Grading Texas

Arizona’s sunstroke over immigration may soon exact a financial penalty from students in one of that state’s larger school districts.

Tom Horne, Arizona’s superintendent of public instruction, backed a new state law designed to ban ethnic studies in the state’s public schools. It was signed by Gov. Jan Brewer a few weeks after the state’s more widely publicized antiimmigration statute, and it stems from the same political phobia.

Now, Horne is threatening to withhold 10 percent of basic state aid from the Tucson Unified School District when the new law goes into effect Dec. 31, according to an article in Education Week.

The education law prohibits public schools from providing classes designed for a specific ethnic group, advocating ethnic solidarity or promoting resentment toward a race or group of people. Horne contends that the ban applies to ethnic studies courses offered at Tucson Unified, a claim denied by Tucson Unified, which intends to continue offering the classes.

Horne also asked the district to videotape all of its ethnic studies classes during the fall semester, a “Big Brother” intrusion that Sean Arce, the district’s director of Mexican American studies, also plans to ignore.

“The classroom is the domain of the teacher and student,” Arce said.

This controversy probably will simmer for a while, long enough to boost Horne’s conservative support for his campaign for the Republican nomination for Arizona attorney general.

His superintendent’s term expires at the end of the year. It is unfortunate, perhaps, for Arizonians that he is running for attorney general. Texans are fortunate, though, that he didn’t move here and run for our State Board of Education, where he probably would feel right at home.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/08/11/37arizona_ep.h29.html?tkn=ZPTF5z8CEYT5qb6NvlBDjukb6zKI6YUWWkOH&cmp=clpedweek

Public education isn’t a partisan issue, or at least it shouldn’t be. But that is exactly what Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Texas Republicans in Congress are intent on making it. Texas’ public schools are substantially underfunded, and Texas educators are underpaid.

Yet, even in the face of an $18 billion state revenue shortfall next year, Perry snubs his nose at $830 million in additional federal funds to help save teacher jobs and assist school districts struggling with tight budgets. With other state Republican “leaders” chiming in, the governor says he doesn’t want to accept the money because it would commit the state to keep up its own share of funding for the public schools.

That’s a pretty weak rationale, when you think about it, about as weak as Perry’s commitment to school teachers and school kids. Perry also claimed the requirement was unconstitutional, but people with more legal expertise have pretty much shot down that argument.

Despite Perry and Texas’ Republican congressmen, the U.S. House today gave final approval to a $10 billion package of emergency education funding worth $830 million to our state, saving perhaps as many as 14,500 educator jobs here. The bill accomplishes that without adding to the federal deficit. It is fully funded by various budgetary offsets.

All the House Republicans from Texas (except Randy Neugebauer of Lubbock, who didn’t vote) voted against the bill. If you are an educator or a parent or a taxpayer who cares about the state of your public schools, remember their names: Joe Barton of Ennis (the BP apologist), Kevin Brady of The Woodlands, Michael Burgess of Lewisville, John Carter of Round Rock, Michael Conaway of Midland, John Culberson of Houston, Louie Gohmert of Tyler, Kay Granger of Fort Worth, Ralph Hall of Rockwall, Jeb Hensarling of Dallas, Sam Johnson of Plano, Kenny Marchant of Coppell, Michael McCaul of Austin, Pete Olson of Sugar Land, Ron Paul of Lake Jackson, Ted Poe of Humble, Pete Sessions of Dallas, Lamar Smith of San Antonio and Mac Thornberry of Clarendon.

Both U.S. Sens. from Texas, Republicans Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, already had voted against the bill when it was before the Senate last week.

All the House Democrats from Texas (except Ruben Hinojosa of Mercedes, who missed the vote but issued a statement endorsing the measure) voted for the bill. They are Henry Cuellar of Laredo, Lloyd Doggett of Austin, Chet Edwards of Waco, Al Green of Houston, Gene Green of Houston, Charlie Gonzalez of San Antonio, Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston, Eddie Bernice Johnson of Dallas, Solomon Ortiz of Corpus Christi, Silvestre Reyes of El Paso and Ciro Rodriguez of San Antonio.

Is the governor still going to try to snub the money?

Members of Congress vote. So do school teachers, and a very important election is drawing near.