Stage 2: Perry's Education Policy

Education policy is a primary issue of concern in each state’s government, and in Texas, new education policy appears to be on the horizon. As Kate Alexander described is her article "Perry’s Education Record Distinctly Different from Bush’s", things are not looking bright for the future of Texas public education. In the days when G. W. Bush was governor, improving education was a first and foremost priority for him as seen by his efforts to implement “No Child Left Behind” and the drastic improvement in standardized test scores during his term. Though over the past decade, Texas scores have dropped dramatically and Texas is currently ranked last for percentage of resident over 25 with a diploma. This is seemingly due to Governor Perry’s lack of priority concerning these education issues. Though he has raised the accountability standards for public schools to meet, he has also allowed loopholes in the system to allow failing students to appear to be passing. All this does is inflate the scores, making texas appear stronger than it actually is. Perhaps most controversial is the new education budget which he recently signed which was drastically reduced from previous years. This new budget almost guarantees that schools will no longer have the basic funding to provide an education for each student that will prepare them for the work environment. Governor Perry’s education legacy is sure not to be a good one.

This article is worth reading because it gives a brief look toward the future of education in Texas and goes into detail about Governor Perry’s position on the issue. Furthermore, it traces the implementations of the different education policies over the past decade and their respective successes and failures.