Posted on 03/23/2004 1:30:39 PM PST by hsmomx3
AUSTIN -- U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige told a Texas education reform group Monday night that education should be viewed as a social service that can address many social problems.
In his address to the nonprofit Texas Education Reform Foundation, Paige, former superintendent of Houston schools, pointed to a recent study that shows young men without proper educations are more likely to be in prison, on probation or on parole. Improving education, he said, can "improve economic development and improve the social fabric of a community."
Through local partnerships, the community -- not just parents -- can benefit from helping to improve the quality of education, he said.
"Public education is for the benefit of the public," he said.
He also suggested that teachers be given more resources in materials and training.
"In no other area do we have more leverage to making a change in quality than in the classroom," he said.
Touting President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, Paige also emphasized the importance of accountability.
Paige was the keynote speaker for the group's "Education Summit." Gov. Rick Perry is scheduled to address the group today.
Ugh. After the great conservative years of the 90's, where our entire movement came together, I never would have guessed that electing a Republican President would mark the complete death of the small government conservative movement that began in Goldwater's failed presidential campaign and culminated in the Republican takeover off the Congress.
Of course, I'll vote for Bush over Kerry, but I find it truly depressing that everything I grew up standing before has so quickly been destroyed. The era of small government is over.
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