Juneteenth, Freedom, and Rick Perry's anti-Opportunity Crusade
First of all, Happy Juneteenth. Juneteenth is all about freedom--a word republicans enjoy throwing around. But for people within ethnic and minority groups, freedom is not just about being unshackled, or being allowed to roam around like anyone else. Freedom is also about equality of opportunity--the opportunity to obtain resources toward individual and group success. Resources, such as education and higher education opportunities, open up our freedoms so that we may succeed beyond being free.
Given the chance to open up opportunities for people of color, Gov. Rick Perry failed when he decided to slash various higher education bills from the budget.
HB 544 by Strama Sponsor: Watson Relating to reduced tuition and fees for certain junior college district students who reside outside of the district.
HB 1427 by Alonzo Sponsor: Zaffirini Relating to an optometry career program at the University of Houston.
HB 3934 by McClendon Sponsor: Van de Putte Relating to the establishment of a student outcomes pilot program at Alamo Community College.
SB 1053 by Zaffirini Sponsor: Aycock Relating to assessing the quality and effectiveness of academic advising services offered by public institutions of higher education.
As things now stand, higher education institutions are underfunded, especially as enrollment increases. But what about college preparedness? What about retention of those students? These issues affect college district and institutional effectiveness.
HB544 would have helped students in areas surrounding a community college district, however, are not a part of the district. An independent school district must hold an election in order to become a part of a college district. The process can take years, and voters must be convinced that their investment will be worthwhile. This bill would have allowed persons in those ISDs that are eligible, but choose not to become part of the district, to enroll at in-district tuition rates, as long as they reside within the service-area. So, students who are only seeking an opportunity to enroll in an affordable college are left without. Many of these students are not only students of color, but also poor white students in rural areas, and they must not be penalized with higher tuition simply because their neighbors don't realize the need for a well-prepared workforce. Vetoing this bill not only crossed out any opportunity for a growing number of students, but contradicts the state mandate to increase and diversify enrollment.
HB3934 and SB1053 go hand-in-hand. Alamo Community College District was merely requesting funds to determine how well their students transfer to four-year institutions. This is an important request; however, Perry believes that "existing resources" should pay for it. College districts are already limited to what they can spend and commit their resources to student services. One would expect the Governor to fund a study of the effectiveness of these college districts to ensure our higher education investment is being used wisely--it's good management. SB1053 would mandate the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop a formula to assess the quality of academic advising services. Quality advising services ensure all students are counseled toward the soonest graduation date possible. As the state of Texas continually attempts to mandate earlier graduation dates for students by slashing financial aid and limiting financial aid to those who need more time to graduate, well, to veto this bill is another example of the Governor contradicting himself. On the one hand, he wants students to finish faster, but on the other, he expects them to graduate quickly while the status quo in student services continues without being assessed, and while he sanctions those that need more time to finish college because they must work, or simply because they, like 1/3 of all college students, were not prepared effectively for college by our Texas K-12 programs.
HB1427 would have funded a summer learning program at the UH College of Optometry that was once funded federally. After federal funds were cut in 2002, an obvious funder would and should be the state of Texas. As the bill stated, the college of optometry at the university may operate a summer program that prepares highly qualified, economically and academically disadvantaged junior-level, senior-level, and post-baccalaureate students from any public or private institution of higher education for advanced studies and a career in the field of optometry. Yet, instead of realizing the need to increase the diversity within this profession, Governor Perry decided to use this veto to explain his dislike of "special item" requests. Again, Perry played politics, when Texas needed him to lead.
Gov. Perry proved himself a failure in regards to opening up opportunities for college students of color, as well as rural anglo students, who see little opportunity for college in their immediate areas. If the state of Texas is to develop a professional workforce, then we must pull out any barriers to those opportunities. And in doing so, we must ensure that quality services are provided to students so that they may better transition to four-year institutions, or move through a four-year institution toward the soonest graduation date possible. There are many more barriers to higher education than there were ten years ago (especially financial barriers like higher tuition and the lessened value of financial aid), and Gov. Perry's continual contridictions between policy and politics will negatively affect opportunities if there is not a change in course in the 81st Legislative Session of 2009.
Given the chance to open up opportunities for people of color, Gov. Rick Perry failed when he decided to slash various higher education bills from the budget.
HB 544 by Strama Sponsor: Watson Relating to reduced tuition and fees for certain junior college district students who reside outside of the district.
HB 1427 by Alonzo Sponsor: Zaffirini Relating to an optometry career program at the University of Houston.
HB 3934 by McClendon Sponsor: Van de Putte Relating to the establishment of a student outcomes pilot program at Alamo Community College.
SB 1053 by Zaffirini Sponsor: Aycock Relating to assessing the quality and effectiveness of academic advising services offered by public institutions of higher education.
As things now stand, higher education institutions are underfunded, especially as enrollment increases. But what about college preparedness? What about retention of those students? These issues affect college district and institutional effectiveness.
HB544 would have helped students in areas surrounding a community college district, however, are not a part of the district. An independent school district must hold an election in order to become a part of a college district. The process can take years, and voters must be convinced that their investment will be worthwhile. This bill would have allowed persons in those ISDs that are eligible, but choose not to become part of the district, to enroll at in-district tuition rates, as long as they reside within the service-area. So, students who are only seeking an opportunity to enroll in an affordable college are left without. Many of these students are not only students of color, but also poor white students in rural areas, and they must not be penalized with higher tuition simply because their neighbors don't realize the need for a well-prepared workforce. Vetoing this bill not only crossed out any opportunity for a growing number of students, but contradicts the state mandate to increase and diversify enrollment.
HB3934 and SB1053 go hand-in-hand. Alamo Community College District was merely requesting funds to determine how well their students transfer to four-year institutions. This is an important request; however, Perry believes that "existing resources" should pay for it. College districts are already limited to what they can spend and commit their resources to student services. One would expect the Governor to fund a study of the effectiveness of these college districts to ensure our higher education investment is being used wisely--it's good management. SB1053 would mandate the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop a formula to assess the quality of academic advising services. Quality advising services ensure all students are counseled toward the soonest graduation date possible. As the state of Texas continually attempts to mandate earlier graduation dates for students by slashing financial aid and limiting financial aid to those who need more time to graduate, well, to veto this bill is another example of the Governor contradicting himself. On the one hand, he wants students to finish faster, but on the other, he expects them to graduate quickly while the status quo in student services continues without being assessed, and while he sanctions those that need more time to finish college because they must work, or simply because they, like 1/3 of all college students, were not prepared effectively for college by our Texas K-12 programs.
HB1427 would have funded a summer learning program at the UH College of Optometry that was once funded federally. After federal funds were cut in 2002, an obvious funder would and should be the state of Texas. As the bill stated, the college of optometry at the university may operate a summer program that prepares highly qualified, economically and academically disadvantaged junior-level, senior-level, and post-baccalaureate students from any public or private institution of higher education for advanced studies and a career in the field of optometry. Yet, instead of realizing the need to increase the diversity within this profession, Governor Perry decided to use this veto to explain his dislike of "special item" requests. Again, Perry played politics, when Texas needed him to lead.
Gov. Perry proved himself a failure in regards to opening up opportunities for college students of color, as well as rural anglo students, who see little opportunity for college in their immediate areas. If the state of Texas is to develop a professional workforce, then we must pull out any barriers to those opportunities. And in doing so, we must ensure that quality services are provided to students so that they may better transition to four-year institutions, or move through a four-year institution toward the soonest graduation date possible. There are many more barriers to higher education than there were ten years ago (especially financial barriers like higher tuition and the lessened value of financial aid), and Gov. Perry's continual contridictions between policy and politics will negatively affect opportunities if there is not a change in course in the 81st Legislative Session of 2009.
posted by Dos Centavos at 9:36 AM
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