According to the U.S. Department of Education our graduation rates are at an all-time high the third highest in the nation which represents a significant turnaround from just a few short years ago
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Gov. Rick Perry spoke at a meeting of the State Board of Education and reiterated his commitment to ensuring Texas has an accountable education system that provides students with the options they need to succeed in college or their careers. The governor outlined his priorities for increasing options in public education in his State of the State address including creating more public charter schools introducing scholarship programs that give students a choice in which school to attend and providing more flexibility in a students high school career to prepare them for different post-secondary options while maintaining rigorous academic standards.
Text of Governors Speech:
Thank you Chairwoman Barbara Cargill for that introduction and for all the hard work youre doing here at the State Board.
Your leadership and the contributions of all the board members is a key part in making a better Texas for tomorrow.
Id also like to give a special word to your new members who may not have been through this before: Relax youre going to do fine.
Tincy Miller knows what I mean shes done this drill.
Welcome back Tincy.
This isnt the easiest job in the world but as long as you work hard and remember the people who sent you here youll be an old hand at this in no time.
It is a tough job because in terms of philosophy this is really where the rubber meets the road in our ongoing efforts to improve our public education system.
Over the past 10 years you all have helped us vastly improve the rigor of our courses and the accountability of schools.
Education Week in fact recently scored our standards and accountability at over 90 percent a solid A.
As recently as 2004 however Texas hadnt merited much better than a C-plus.
That simply wasnt cutting it because the demands of the world economy demands students prepared to take on challengers from all across the globe.
There are other good signs.
According to the U.S. Department of Education our graduation rates are at an all-time high the third highest in the nation which represents a significant turnaround from just a few short years ago.
As I said during the State of the State this week we cant let up now.
Students have different goals after graduation and not every child thrives in the same settings and schools.
Texas academic future must be built with the flexibility necessary to serve those different students producing workers ready to step into any occupation or role necessary.
That future will by necessity involve more public charter schools which offer parents a tuition-free alternative to their neighborhood school.
Public charter schools already serve more than 150000 students across Texas and more than 100000 students are waiting for their chance to get in.
Its also time to introduce scholarship programs that give students a choice especially those who are locked into low-performing schools.
At the same time we have to continue encouraging teachers and administrators in traditional schools to produce excellent students.
While were giving students a choice of schools we should also give them more flexibility in the courses they take in high school to prepare them for whatever their goals may be without sacrificing our rigorous academic standards.
We also need to allow students access to additional Career Tech courses.
These courses in fields as far-ranging as engineering and veterinary science are efficient and common-sense ways to prepare students to graduate ready for hard-to-fill jobs across our state.
These jobs are stable and good-paying and all theyre waiting for are the skilled people to fill them.
I know late last year Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick called on you to double the number of approved Career Tech courses available and I think thats a great idea.
We need to continue working to find innovative smart ways to educate our children for the future because the future is already here.
I wish you all the best of luck in your terms and encourage you to continue doing all you can to make a Texas education the best education available.
May God bless you and through you may He continue to bless the great State of Texas.
