"You misrepresent his position. The TAKS test is a failure in Texas. The only reason it is implemented is for Federal funding, which Kinky believes is unneccesary. He wants education funded completely from Texas dollars, and he wants to raise pay to attract better teachers.
He recognizes the correlation between education and poverty/crime."
Here is his position on education:
Education
Texas has the second-largest population of any state in the country and three of the ten largest cities. That's an awfully big cart to pull with the horsepower we're currently giving our kids in Texas schools. An educated workforce and top-notch schools are essential to keeping our state attractive to new business, but we're failing the test.
Texas has the 8th largest economy in the world, but we're 1st in drop-out rates and 32nd in education spending in the country.
Teachers' salaries in Texas are over $6,000 below the national average. This lack of respect for the people who do our state's most important job must stop. As governor, Kinky will work to make sure that teachers are paid what they're worth. Period.
The TAKS test and its predecessor, TAAS, were invented essentially to make legislators look good on education. But studies show that rigid enforcement of standardized test scores doesn't help kids learn or make teachers more effective. Teach to the test and kids will learn the test—but not much else.
Sorry..I don't see solutions in the diatribe..perhaps i am not misrepresenting him so much as you are projecting your own mirage unto him.
You posted the solution from his website... more pay for teachers.
Why is education any different from other businesses? You get the best results when you get the best people. If we want educated kids, we need good teachers and we're not going to do that by paying $6,000 less than the national average.
Pfft.
TASP was before TAAS. It was originally implement because so many functionally illiterate students were being passed on. It was tied to Ross's pet project No Pass No Play. Standardized testing has been around alot longer than that in Texas, however it stopped once elementary school was over.
Part of the problem with the school system is the bloated administration, consultants and the waste of time and money for "seminars" teachers go to during the school year. Then there is the waste of time and energy making sure everyone has positive self-esteem because we are all the center of the universe. (Sing 2 verses of Kumbayah now) If teachers simply taught the 3R's the students would pass the tests.