Adequately funding public education
As a retired Texas public school teacher (and mother, daughter-in-law and aunt to other school teachers), I am concerned about trends in Texas public education. In my opinion Texas legislators are starving our public education system.
Our daughter has a new job teaching kindergarten in a metroplex public school. There are 25 pupils enrolled in her class. Her colleague has 26 students. The state law says that capacity is 22 pupils at that grade level (without an exception granted by the Texas Education Agency). There should be another teacher hired to reduce the class size.
Our daughter and her coworker each have a special needs child in their classrooms who is not receiving services. My niece, a kindergarten teacher in Ohio, says she can’t imagine teaching kindergarten students without a classroom aide. Nationwide, the average number of students needing special services is 13%. Texas is willing to fund special services for 9% of the school population. That other 4% is left to languish in the regular classroom, leaving the regular classroom teacher at wits end to accommodate the needs of all in his/her classroom.
Administrators are doing all they can with their hands tied by our legislators who are refusing to fund the schools with money that is in the state’s coffers. Texas lawmakers have turned their backs on Texas educators who want to do everything they can for the children in their care. Is the Legislature’s goal to bleed public education dry in Texas?
The Texas Constitution says public education must be funded. Considering our children are our greatest resource as a nation, we must ensure that the Legislature adequately funds public education.
L. P. Martin
Jeff Davis County Democrat
