Nowhere to go but up
You Texas chauvinists who would rather wave the state flag than face up to reality may not want to read any further because you may be offended. Not that I really care, but I am just trying to save you some time.
I (a Texas native, for the record) hope the rest of you have had the opportunity by now to have read or heard something about the state’s latest report card. Not the rosetinted one from the governor’s office, but the realistic “Texas on the Brink” report released yesterday by the Legislative Study Group. If you haven’t, click on The Texas Tribune link at the bottom of this post.
It is realistic, but not pretty. Similar to previous reports that used to be compiled periodically by former state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso, the latest report shows Texas at or near the bottom in just about every quality of life category that can be considered good and leading or near the front of the pack in most categories that are bad or ugly.
For longtime observers of state government, of course, this really isn’t much in the way of news. It just reinforces the reality that Texas – despite all the bluster of its political leaders – is a very difficult, even dangerous, place for millions of people to call home. And this is before all the proposed cuts in education and health care that have been laid out for lawmakers during this legislative session.
Without reciting all the statistics, I will note one that should be particularly galling for parents and business people, including some of the governor’s top political donors. Texas is 50th – dead last among the states in the percentage of its population 25 and older with a high school diploma.
This clearly is not the fault of teachers, school administrators or anyone else in the education profession. This ultimately is the fault of the state’s political leaders who, despite tons of rhetoric, have refused to adequately and equitably fund the state’s school finance system. And, if the governor and legislative leaders have their way, they will retreat even further from that responsibility this session.
Yes, education requires more than money. It also requires dedicated teachers, strong curricula and administrative efficiency. But dedication doesn’t pay the teachers’ bills, build classrooms, buy textbooks, purchase computers and equip science labs. And efficiency goes only so far.
It is not part of this report, but Texas ranks 37th among the states in perpupil expenditures on public education.
Texas’ horrible graduation rate also is directly impacted by some of the other poor statistics on the state’s report card, notably the fact that Texas leads the nation in the percentage of children without health insurance and is fourth in the percentage of children living in poverty.
Simple survival – not a high school diploma – is the No. 1 priority of children and families constantly struggling with illness and hunger.
Not so incidentally, Texas ranks 47th among the states in tax expenditures per capita. That may make some shortsighted politicians proud, but it is shortchanging millions of their constituents their taxpaying constituents.
-From The Texas Tribune
