Gov. Perry signs sweeping education bill

[TexasTowelie]

Ending days of speculation, Gov. Rick Perry Monday signed education reform legislation that will roll back the number of high-stakes tests and seek to provide greater opportunities for students who are not college bound.

House Bill 5 was one of six education reform bills that Perry signed Monday that he said together, “strike an appropriate balance between our need for rigorous academic standards and the students’ need for flexibility.”

The new law will the reduce from 15 to five the number of end-of-course exams needed to graduate from high school, and replace the uniform 4x4 graduation plan — four years each of math, science, social studies and English — with more flexible options.

House Public Education Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, the chief architect of the reform, said fears that it would undermine rigor for college-bound students were unfounded, and the beneficiaries would be the more than 40 percent of high school students in Texas who are not headed to college but need training to pursue successful careers.

More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional/gov-perry-signs-hb-5-rolling-back-number-of-high-s/nYG6Y/ .

[JaneQPublic]

1. It literally is a "Sweeping Education Bill"

Looks as if Perry is dumbing down education to the point where the only job high school grads will be qualified to do is sweep floors.

[HockeyMom]

2. Unless in HS they have special classes

where they go out of school to learn a skilled trade, but they still must have the academic standards to graduate HS. They have done this in NY for decades.

In today's world you are probably better off being a plumber, electrician, mechanic, etc. Send your car to India to be fixed?

[DhhD]

3. This will give some students the excuse to slack off and move to an easy schedule of classes.

Then toward the last year in HS many slackers will say I am going to need to stay in HS because I have decided to go to college. They will make it possible to take Algebra II, chemistry, physics, and an elective during a 5th year in High School.

This legislation give a whole new spin on, school to work vs. school to college, path. 5 year high schools, here we come!

[Javaman]

4. equating anything educational with cement head perry is ridiculous. nt