Abbott, in Houston, unveils more education ideas

[TexasTowelie]

Education again took center stage in the Texas governor's race Wednesday as Republican candidate Greg Abbott unveiled a second round of proposals to reform the state's system.

His plan include a state takeover of Texas' 15 lowest-performing elementary schools, to be run as an "achievement school district" similar to charter-school-heavy reform efforts in Tennessee and New Orleans.

The proposal was part of a package of reforms Abbott unveiled at Northbrook High School in west Houston.

He also backed a parent trigger law, similar to a controversial law in California, that would allow parents to vote to reorganize a school that had received Texas' lowest rating two years in a row.

More at http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Abbott-in-Houston-unveils-more-education-ideas-5424988.php .

[mbperrin]

1. To be fair, the headline says they are ideas,

not necessarily good ideas.

These in particular mostly stink like fish on toast.

[TexasTowelie]

2. Expect all 15 elementary schools to be in majority black school districts.

It's the GOP way to ensure that the children will be brainwashed for generations to come.

[DhhD]

3. If School Improvement Is The Goal, Lawmakers Will Not Embrace, Texans for Education Reform,

Privztization Agenda

http://texasaftblog.com/hotline/?p=3723

If School Improvement is the Goal, Lawmakers Will Not Embrace “Texans for Education Reform” Privatization Agenda

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Texas AFT Staff


The Texas House Public Education Committee’s April 22 hearing showcased the agenda of “Texans for Education Reform,” a well-funded group that emerged last year as a leading force in efforts at the legislature to declare public schools a failure and privatize them. The group’s agenda includes multiple mechanisms for takeover of neighborhood schools and handover of those schools to private operators. Yet none of these mechanisms are backed up by educational research.

Texas AFT legislative spokesman Ted Melina Raab testified that “privatization and ‘charterization’ of the operation of public schools, notwithstanding saturation levels of well-financed hype, are not evidence-based, effective, scalable strategies for improvement of public schools.” On behalf of Texas AFT, Melina Raab urged the committee to steer toward evidence-based options for improving student outcomes, including community schools, universal full-day pre-kindergarten, smaller class sizes, and ensuring that students have experienced teachers trained in the subjects they teach. Here’s a link to his testimony, replete with extensive documentation in support of each option. Look for more coverage of the debate over strategies for school improvement in upcoming Hotlines.
- See more at: http://texasaftblog.com/hotline/?p=3723#sthash.ZwMjhsYx.dpuf

[TBF]

4. Perry came out today against standardized testing -

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/11/texas-standardized-tests_n_3422231.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Our local teabaggerati superintendent sent a letter yesterday babbling about how we shouldn't be sending so much money to the Pearson Company (yes, really!) so there has obviously been some pretty strong backlash going on. People don't want these tests and recent studies are showing that the charters aren't improving things.

Abbott is not making a very good tactical move here imo ...