Some Texas GOP Candidates to Make Education a Priority
When Republican lawmakers talk about the cuts to public education made in the last session, a common refrain emerges: It could have been worse. The $4 billion reduction the House and Senate finally agreed on wasn’t nearly as frightening as the $10 billion slashed in the plan passed by the lower chamber with its Tea Party-fueled supermajority.
At the time, lawmakers at the Capitol said they were taking seriously what they viewed as the mandate of the 2010 election: Voters wanted no new taxes and a reduction in government spending.
But there are GOP candidates who hope that if ...
Comments (11)
William Walther
Ridiculous! Time to get rid of these guys and their profiteering ways. Join the movement:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unexcused-on-STAAR-Test-Day-2012/228802223807737
David Spratt
Maybe it is time to examine the whole concept state run public education. Overall it would seem that the intent of education, from the national level, is focused on producing future citizens who think and act a certain way. Michelle Obama's recent statements that it is the responsibility of the government to shape and mould young children and the influences they encounter in the public school system will have an effect on who they are and how they think for life, illustrates this point. While she was addressing school based nutrition programs , in reality she was talking about issues that go far beyond simple nutrition. As if feeding children certain foods would affect their values, morals, make them more competitive and ultimately produce productive members of society. The real agenda goes much deeper. Gaining control over what foods are served and in what proportions are simply a first step. The uniformity of a "one size fits all ,"education system is not an effective or desirable path to follow. As we all see, all it takes is one agnostic student who objects to the mention of God, and all students are affected. No tolerance policies in place now give no leeway to school officials to tailor punishments to the " crime." Teachers protected by their Unions cannot be dismissed simply for being ineffective, they must first molest or assault a student before being considered for dismissal. There is a loss of control at the local level , and it is not inconceivable that many parents take no interest in the education system, simply because they feel they have no control. The idea that officials in Washington know better than the residents of the town in which the school is located, as to the needs and wants of the students , is totally absurd. The idea that the one size fits all education is appropriate for every student is absurd also. It would seem that a school voucher system would give more control to the parents as well as to the actual educators providing what essentially is a product. The product being offered and sold is an adequate education tailored to the individual needs of the students. Government has proved time and time again that any attempt to provide and fund a service that could be handled by the private sector, requires more funding, is less efficient and produces a less than desirable end result., than the same service or product offered by the private sector. If you want to send your children to the Atheist school of non- believers then you would have that choice. If you want them to be indoctrinated with globalist ideology then you would have that choice. If you want your children to learn the history of this country, be able to recite the Pledge, have a prayer or read the bible then you would have that choice also. Today education is distracted by political correctness and making sure that nobody is offended , no ones rights are being trampled on , and the educators themselves are protected and shielded from any oversight or accountability. Education begins at home and the responsibility primarily lies with the parents. This is where the power and the responsibility should be returned to. The choices of how and what their children learn and the environment they learn it in should be given back to the parents.Too many children are being ill served by the state run educational system and the parents have no choice based on where they live and the schools that are provided. The system we have has miserably failed and no matter how much we spend it will never meet expectations unless fundamental changes are made . The powers that be will resist any change to the system that exists now. It works quite well for them , as long as they can continue to demand ever increasing funds and are not held accountable. There are many excellent teachers and administrators working in education. Equally there are as many who should not be . The system as it exists today does not allow students, parents or taxpayers the value they deserve from the investment they are expected to make.
WUSRPH
This is step 3 on the master plan to get Texas to approve vouchers to allow parents to put their kids in private/church schools at the taxpayers' expense. Keep telling suburban and GOP voters how "BAD" the public schools are until they want their kids out of them...Then pass vouchers...The campaign started several years ago but is picking up speed now. I had thought it might take until the 2015 session but with next time being Rick Perry's swan song (hope, hope) I expect he will really push for the passage of vouchers in 2013....The effort will get a big boost when the lawyers, judges and school folks start really talking about the cost of "fixing" the present system during the lead up and aftermath of the school finance lawsuit. Then even the densest Republican will be able to figure out that gutting the whole thing--by passing vouchers--is going to be cheaper than providing a quality education for "all those other kinds of people” (read—poor, minorities, disabled, mentally challenged and just “trash”)—who will be left in the public schools after vouchers make the great exodus of “worthwhile people” possible.
Jim Hsu via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Blame their wonderful Gov Perry, too busy touting "Texas Miracles" while in truth running a $27 BILLION dollar deficit.
Yep, Perry: just SAYING you have created a miracle doesn't pay the bills.
Federal government gave Texas 3.5 BILLION dollars in 2011 to help with education. I guess 3.5 BILLION is just a drop in the TX-sized education budget crater. And that's still $3.5 BILLION more than perry says he needs, since he's such a great Gov that he hates "federal overreach."
David Spratt
When you can have one atheist out of a student body of hundreds or even thousands that is offended and suffers " irreparable harm" from the mere mention of the word Jesus or God , and then sues to put an end to the practice of offering a prayer before a function such as a football game or graduation ceremony , it is time to look for an alternative. When you cannot dismiss a teacher for simply being incompetent or ineffective because of the union , and they have to actually assault a student to be fired it is time to look for an alternative. When it costs billions of $ to run a system in which less than 50% of students graduate college ready, it is time to look for a different way. When money is allocated every year and it is not enough, they come back again and it is not enough , and it will never be enough, it is time for change. Every one would get vouchers, rich , poor and in between.
"Then even the densest Republican will be able to figure out that gutting the whole thing--by passing vouchers--is going to be cheaper than providing a quality education for "all those other kinds of people” (read—poor, minorities, disabled, mentally challenged and just “trash”)—who will be left in the public schools after vouchers make the great exodus of “worthwhile people” possible."
If the public school system is so great then they can stay and get all the benefits of it. It really is a case that the number of malcontents causing schools to adopt policies of political correctness and diversity that are counterproductive to traditional values and morals of the majority , do not even constitute a minority. They are few in number but the damage is tremendous. The voucher system is the only way to return control to the parents and the community . Today, control is beyond them and their children are being indoctrinated and taught values and ideas counter to traditional mainstream America.
WUSRPH
Sorry, David Spratt, but you don't seem to understand the reality of the situation. It is true that both rich and poor and all the others may qualify for vouchers...but what good is a voucher if a private school is "to crowded" to take you or is "to far away" when you have no transportation to get you there?...I can assure you that will be the fate of most of the poor, disabled, trash and ethnics...The private and church schools will cherry pick the best students (and athletes) and leave the rest to the tender mercy of a dying public school system....Vouchers are not intended to help those who need the most help...They are designed to get "our kind of kids" away from "those folks."
GS Crispus
Ah yes, the ole private education trope for more choice! Lets add additional costs upon the backs of the majority of parents to subsidize a minority of parents.
Yet, when you see the results of charter schools, under 20% do better, and over 35% do worse than the public education system. Lets privatize the police and firefighters as well!
WUSRPH
Actually, gscrispus, you are not far off from what is really happening....Before there were public fire departments they were private insurance outfits to which you had to subscribe...If you did they put a plaque on your property showing which one of the many companies you had signed up with...If you did not sign up with Fire Insurance Co. 1 or had signed up with another company, they would just sit in their wagons, etc. and watch your house burn...This could well be on the horizon again..
And, as to privatizing police....There was a bill in the Legislature a few sessions ago that would have authorized "gated neighborhoods" to have their own police forces WITH FULL POLICE POWERS rather than having them rely on private security companies (which the cops call "rent-a-cops"). I fully expect it to be back any time now and, with the current makeup of the Legislature, it will be passed this time.
David Spratt
And what is wrong with getting " our kids" away from those folks? Just for the sake of being PC you would have your 11 year old taught about porn stars, bestiality , technicals of sex acts as is happening in NY public schools, because the state says so? Children that speak English being held up so that ESL students can catch up. Atheists , agnostics putting a stop to long held beliefs and traditions just because they can. Education 30 years ago was effective and unfettered by single individuals asserting " their Constitutional Rights" claiming they are doing it to save us from ourselves and doing it in our best interests. The Banning of saying the Pledge , celebrating Halloween, Columbus day , and the attack of any mention of Christianity at all is a clear indication that the VERY FEW are forcing their beliefs on the majority and not the other way around. Some truths we used to hold self evident, today there is a segment that is trying to convince us we were wrong all along . I feel sorry for the parents who have to send their children to the state run indoctrination centers because they have no choice. As a taxpayer I resent using my money to teach subjects that are morally offensive and by all indications are contributing to the decline of our nation , the infringement of personal liberty and free choice. Just one example is the reciting of the pledge. If you do not want to pledge allegiance to this country then don't, but do not prohibit anyone else from doing so. So in conclusion I say yes , I do not want my kids around
" those kids."
gypsy314 ne
It is a sad day when Texas tax payers have to foot the bill for illegal aliens and even sadder when Mexico government can force or courts to put our border control officers in jail because they can not control there people bring drugs here to poison our children. I say Mexico should have to foot the bill for all damages to our children and not keeping there citizens in there borders instead they encourage them to come here and invade us and our system. I see a great battle coming and I think all should be ready for a major invasion from the south of our borders. Follow Americans fight well.
GS Crispus
http://www.harpweek.com/09cartoon/BrowseByDateCartoon.asp?Month=May&Date=8
I for one await the return of politics so right-wing in this country that even the progressive liberals promote religious indoctrination in the classroom at expense of an unwelcomed minority.
Fun Facts:
-Plenty of prostitution, beastiality, murder, and technical sex-acts in Christianity. Oh that Balaam and his donkey! Jesus may or may not have been into "loose" women. Cain was framed!
-The pledge was written by a socialist. I thought this was America!
-IDEA was passed in 1975. It modelled the 1964 Civil Rights legislation. Federal involvement and desegregation goes all the way back to the Eisenhower administration. The individual's fight over education (as referened in the political cartoon I posted), is a much longer history than that. Individuals have been involving themselves and their "Constitutional Rights" in education for much longer than thirty years. Mainly because of the same tired mindset David Pratt continually exhibits on these forums, whether it be the Germans, the Irish, the Blacks, or the Latinos.