Rick Perry is so wacky. Why, just today, the Governor of Texas decided that Texas will not compete for the $700 million in federal education money that the Obama administration is offering states so that they can improve their schools. Rick doesn’t want to improve his schools.
Which would be fine, I guess, if his schools didn’t need improving. But lookie lookie…
Texas is 49th out of 50 in performance on the verbal SAT. 46th on the math. Only 68 percent of high school students graduate from high school. That’s 36th place on the list. 46th when it comes to how much the state spends per pupil and 50th, bingo!, 50th for how many Texans (just 78 percent) actually have a high school diploma.
Of course, the state ranks really high on one thing…the percentage of student growth. SO MANY KIDS! So many kids (with the largest rate of growth in low income and minority families who would probably need a little boost) who won’t be getting a little boost, thank you, Rick. Silly Rick.
All this after the State Education Commission spent months preparing a proposal to get the funds and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated $250,000 to the effort.
Coincidentally, The Great State was one of two (Alaska’s the other…hi Sarah!) who refused to write common curriculum standards last year. I see it coming. Perry/Palin. On a horse, galloping in front of the Capitol, the two of them, in hats. Save me.
Pamela Gwyn Kripke 
Ought to be illegal!