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TEXAS’ Widest Circulated and Read Newspaper with a Black Perspective |
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| Public education, teachers and students threatened by fringe policies of the Texas Republican Party |
| Texas’ economic future faces a serious
threat as Republicans prepare to launch their biennial assault on public education at the
State GOP Convention in Dallas this week, Texas Democratic Party Chairwoman Molly Beth
Malcolm warned Thursday. The current Texas Republican platform provides a troubling glimpse of what delegates meeting in Dallas are likely to adopt this year in the state GOP’s ongoing attempt to boost private schooling at the expense of the state’s public schools, Malcolm said. “Texas economic strength will suffer immeasurably if every student does not have access to an outstanding public education,” Malcolm said. “The Republicans’ extremist education policies would set Texas back dramatically in our efforts to achieve that goal. “Texas Democrats had to overcome Republican opposition and roadblocks to pass a teacher pay raise, the Texas Grants college scholarship program and children’s health insurance to ensure that students are healthy enough to succeed in school,” Malcolm said. “Now Republican delegates want to force their elected officials to toe an even more radical line. That would be devastating for the future of our children and our state.” The current State Republican platform calls for the abolition of the Texas Education Agency and transfer of its authority to the State Board of Education, which is controlled by right-wing Republican extremists whose policies have embarrassed the state. The Republican platform outlines the party’s opposition to early childhood development programs such as Head Start and vocational training designed to help high school students, especially economically disadvantaged students, prepare for good jobs and secure futures after graduation. The Republicans’ platform proposes radical changes in curriculum and methods used by Texas public school teachers. Specifically the platform has called for the elimination of textbooks, no matter how accurate or factual, that the Texas Republican Party deems offensive or “non-traditional.” “It’s no surprise that the State GOP tried to keep their platform secret after approving it two years ago,” Malcolm said, adding that Texas Democrats obtained the current State Republican platform and posted it on the Texas Democratic Party’s web site while the Texas Republican Party refused to make it public for months after the 2000 summer convention. “The future generations of Texas deserve much better than what the Republicans have to offer for our public schools.” |
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