In Financing Texas Schools, Defining "Adequate"
During opening statements in the current trial over how the state finances its public schools, a lawyer for the state expressed what many were already thinking.
“This is like déjà vu all over again,” said Assistant Attorney General Shelley Dahlberg.
The state district court trial, which began in October and involves about two-thirds of Texas districts, is the sixth time since 1984 that districts have sued the state over the way public schools are financed.
The Texas Supreme Court last ruled on the issue 2005 when it said current funding levels were adequate but left the door open for ...
Comments (6)
teach_j
No, we don't need iPads to educate students in the 21st Century, we can give them the same education we gave to kids in the 20th Century for jobs that no longer exist. We don't need new schools for the thousands of new children who come to Texas schools each year, we can just keep stuffing them into the same classrooms until we have 30 or 40 to a class. And Teacher Aides, no we don't need to give special education students the one-on-one help they need. Spend a day with a teacher in an overcrowded classroom with old computers (if they have any) that can't run 21st Century software and without enough supplies and with too many students crammed into a classroom designed for 24 kids, with 30 or more in it. Then you will see what our current levels of spending provide.
blanca fogleman
Does the state of Texas want our students to be able to compete in the reality of today? One thing that the lawyers for the state have not factored in is that teachers also be updated on technology. We cannot ignore that most students have already left many adults behind. I was eating at a restaurant the other day when I witnessed a "2 year old" easily sliding that tiny finger on an ipad and laughing as he played successfully on it. This child will be in my kindergarten class in 3 years. Babies in strollers play on ipad like screens. My smart phone and notebook are a piece of cake for my granddaughter. Yes we need technology. Where has the attorney of the state been?
gypsy314 ne
This is why Texas needs to get out of the public school business and go to vouchers and let parents and teacher educate our children remove government from the system and things will progress for the better.
Texas RMS
Vouchers may sound good to some, but I have heard no realistic plan for how this would work. How will the children get to that school 15 miles down the road? I am seriously doubting that the charter schools are planning to run a fleet of busses, and many parents work and cannot leave at 3:00 to pick up their children. Or what about the people who do not even have a car? Also, will charter schools be required to take every student that applies like the public schools do? Will they be required to meet state requirements like the public schools do? Or is the plan to leave the disabled and economically deprived children in public schools and take everyone else out? Maybe we could just do something radical like educate our children as the Texas Constitution actually requires. Maybe we could actually care whether the children of this state will grow up to be educated and responsible citizens one day and able to work at more than minimum wage jobs. Oh, wait. That takes money. Never mind.
Mack Green
The State is looking for ways to absolve itself from serving the educational needs of ALL of its young by shifting funding to local collection and distribution. In doing so the State will cause poor local districts to have poorly funded schools with an inferior education. Affluent districts will have superior schools.
A constitutional rewrite will add to the divide between Have Little and Have Lots and channel opportunity for success of our young toward affluent districts with better schools leaving poorer district children out of the running.
Incidentally, I would expect rewriting the State's responsibility of funding to further legitimize voucher coupons; coupons redeemable by For-Profits, evangelicals, flat earthers, survivalists, snake handlers, cultists, or any other faction or charter that could cobble together a State certification. Court review of funding abuse could also be written out of the new rewrite.
Pity our kids on the world playing field. Pity our kids for lacking a broad education necessary to become an informed rational citizen.
hans5162@ix.netcom.com hans
One of the complaints of the colonists prior to the Texas Revolution was the failure on the part of the Mexican government to provide funding for public education. As a resident of Houston, perhaps it's time to break away from the tyranny of Austin and join the United States. The plan to create more failing charter schools and give vouchers to support religious education at public expense is idiotic. Our current legislature is more concerned with gynecological regulation than they are in providing for the common welfare of our citizens. We need good public education, adequate transportation and water infrastructure. What they offer are corporate welfare, selling government to the highest bidder and public prayers. It's time to either govern or step aside and let adults take over. And finally, Gypsy, if you can't write a proper sentence, don't know about punctuation, captialization or spelling, think about whether you are the best advocate for vouchers and letting parents educate their children.