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

Houston Public Schools Reopen Classrooms Amid Teacher, Family Anxieties

Posted on October 19, 2020 · The Houston Independent School District welcomes back over 80,000 students to campuses this week for the first time since March.

Education News

Some Houston Kids Call Online School ‘Long and Boring.’ Here’s Why They’re Sticking With It

Posted on October 9, 2020 · In just over a week, the Houston Independent School District will resume face-to-face instruction. But more than half of its 200,000 students plan to stay home and continue learning remotely.

Education News

Texas Education Investigators Find Failures In HISD Special Ed Were ‘Institutionalized’

Posted on September 30, 2020 · What investigators detailed in their final report echoed previous studies by outside consultants and the district's own determination that "the state of special education in HISD is grave."

Education News

What Texas Teachers Are Saying About Back-To-School In 2020

Posted on September 22, 2020 · The president of the Texas State Teachers Association, Ovidia Molina, spoke to Houston Public Media about what her group is hearing from its members.

Houston

Former Houston ISD Official Accused Of Kickback Scheme With Landscaping Contractor

Posted on September 21, 2020 · The HISD COO allegedly paid the contractor for no-show jobs that district employees often performed instead.

Education News

HISD Still Not Meeting Virtual Attendance Projections 1 Week In, District Leader Says

Posted on September 15, 2020 · The comments came during a wide-ranging interview with Town Square host Ernie Manouse on Tuesday, in which the interim superintendent also addressed recent COVID-19 positive cases.

Education News

Humble School Board Speeds Up Full Return To In-Person Classes

Posted on September 9, 2020 · In less than two weeks, all secondary students whose parents chose to can learn in-person every school day, instead of on alternating days.

Education News

Back-To-School Begins With Website Crash For Houston Students and Teachers

Posted on September 8, 2020 · More than 200,000 HISD students were supposed to log on to their laptops and digital devices Tuesday morning for virtual back-to-school. But a few hours into the first day of online classes, the website for the state's largest school district crashed.

Education News

4 New Teachers Share What It’s Like To Teach For The First Time During A Pandemic

Posted on September 8, 2020 · In the Houston Independent School District alone, just over 1,100 educators will start their profession during the pandemic.

Education News

In Bilingual Classrooms, Teachers Are Anxious To Build Relationships, Close Digital Divide

Posted on September 8, 2020 · Even before COVID-19, new teachers knew their first year in the classroom might be survival mode. The pandemic has added lots of challenges, and new teachers in bilingual education are anxious to connect with their students.

Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Laura Threatens Families, Nonprofits Already Strained By Pandemic

Posted on August 26, 2020 · Bob Sanborn with the advocacy group Children at Risk spoke to Houston Public Media about how the natural disaster could make a difficult situation worse for vulnerable families and lessons from previous storms.

Education News

Here Are The Houston-Area Schools Closed By Hurricane Laura

Posted on August 25, 2020 · Independent school districts, charter schools, colleges and univerities closed in the Houston area due to Hurricane Laura.

Weather

Update: Texas Sees First Laura-Related Deaths; Galveston Evacuees Set To Return From Austin

Posted on August 24, 2020 · Thousands of residents along the Gulf Coast evacuated inland, and Houston-area leaders urged the region to prepare for severe winds, as Hurricane Laura approached landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border.

Education News

For Families Who Choose In-Person Learning, Humble Schools Reopen Classrooms

Posted on August 24, 2020 · Harris County health authorities reiterated last week that current indicators for COVID-19 mean it's not safe to resume in-person activities.

Education News

10 Local Superintendents Spar With Harris County Health Over Back-To-School Guidance

Posted on August 19, 2020 · The back-and-forth marks the latest in the increasingly political debate over back-to-school plans, which has already drawn some legal action and a heavy weigh-in from Gov. Greg Abbott.