The Business of Standardized Testing in Texas

Standardized testing is a billion dollar industry in Texas.  Pearson Education, one of the four testing companies that dominate the market nationally, has a testing contract with Texas that's costing the taxpayers a half-a-billion dollars and providing the private business sector with generous profits.  I suppose this is small potatoes considering the 5.4 billion dollar budget cut in Texas Education, thanks mostly to our shortsighted Governor, Rick Perry.

These standardized test are a result of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 introduced by Texas's own lovable (seriously), President George W. Bush.  The well intended Act was a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965), an aid program for disadvantaged students, and requires States to administer standardized tests in order to receive federal funding.

In Texas, it appears that we're leaving kids behind.  Throughout the years, Texas politicians have demanded more tests and higher scores in order for students to graduate.  Poor schools, which tend to score lower than the rich schools were subject to closures.  In 2009, the Texas Legislature introduced STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness), the biggest and most severe of any testing the state has applied before.  This testing program requires students to pass 15 exams at the end of the 15 required high school courses.  This is in addition to normal testing and for the first time, these standardized tests will account for 15% of a student's grade in that course.  Children in Texas school districts now devote, on average, 45 out of 180 days to testing or prepping for these required tests. 

These tests are deemed "standardized" because theoretically students are asked the same questions under similar conditions and their answers are scored the same.  We have to question these "similar conditions."  Many of these students come from low income families, one parent homes, suffer from health problems and/or learning disabilities. They attend poorly funded schools with insufficient supplies and underpaid teachers and subsequently are held accountable for inadequate and inequitable education.

When the Texas Legislature met in January for their scheduled biennial meeting, newly re-elected Speaker of the House Joe Straus said "Teachers and parents worry that we have sacrificed classroom inspiration for rote memorization.  To parents and educators concerned about excessive testing: The Texas House has heard you." 

This is hopeful, as other lawmakers like Representative Joe Deshotel and  have stepped forward this year in an attempt to completely abolish standardized testing.  "It creates a false sense that we are educating children because we test them a lot. It's a no-win situation if you can't pass these tests, and so many of our kids are having trouble passing," says Deshotel.

 Class inequality has increased substantially in this Country and child poverty has more than doubled.  26% of Texas children live in poverty, higher than the national average.  Now is the time to start teaching our children rather than testing them and stop lining the pockets of billionaires like Pearson.

Why Pay Now, When You Can Pay Later?

Michael Quinn Sullivan opposes new taxes! This is no surprise coming from the president and CEO of EmpowerTexans, and founder of the political advocacy group, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR).  In his article, "Stupidity isn't Bravery," Sullivan wonders why Texas State Representative Jimmie Don Aycock, "wants to saddle Texans with higher taxes and put the brakes on the state's economy."

According to Sullivan, Rep. Aycock, who is also the new chairman of the House Public Education Committee, referred to the tax increase as "bravery," and Sullivan thinks it's stupidity.  Hence the article title.  Clever.

In 2001, Texas began borrowing money for road construction and within a decade, that debt grew  to nearly 12 billion.  Today it's estimated that TxDOT is 13 billion in the hole.  With population growth comes infrastructure needs and Texas cannot  continue to incur debt that our children will be burdened with.  So a few words that I associate with the possible gas tax increase, that hasn't been raised in 20 years by the way, are; necessity, obligation and reality.

This article stems from State Sen. Kevin Eltife's gas tax proposal but Michael Quinn Sullivan seems to be after Rep. Aycock essentially accusing him of supporting the gas tax to misuse the funds on silly things like public education, DPS, and the State Highway Fund. 

 Eltife, R-Tyler said back in February, "It's the same thing I've been saying forever.  It really isn't a special proposal.  My call is that we have sold $13 billion in debt the last 10 years.  We have maxed out the credit card, and I always said we should pay cash and not go into debt."

There is no real substance or argument in this article. "The enforcer," as some call him, is a real gem. He provides us with no solution and therefore I can only conclude that his intention is to incite more anger in his already angry but "fiscally responsible" audience. By fiscally responsible, I mean conservatives who don't want to invest in the community in a responsible pay-as-you-go manner but instead want to push debt onto  future generations and conceal it behind Rick Perry's claim of economic success in Texas.