A child’s future should not be hindered or dictated by economic status, place of residence or personal aspiration that does not conform with a one-size-fits-all curriculum and poor performing schools that never seem to change. Every parent and student should have the opportunity to choose which educational philosophy they will participate in without interference.
Consistent with these objectives for a public education system, the Texas Legislature has been debating and approving a package of legislative initiatives backed by the bipartisan group Texans for Education Reform.
The goal of these reforms is to create a public education system that fosters learning while exceeding national and state standards through rigorous academics, evidence-based practices, and real world experiences.
Two reforms are critical. A Parent Trigger bill would allow parents to petition to reconstitute, convert to charter schools or close failing schools in three years as opposed to six years. In Achievement School District legislation, schools that are unacceptable for two consecutive school years under the state’s rating system would leave their districts and join other failing schools in a Texas Achievement School District, which would have educational experts to improve these schools.
These two measures offer Hispanic and African-American parents and students, who are mired in low performing schools in Texas, improved, effective and vital tools to reconstitute their local school, create a new learning system or close it down, if necessary.
“Texas education system must change for our future”, Ramiro Mojarro, Marcelo Tafoya, Fidel Acevedo & Arnoldo Torres, San Antonio Express-News, May 8, 2013.
Also see this earlier post about Ramiro’s press conference at City Hall last week.