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Education & Affordable Housing
Profound philosophical differences were at the heart of state government’s failure to make progress on “reforming” and funding Texas’ public schools during the past legislative session.
At least four competing ideas did battle in Austin during the regular and two special sessions recently concluded. None were able to gain majority support.
One group of legislators took the position that it was the responsibility of public education to provide a “world class” education for all children. Anything less would make Texas’ children less than fully competitive in the 21st century. Various estimates suggested that another $10-$12 billion, in addition to the $30 billion-plus currently being spent on public education, would be required to reach the goal.
Rep. Harold V. Dutton (D-Houston) said, “If you want to see a real miracle in Texas’ public schools, spend the biggest part of the $10-$12 billion on all children in pre-K through third grade. Then you would begin to see a real education miracle in Texas."
A second view of the state’s responsibility to public education was loosely based on the state constitution, originally written in 1876 that required the state to provide an “adequate suitable education.” This group of lawmakers broke into two factions.
One faction was willing to appropriate $3 billion more state money to fund public schools for the next two school years but only if educators were willing to take a hard look at how to make schools more efficient.
“Every industry in the country has gone through this process during the past few years and there is no reason the schools shouldn’t,” said Rep. Kent Gruseendorf (R-Arlington), chair of the House public education committee.
Those pushing this position expected to find $3-$5 billion in efficiency savings. Add this “found money” to an increase in the appropriation and the schools would have had $6-$8 billion more to spend they suggested.
The other faction had decided before the legislative session began that the state is already spending enough on public schools and that pushing administrators, teachers, students and support staff harder is the best way to improve public schools. This group aimed to fund teaching only the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. Anything beyond the basics would be a local responsibility.
Republican Governor Rick Perry spoke for this group during the regular session when he called for “more education for the money, not more money for education.” House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland echoed Perry by dictating that any new tax bill would have to be “revenue neutral” meaning that there would be no new money for Texas public schools coming from Craddick’s House.
Public schools will start the 2005-2006 school year with roughly the same level of state aid that they have had since 1998 while expecting between 75,000 and 100,000 new students. Local districts have been willing to make up the difference since the late 90s but many have reached their property taxing limits.
It would seem that those who have been arguing that public schools do not need more money won the philosophical debate during the 79th legislative sessions. But Texans may not want them to continue winning.
Dr. Steve Murdock, the state’s designated “State Demographer,” forecasts in “The Texas Challenge in the 21st Century” that, assuming “current patterns of service (education, etc.) and access,” the state will become older, less educated, less skilled and be earning less by 2040.
A fourth group wanted to do away with public schools altogether.
Rep. Bob Griggs (R-North Richland Hills), former principal and school superintendent, sent a letter to Texas superintendents August 25 alerting them to this danger and said that there were those in the legislature who blamed the education establishment for the state’s education problems.
According to Griggs, this group believed “the system can not be fixed without wiping the slate clean and starting from scratch.”
Texas currently ranks below the national average in student performance, teacher pay and dollars spent per child in its public schools and has since the earliest days of the Republic. Furtermore, the United States now lags behind many of its most fierce international competitors in academic areas that drive future innovation and economic development in an increasingly complex and competitive economic environment.
Texans will decide in the coming years what its future will be. Does it want to compete with China or Georgia? Does it want to get older and poorer or older and smarter?
Texas will decide which philosophy of public education to support and the decision will affect all Texans far into the future.
© Copyright World Internet News 2006-07
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