State of education; no free healthcare
State of education
A few years ago, Texas legislators in Austin — not schoolteachers or other bona fide educators — dictated that high school students had to pass 15 state exams to graduate.
That didn’t seem to fix anything, so they slashed the required tests to five.
Now some politicians say that students who fail the tests should graduate anyway (in a bill pending in the Senate Education Committee).
Others want to dismantle public school systems by adding charter schools and by giving students vouchers to pay for private or religious schooling.
Elsewhere, State Board of Education members fight among themselves to rewrite history, question science and promote political and religious views in school books.
Meanwhile, teachers’ unions seem more interested in tenure than in educating students.
Classroom performance, the unions argue, cannot be measured, so good and mediocre teachers should be paid the same.
Then there are highly qualified, dedicated, underpaid teachers who spend their own money on classroom supplies to give students the best possible education despite all the talk, tactics and turmoil emanating from Austin and local school boards.
Maybe someone should ask teachers to fix our schools.
— Jim Pitts, Fort Worth
No free healthcare
Every day we receive information about obtaining free government money.
Recently a person, in a STEW response, stated Texas could solve the border problem by providing free healthcare.
Nothing is free.
The federal government has no money. The state government has no money. The local government has no money.
All government money comes from your pocket. Every government expense is paid by your taxes and fees.
Free healthcare for others is paid by you.
— Harold L. Smith,
Arlington
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This story was originally published February 24, 2015 at 5:40 PM with the headline "State of education; no free healthcare."