AUSTIN, Feb. 3 - In a letter sent Friday, state Sen. José Rodríguez has praised Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott for his “courageous remarks” on the need for more funding for Texas public schools.

BROWNSVILLE, Feb. 1 - When it comes to school finance, the state needs to go back to the drawing board.

WESLACO, Nov. 13 - IDEA Public Schools should not be thought of as competitors to the traditional public school districts in the Rio Grande Valley, says IDEA co-founder Tom Torkelson.

BROWNSVILLE, Nov. 7 - A recent article in the Rio Grande Guardian noted that the president of the University of Texas Pan American (UTPA) was involved in a dialogue with regional leaders on the role and scope of education in South Texas.

ALAMO, Nov. 2 - Rio Grande Valley community groups are to forge an alliance with the Save Texas Schools organization in order to protect local school districts from the state budget cuts expected in 2013.

ALAMO, Oct. 31 - University of Texas-Pan American President Robert Nelsen says henceforth UTPA is going to be a different kind of university; a university that cares about the community and works with the community.

ALAMO, Oct. 29 - The Intercultural Development Research Association held a roundtable on school funding equity in Texas at La Quinta Inn in Alamo on Saturday.

MERCEDES, Oct. 27 - While Congress and the President must work to reduce our nation's deficit, I believe that we cannot balance the federal budget on the backs of our nation's most vulnerable populations: the poor, the sick, the elderly, and our nation's children and youth.

McALLEN, Oct. 25 - In a news release announcing all of its 25,000 students are to get iPads, McAllen ISD provided the thoughts of an unnamed middle school teacher on the importance of providing hand-held mobile devices.

BROWNSVILLE, Oct. 24 - There is a recurring legend in ancient civilizations of a mythical bird, the Phoenix, which was regenerated by casting itself into fire so that it could be reborn from the ashes.

BROWNSVILLE, Oct. 18 - University of Texas-Pan American President Robert Nelsen gave a powerful speech at the official opening of the UT Vista Summit at the University of Texas at Brownsville earlier this month.

WESLACO, Oct. 17 - Project VIDA, the Rio Grande Valley’s highly-rated workforce development program, is to receive a $1.4 million grant from the Open Society Foundation, one of the top philanthropic groups in the nation.

WESLACO, Oct. 16 - State Rep. Veronica Gonzales says she is moved every time she hears stories from Project VIDA students about how the program has helped change their lives.

WESLACO, Oct. 16 - The Rio Grande Valley is set to become an economic powerhouse thanks to the impact of programs such as Project VIDA.

BROWNSVILLE, Oct. 13 - Hispanics have not done as well economically as Anglos in Texas in recent years and that does bode well for the future of the Lone Star State.

BROWNSVILLE, Oct. 12 - A top Texas businessman says UT-Brownsville and UT-Pan American are as important, if not more important, than any other institution in the UT System.

BROWNSVILLE, Oct. 10 - The prestigious Brookings Institution is going to collaborate in some form with the Rio Grande Valley, says University of Texas at Brownsville President Juliet Garcia.

BROWNSVILLE, Oct. 9 - The Rio Grande Valley has one major asset few other metro areas in the U.S. possess – it is adjacent to Mexico.

BROWNSVILLE, Oct. 6 - Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez is hoping the major philanthropic foundations participating in the UT Vista Summit witness just how much Rio Grande Valley residents love to work.

EDINBURG, Oct. 4 - Philanthropic foundations can help the Rio Grande Valley become more prosperous if they collaborate, and focus less on individual projects on more on a regional approach.

BROWNSVILLE, Oct. 3 - The demographic changes sweeping the nation are making the large philanthropic foundations take a close look at what is working in the Rio Grande Valley, says UT-Brownsville President Juliet Garcia.

EDINBURG, Sept. 28 - U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa was keynote speaker at HESTEC’s Latina Day on Wednesday and he focused much of his speech towards mothers in the audience.