Gov. Perry on Public and Higher Education

Based upon the reaction out of Washington, I must have touched a nerve when I announced that Texas won't be pursuing the strings-attached federal stimulus funds known as Race to the Top (RTTT).

President Barack Obama and his administration have put a target on the backs of Texas leaders, taxpayers and employers because state leaders and lawmakers have proven that conservative principles can balance budgets, improve schools, clean the environment and help entrepreneurs create jobs.

Texans have also led the 10th Amendment charge to protect state sovereignty from threats like Obama's latest effort to circumvent the right of states to determine how to best educate their children.

The problem with RTTT funding is clear: Under the program's rules, Washington gives preference and dollars to states that agree to adopt national standards that haven't even been written yet.

Texans strongly support the high standards and strong accountability for our schools that have made us a national leader in both categories. Other states are even studying our approach, the first in the nation to make a college-preparatory curriculum the default for every student, as a basis for their own standards.

Texas is home to some of the country's most innovative charter schools, with more than 115,000 students on nearly 500 campuses. It has the largest merit pay program for outstanding public school teachers. I've also recently announced efforts to make it easier for students to learn via the Internet and called on legislators to bulk up our instruction in critical areas like science, technology, engineering and math.

I suspect there is some head-scratching going on in our nation's capital as federal officials try to figure out how our test scores are rising and our dropout rate falling without mandates or bribes from Washington.

Put simply, we have poured our efforts into preparing the state's students for the jobs of tomorrow.

Considering Texas is among the nation's leaders in standards, I imagine whatever federal standards are eventually agreed upon will be weaker than the ones we have now.

Adding injury to insult, the price tag to change all our text books and instructional materials to comply with Washington's vision for public education would be about $3 billion.

In return, Texas could expect to get back from Race To The Top as little as $75 a student, barely enough to fund our state's educational system for two days.

So turning down the strings-attached stimulus money was an easy call — in terms of ensuring our children get the best education possible and in simple matters of dollars and cents.

A few days after I made that announcement, the president said he wanted another $1.35 billion in borrowed dollars to expand RTTT so he could sidestep states and appeal directly to individual school districts that might be willing to sign away their authority in return for a quick infusion of some federal cash.

Why are Obama and his allies so insistent on funding only those who will accept federal strings and standards? Why not just fund good programs, like we do in Texas?

An answer might be found in a speech Secretary of Education Arne Duncan delivered early last year. Duncan said, "If we accomplish one thing in the coming years, it should be to eliminate the extreme variation in standards across America."

Let's set aside the argument that the "variation in standards" among states fosters innovation and a healthy competition that drives standards ever higher all over the country.

That's not what this seems to be about. This seems to be about one thing, and one thing only: federal control.

Washington doesn't have an issue with our programs. Washington doesn't have an issue with our academic or accountability standards. It just wants to make sure it calls the shots, not Texas educators, school boards and other elected officials.

Should Washington drop its focus on the adoption of national standards and simply allow states the freedom to use this money to fund quality programs on a one-time basis, we can consider possibly applying for future grants.

Until then, however, the education of our children is far too important to entrust to some federal bureaucrat toiling in a distant federal building.

In Texas, we are fighting to maintain our freedom to hold our children to high standards, because that's the only way Texas will maintain its established reputation as a national leader in job creation, innovation and quality of life.

Stresses education and job creation as keys to continued success in Texas

Gov. Rick Perry shared his message of fiscal responsibility today during visits to small businesses in Wichita Falls, Texarkana and Tyler. He stressed the importance of strengthening Texas’ education while maintaining a focus on job creation efforts as the keys to preparing an equipped workforce and overcoming the challenges of the struggling national economy.

Gov. Perry visited the Feed and Garden Store in Wichita Falls, North Forty in Texarkana, and Cavender’s Boot City in Tyler, all businesses that represent the foundation of what keeps our state’s economy moving forward.

In his remarks, Gov. Perry credited the comparative strength of Texas’ economy to four principles that Texas leaders have upheld including fiscal restraint, a predictable regulatory climate, a reasonable and fair legal system, and an accountable public school system that is better preparing our children to compete in the workforce.

“Because we have kept it simple and stuck to our guns, entrepreneurs know that they can succeed on their own merits without being taxed, regulated and frivolously sued out of existence,” said Gov. Perry. “They also know that our workforce is getting stronger by the day because we have improved the quality of public education by emphasizing accountability, teacher incentive pay and mastery of the basic subjects.”

The governor reiterated his recent proposal calling on the Texas Education Agency and the Department of Public Safety to work with local school districts to further leverage the privilege of a driver’s license as an incentive to keep students engaged in the education process.

“I believe that in order for high school-aged individuals to get and keep a driver's license they should be enrolled in school, be it bricks and mortar or our virtual high school, and, most importantly, working toward their diploma or GED,” said Gov. Perry. “This approach will not only give local school districts another tool in their efforts to reduce dropouts, it will also give students an incentive to do the work that will prepare them to compete in the workforce.”

Acknowledging the challenging economic climate posed by the national recession, the governor pledged to keep working until every Texan who wants a job has a job and noted that Texas’ commitment to upholding a business-friendly climate will lead the state to continued economic success. Texas economist Ray Perryman recently noted that Texas is the “last in and first out” when it comes to the current economic downturn, pointing to the job growth that Texas has experienced in three of the past six months. The Texas Workforce Commission has also reported that Texas created more private sector jobs than any other state in the nation over the last 10 years and has the lowest unemployment rate among the 10 largest states in the nation.

“The story of hardworking innovators coming together to attract the best and brightest is played out again and again all across Texas as people take advantage of the job-friendly climate we’ve created and risk their capital in pursuit of a vision,” said Gov. Perry. “The fact is, even though no one is immune to the effects of the economic downturn, Texas is better off than just about every other state, thanks to years of disciplined conservative leadership at every level.”

Additionally, Gov. Perry focused on fiscal responsibility by reiterating the need for Texas to amend its constitution with two key provisions: requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to approve tax increases and limiting spending growth to the combined growth rates of Texas’ population and inflation. Both amendments will ensure the continued fiscal discipline that allowed Texas to balance its budget in 2009 while setting aside billions for its Rainy Day fund and cutting taxes for more than 40,000 small businesses.

To ensure Texas continues providing a strong education to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive workplace, Gov. Perry has announced a proposed expansion of the state’s Virtual School Network to improve access to high quality, online courses for high school students and help recapture students who have dropped out of school. Gov. Perry has also called on doubling the number of Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (T-STEM) academies in an effort to educate more Texas students in the subjects required of an increasingly high tech economy and workplace, and expanding the UTeach Program in an effort to recruit university students earning math and science degrees into teaching.

Education, Job Creation and Fiscal Responsibility Keys to Continued Success in Texas

HOUSTON – Gov. Rick Perry today stressed the relationship between an educated workforce and our state’s continued economic success at Nicholas Earth Printing, a commercial printing company and Texas small business that has helped keep our state’s economy moving.

In his remarks, Gov. Perry called on the Texas Education Agency and the Department of Public Safety to work with local school districts to further leverage the privilege of a driver’s license as an incentive to keep students engaged in the education process.

“I believe that in order for high school-aged individuals to get and keep a driver's license they should be enrolled in school, be it bricks and mortar or our virtual high school, and, most importantly, working toward their diploma or GED,” said Gov. Perry. “This approach will not only give local school districts another tool in their efforts to reduce dropouts. It will also give students an incentive to do the work that will prepare them to compete in the workforce. ”

Gov. Perry also highlighted a recent report from the Texas Workforce Commission that said Texas has created more private sector jobs than any other state in the nation over the last 10 years and has the lowest unemployment rate among the 10 largest states in the nation.

“These remarkable numbers indicate an economy with a strong core and a state government committed to strong fiscal discipline that is willing to stick to the basics,” said Gov. Perry.

Gov. Perry stressed the need to maintain a focus on job creation efforts and uphold principles of fiscal responsibility as the keys to continuing Texas’ success.

“Entrepreneurs know that they can succeed in Texas on their own merits, without being taxed, regulated and frivolously sued out of existence,” said Gov. Perry. “They also know that our workforce is getting stronger by the day because we have improved the quality of public education by emphasizing accountability, teacher incentive pay and mastery of the basic subjects. ”

To ensure Texas continues providing a strong education to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive workplace, Gov. Perry most recently announced a proposed expansion of the state’s Virtual School Network. The expansion will improve access to high quality, online courses for high school students, especially those in rural schools and those educated at home. The proposal will also provide resources to recapture students who have dropped out of school.

“By expanding and leveraging the Texas Virtual Schools Network we can keep more young Texans engaged in their education and make that future workforce even stronger,” said Gov. Perry. “As we work to raise the quality of a Texas education even higher, we are also working to lock in some wise limits on spending to keep Texas strong in the days to come. ”

Gov. Perry also focused on fiscal responsibility by reiterating the need for Texas to amend its constitution with two key provisions: requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to approve tax increases and limiting spending growth to the combined growth rates of Texas’ population and inflation. Both amendments will ensure the continued fiscal discipline that allowed Texas to balance its budget in 2009 while setting aside billions for its Rainy Day fund and cutting taxes for more than 40,000 small businesses.

The governor pledged to keep working until every Texan who wants a job has a job and noted that Texas’ adherence to low taxes, fair laws and predictable regulations will lead the state to continued economic success. Texas economist Ray Perryman recently noted that Texas is the “last in and first out” when it comes to the current economic downturn, pointing to the job growth that Texas has experienced in three of the past six months and the fact that the state’s unemployment rate has remained two points below the national average.

“The story of hardworking innovators coming together to attract the best and brightest is played out again and again all across Texas as people take advantage of the job-friendly climate we’ve created and risk their capital in pursuit of a vision,” said Gov. Perry. “The fact is, even though no one is immune to the effects of the economic downturn, Texas is better off than just about every other state, thanks to years of disciplined conservative leadership at every level. ”

Other education initiatives proposed by Gov. Perry include doubling the number of Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (T-STEM) academies in an effort to educate more Texas students in the subjects required of an increasingly high tech economy and workplace, and expanding the UTeach Program to five more higher education institutions in an effort to recruit university students earning math and science degrees into teaching.

Career Colleges and Schools of Texas Endorses Gov. Perry for Re-election

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today received the endorsement of Career Colleges and Schools of Texas (CCST) for re-election in 2010.

"The Career Colleges and Schools of Texas proudly endorses and supports Gov. Rick Perry as a true partner in providing the most attractive business climate for our graduates to flourish and contribute to the Texas economy," said CCST Board Chair Maureen K. Clements.

CCST is the state association for private, post-secondary institutions that prepare people for today's jobs and promising careers. There are approximately 200 colleges and schools in the state with more than 154,000 students enrolled. These institutions offer a wide range of occupational curriculum which enable more students to reach their career goals, provide employers with a large pool of skilled workers, and ultimately expand the state's tax base by attracting and expanding business in Texas. More than 154,000 students are enrolled

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of Career Colleges and Schools of Texas, and grateful for their efforts to strengthen Texas education and offer more Texans the chance of a successful, promising career.” said Gov. Perry. “I look forward to working with them to ensure Texans are prepared for the challenges of an increasingly competitive workplace and remain committed to fostering an economy that allows Texans to take hold of opportunity and achieve success.”

McKinney schools won’t be receiving funds from the federal government’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top program, as governor Rick Perry has decided Texas will not be submitting an application for what is being billed as a national competition to advance school reform. Under the program, the state would have been eligible for up to $700 million in grants if it earned points in such areas as turning around failing schools, showing improvement in teacher effectiveness, and having quality charter schools.

"Tonight’s debate gave Texans the chance to hear competing visions for our state’s future while reflecting on the remarkable success story our state has written over the last several years.

"As our nation’s economy continues to struggle, our best prospects lie with maintaining our job-friendly climate, continuing to strengthen our education system, keeping our border secure and pushing back against the flood of misguided policies pouring out of Washington.

"I hope that our success has earned the confidence of Texas voters and that they will continue supporting me in leading our state with hard work, innovation and careful fiscal stewardship."