Public Education: No Longer a Texas Legislation Priority

“Why no commitment to the next generation?” is an opinion-based article, geared towards all Texas residents, written by Nick Jimenez; the editorial page editor, for the Corpus Christi Caller Times that can be found by clicking on this link. Jimenez presents an argument that Texas legislation is no longer concerned with public education; rather it is being put “just ahead of welfare for deadbeats.”

Jimenez states that the legislator’s $4 billion public education cuts come with many excuses including; schools having over-paid administrators, too much waste and simply giving the voters what they wanted, less taxes.  The basis of his argument concludes within his statement, “less money means cuts in programs, kids deprived of learning opportunities and the degradation of public education.” Currently, Texas is one of the fastest growing states in America adding over 845,000 students to the public education system in the past 10 years and nothing has been allotted towards this growth.

It would seem that Jimenez has created a valid argument as we continue to push away from the idea of providing a better education for future generations inside of our legislation. The formula for public education funding, while faulty, was the first in line for budgeting by the Democrats and Republicans, it will now get what is left over. The public education system has always been an area in need of improvement and more funding. This public education budget slash becomes a huge cause for concern for me; as a mother, with one child currently in the school system and one on his way, and as a concerned Texas resident for other children. We need to be improving our education system so that we can prepare future generations for positions of leadership.

“Every American who has enjoyed and benefited from public education owes a great debt to earlier generations who invested in schools even in the hardest of times. Consider the founders of Texas who made better schools one of their prime reasons for seeking independence. Those earlier generations weren’t thinking about the next election or only about their next tax bill. I guess those are the priorities now.”