Education Finance
Because government assistance is a bad thing…
Eliminating the class size limit would eliminate up to 12,000 teacher jobs. But according to Florence Shapiro, it’s really about local control. Education Week: Texas Battle Looms on Class-Size Limit “It would give flexibility to superintendents. It strengthens local control and gives them the opportunity to save some dollars,” she said, noting that school officials [...]
Honor Program Options
In general, I don’t think “starting off” at a community college to get a four year degree is a good idea for most people. This isn’t necessarily a criticism of the education quality at community colleges but rather a recognition that unless a student is especially focused and motivated, his or her chances for graduation [...]
Looking at numbers
Study finds inequality in Texas education funding – Houston Business Journal: High schools also tended to receive 18 percent more funding than elementary or middle schools, as did schools with more senior teachers. So what do you think accounts for the 18% difference? A need to pay teachers more for teaching advanced subjects like physics [...]
This passes for leadership in Texas
Unbelievable. MySA.com: State Government Higher education cuts included a $6 million veto for a San Antonio Life Sciences Institute. The University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas Health Science Center had jointly asked for it, saying it would stimulate growth of the city’s biomedical and biotechnology industries and spur commercialization of [...]
And this is going to be a fair process because?
MySA.com: Metro | State AUSTIN — A proposal touted by Gov. Rick Perry to boost university funding based on graduation rates is getting a new push from some leaders who worry he may veto a big swath of the higher education budget unless he gets some reforms he wants. And people complain about how unfair [...]
But $200 million would be too expensive
House OKs plan to suspend gas tax for summer | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle The Texas House tentatively adopted a measure today that would suspend the state’s 20-cent gas tax through the summer months. That would mean an immediate 20-cent drop in the price per gallon. House OKs plan to suspend gas tax for summer [...]
It’s more than I expected
Without ever showing how the top ten percent rule was hurting the University of Texas at Austin, UT President Bill Powers managed to get a cap on the number of admissions. Top 10-percenters may face UT admission limit | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle After admitting half of its 2008 freshman class under the top 10 [...]
Meaningless numbers?
I’ve been spending way too much time on the College Results Online website but it provides basic information that you won’t find on any college website. I’ve actually downloaded some of the Texas data into a spreadsheet to take a closer look at patterns and such–what can I say, my thesis was on dropout statistics? [...]
Reap what you sow
Isn’t it a business axiom that you’ve got to spend money to make money? MySA.com: State Government: Ellis wants lawmakers to invest close to $1 billion for the TEXAS Grant program that helps middle-class and lower-income students pay for college. That would more than double current spending on the scholarship program. Senate Finance Chairman Steve [...]
If only they would give us money
Charter school network could rival HISD | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle: “If we learn from (KIPP’s expansion), then it will be great for the district,” said HISD trustee Harvin Moore, a former KIPP board member. “If we continue to treat them as if it’s us against them and make excuses for why they do better [...]