Posted on 01/15/2010 2:27:00 AM PST by maddog55
Texas won't compete for up to $700 million in federal stimulus money for education because the program "smacks of a federal takeover of our public schools," Republican Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday.
The funding is from the U.S. Department of Education's "Race to the Top" program, a $5 billion competitive fund that will award grants to states to improve education quality and results. The program, created in the economic stimulus law, is part of Democratic President Barack Obama's efforts to overhaul the nation's schools.
Perry has been critical of the federal stimulus program and the federal bailout of the nation's financial institutions. He previously turned down $555 million in federal stimulus money for the state's unemployment fund because it would have required Texas to expand its unemployment benefits.
However, the state did accept billions of dollars of federal stimulus money to help balance its two-year budget in 2009.
Perry stood next to Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott and representatives of teachers' unions and said taking the money would force the state to adopt national education and testing standards and result in Texas losing its autonomy in educating children.
The education program is pushing for a link between student test scores and teacher pay. Other reforms it is asking for include turning around the lowest-achieving schools and building data systems that measure student growth and success and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
God bless Texas. Now, if only the other states that are looking at declining obamacare would do the same—it MIGHT send a message. Then again....
All states need to do the same thing. They all complain about the federal government running everything but they have no qualms about taking the money that permits the feds to do that.
Wonder if Perry feels the same way about the NAFTA Superhighway....and the North American Union?
Sounds like political posturing. I cannot trust someone who so recently was nothing more than a seditious extreme Anti-American Globalist
“I cannot trust someone who so recently was nothing more than a seditious extreme Anti-American Globalist”
Well, there is THAT if you want to be picky. I remember that time very well.
Note to Gov. Perry... Wake up, idiot. The Feds ALREADY have taken over public education in the US. If you really want to get the Feds out of Texas, get Texas out of the US.
It’s time to take back the he country.
Was? Whaddya’ mean was? He still is!
God bless Texas. Now, if only the other states that are looking at declining obamacare would do the same—’
Pushing back against the beltway bunch is foable-
Governors need to realize that they will be NObama puppets if they don’t recognize their own states rights.
Praise Texas, yet again! Don’t look for my commie state to do anything like this. Jenny GranWhore would probably get on her knees for this money.
Seriously - there is a relocation in my future, but who could sell a house in Michigan right now?
Did you watch the debates last night? Deborah Medina pretty much cleaned the floor with Hutchinson and Perry in my opinion. There is a link here to watch.
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