Posted on 01/14/2010 4:01:55 AM PST by truthandlife
Texas will not compete for a potential $700 million in federal grant funding for schools, Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday, because it could give Washington too much say in deciding what the state's students should learn.
His decision to forgo the money available in the Race to the Top grant competition defied pleas from local school leaders who said their districts could use it. But Perry, joined by state Education Commissioner Robert Scott, said the funding came with too many federal strings — such as having to adopt national curriculum standards.
“Our states and our communities must reserve the right to decide how we educate our children and not surrender that control to a federal bureaucracy,” Perry said in Houston, where many superintendents had lobbied for his support of the grant.
Thirty-nine other states and the District of Columbia have told the U.S. Department of Education they intend to apply for the first round of the Race to the Top funding. The $4 billion will go to those that embrace certain reform efforts such as national standards, charter schools and the use of student test scores in teachers' job evaluations. Texas and Alaska are the only states not to join a common standards initiative.
Perry's decision to stay out of the grant contest drew praise from local teachers groups, who oppose some of the ideas promoted by the grant. State lawmakers generally split along party lines.
Based on its size, Texas could have qualified for $350 million to $700 million — or $75 to $150 per student.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Smart move.
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Perry’s main rival in the Republican gubernatorial primary, also supports local curriculum standards but questioned Perry’s motives for rebuffing the grant.
“We all believe that Texas children should be taught by Texas standards and hope that today’s decision was more about the state of our schools and not election-year politics,” said Hutchison spokesman Jeff Sadosky.
Bill White, the former Houston mayor and a Democratic candidate for governor, said Perry should have applied for the grant and tailored it to the state’s school improvement goals.
“To improve our schools at no cost to local property taxpayers,” White said in a statement, “we need to get back the tax dollars sent by Texans to Washington.”
I love Texas. Never been there in my life, but I’m going to go there to spend some money there.
MM, this topic might be of interest to homeschoolers. This is a warning to those who want universal vouchers - the government never just hands money over, they always want control. Think well before you sell your birthright for a mess of pottage, or a pot of message.
Amen.
Senator.. do you mean to tell me these kids have a going price for which you are willing to exchange them for? That is far more shameful that “election year politics”.
Well who knows, maybe Perry WILL be a presidential contender some day. Unfortunately our state RINO has decided she’s done enough damage in Washington and is now running for governor to try to help insure a Democrat wins.
One of the few, spotty reasons I like Perry; at least over Hutchison. He is the “best” choice for governor at this point.
The money is not for education or the benefit of children. The money is for educators.
The teaching profession is a drag on education and our children.
Ho ho, Kay Kay...
Kill kill the NEA!
(and the US DOE)
Make sure, that when you do, not to spend all your time in Dallas, Houston or Austin. Texas is much more than that.
What a load. She knows there are strings. She probably added some herself.
Take one fedgov dollar, and they then control thousands of local dollars.
Lawnguy, come on down! We love our state.
such manipulative headlines should be edited when posting IMO
[“To improve our schools at no cost to local property taxpayers,” White said in a statement, “we need to get back the tax dollars sent by Texans to Washington.”]
This PROVES that Democrats are totally lost about from where the government gets it’s money! I pay taxes to the government and I am a local property taxpayer - then it IS costing me money!
More importantly, what did one of those old, white, wig-wearing founding fathers say? “Those who would trade in their freedom for their protection deserve neither.” - Benjamin Franklin. That is basically what Whites wants - give up our local control for the financial protection of the US government - NO THANKS!!
BUMP, I heard him talking about it yesterday.
Resist Obamunism, Mmmm mmmm mmmmm
The rest of the time....feh!
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