Educating Our Legislators

Governor Rick Perry has been beating his chest about how well Texas is doing economically compared to other states, but at what cost---the education of our children? 9.3 billion dollars has been chopped from the state budget, and it was chiseled from the revenue for public education.

What are these legislators thinking? What is the impact of their decision?

Thousands of teachers and administrators will be fired. Teachers will lose a conference period during which they do their planning, tutoring and grading, suggesting that they will do even more work at home.

Schools will be closed and the classroom size will go from 30 (already too large for individual attention) to 40 (impossible for individual attention). Imagine, if you will, 40 nine year olds in a room with one teacher for six hours. Then take away her planning period, her assistant, freeze or reduce her salary, and raise the cost of her health care (all decisions for resolving the crisis). Who will want to do this important work going forward?

College students training to be teachers have been told to stay in school, to become certified in several subjects, and to be ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers. This advice is intended to make them more marketable if and when the possibility for a teaching job becomes a reality in the future, because there sure is no chance of it now. They have even been told to find new careers. Who will do this work in the future after we dissuade students from choosing the career now?

I have already written about how much trouble we are having with producing educated students who are well trained to contribute to society, who will become an effective and successful work force, and who will be the vehicle for moving America forward. Now, I fear we are solidifying my worst fears. What was a challenge because of all the problems in society and the family will now become an impossible task.

Make your voice heard, parents. Only you can stop our legislators from committing this crime against our children.