Downtown also plans to start a varsity gaming team and eventually a degree program related to game design.

In-Depth

A Nearly Three-Hour School Bus Ride Turns Into A Medical Emergency

Posted on November 20, 2018 · The latest incident reveals that the Houston Independent School District has yet to fix problems with its reorganized transportation system, three months after the start of school.