Texas Association of Business Joins School Finance Suit
The Texas Association of Business announced today that it will join a school finance lawsuit against the state, demanding a study of Texas school system efficiency.
“The Constitution of Texas calls for the state to provide an efficient public school system, and in our view, clearly the school system is not efficient,” said Bill Hammond, the organization's president. “Only two-thirds of ninth-graders graduate in four years, and, of those who graduate, only a quarter are what we call career- or college-ready.”
Hammond hopes the suit will encourage the Legislature or the appropriate agency to produce a study into how ...
Comments (21)
Debra Haas via Texas Tribune on Facebook
School finance certainly makes for strange bedfellows...
Alma Rosa Vera via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This is what it is going to take for Austin to pay attention: TEAM WORK from all people who will benefit from an educated workforce! I applaud The Texas Association of Business for this!
Pun Nio via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Won't listen to the people. One party system in Texas has hurt all of us.
Jaye Ramsey Sutter via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The Constitution authors probably meant that we should efficiently educate Texas school children. If we were supposed to run a tight financial ship we wouldn't be paying for sports programs while academic programs suffer. That word "education" probably needs to be modified with an adjective--"academic education," not "athletic education." We would also get off the agrarian calendar and educate children on a schedule more in line with other Western Democracies whose students are beating us academically in science, math, and languages. It isn't just about employers. It is about how the entire society benefits from literate, educated people.
Scott Milder via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hey Bill, what makes you the authority on public school operations? Our public schools are the most efficient human enterprise in Texas. Our school leaders are working miracles daily as student performance by every measure continues to improve while the state slashes funding, mostly because people like you with agendas mislead our Legislature and public. You and your message are tired and irrelevant.
Leesa Monroe via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What an insult. This whole mess is happening because educating the masses is expensive and the only way to cut the state budget was to cut education. These business folks are so out of touch with what we deal with each day in our public schools. With all of the obstacles it's pretty amazing what we accomplish. People complain to me everydY
Leesa Monroe via Texas Tribune on Facebook
People complain to me everydY about what is wrong with our schools and all of their suggestions and solutions cost MORE money not less.
Proud Texan
Have the demographics and societal issues changed in Texas? Of course they have. Maybe these challenges have put downward pressure on academic performance that is totally unrelated to teacher quality or the local school district performance.
Has spending increased in public education?! Yes, because enrollment increases by approximately 80,000 students per year.
Public education is dealing with many challenges, most of which are ignored or not understood by TAB. It's strange. They want to attract businesses to move to Texas, but then don't want to pay to educate the children of the employees of those businesses.
Try to add some value to the debate, not just more hot air or unwelcome opinions.
Marcus D Cunningham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I believe the TAB is actually on the side of parents and students on this one. They pushed for improvements in the math standards that were passed, and they're acknowledging the fact that improvements may mean more spending. Certainly not a anti-education position. I disagree on the notion that business is the ultimate consumer of education though.
Danny Jones via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I don't see this as an insult. This is one more group that recognizes the results of years of funding cuts for education in Texas. They are not echoing Perry's constant mantra of "Cut, cut, cut." Schools are doing more with way less, but our students and teachers are still being horribly short-changed. Skip the outrage, and welcome supporters.
Danny Jones via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I think this says a lot about Perry's failed decade of so-called leadership.
Debbie Spencer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Perhaps they should add the word sufficient. The education we are paying for is insufficient for the needs the children will have when they reach adulthood.
Phillip Sanders via Texas Tribune on Facebook
When is everyone going to understand that not everyone is college bound. Those that aren't college bound need to be prepared for the work force when they leave high school. Athletics and other extra-curricular activities teach students skills that they would not learn in any other setting; i.e. leadership, responsibility, accountability, and work ethic. In fact with so many single parent households today it is very important to have these programs so that these young people have guidance. Many would not make it through high school and become successful adults without the guidance and influence of athletics.
Leesa Monroe via Texas Tribune on Facebook
did Danny read a different article than me? The lawsuit they joined does not support more money for public schools. In fact member of this organization are supporters of vouchers to use at private schools.
Matt Stillwell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
TAB is a big proponent of increased standardized testing under the banner of accountability, and efficiency is a veiled code word for cuts to administration. Neither of those does anything to address the structural problems of school funding or increase the quality of the education in our schools. At the end of the day, politics is getting in the way of serving the needs of our students, and that is a disservice done by the legislature to the people of Texas. That the Republican supermajority needs these lawsuits to provide political cover to do what's right by our schools is abhorrent.
Chris Frandsen
I think a good study of the efficiency of our public school education system is not a bad idea. I would think that the mission of the Texas Education Agency is to determine whether or not we are providing an efficient and effective system of public education. Are they not doing so already?
Bill Hammond and his organization has a history of supporting high stakes testing in Texas. By most measures these tests have not improved the performance of our students once they leave our education system yet he continues to support their use for accountability. Now he wants a study of our school system efficiency. Will the Texas Chamber of Commerce fund such a study? I suspect that he would not accept such a study done by TEA as being unbiased, does this mean he would like a private corporation(read one of his members) to do this study? How unbiased would that study be? If we got an outside academic or accreditation agency to do the study, would that be acceptable?
No one questions the fact that we have been spending less per capita on educating our children here in Texas than almost every other state in our great country and this has been the case for years. We do not need another study to show that we are not providing an efficient education to our children. In modern times we have never been in the top quartile of spending on our children's education. Here is an experiment, why don't we try being in the 3rd quartile for a few years. I suspect that the resulting student performance in colleges around the nation will prove that the past level of funding has not been efficient.
Mr Hammond should applaud anything that improves the workforce of Texas, right? Or are you, Mr Hammond, more interested in improving the short term bottom line of your members through tax reductions than improving the future of our children, Texas and, yes, even the future of your members' profits?
Dale Curry
Oh, the Texas Association of Business, the very ones who were indicted along with DeLay as part off his money laundering scheme in support of electing the very GOP legislators who gutted school finance. Too bad you can't take a legislature back like a malfunctioning clock radio. Frankly, it is because of Mr. Hammond and Tx Association of Business we find ourselves with this very reactionary and out of touch legislature. Thanks for nothing TAB.
JC DemocratofTejas
Hammond is a repug lobbyist. TAB hearts Tom DeLay, redistricting, et al. Wonder how many lawsuits they are involved in being the defendant. Heh.
Jim Arnold
When has the Wicky ever bothered with our Constitution? Only when it suits his evil purposes.
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gypsy314 ne
school vouchers, Anyone but Obama and liar democrats!