There’s a bill, House Bill 5, approved by the Texas House of Representatives and under consideration by the Senate, that would significantly reduce the number of exams a student must pass in order to graduate from a public high school. It would also lessen strict course requirements in English, math, and science that were designed to get students prepared for college enrollment. Instead, they’d have the option of taking more technical or business courses, if that’s where their interests lie.
Last night, Dallas ISD trustees voted, in a 5-4 split, to urge the Texas Legislature to amend the bill to “ensure all students are enrolled by default in rigorous, college-ready graduation pathways.” The board further said it would adopt local policies along these lines if the state does not.
House Bill 5 was sponsored by House Public Education Committee chairman Jimmie Don Aycock, of Killeen. His purpose behind the measure, he told the Texas Tribune last month, was to allow for better preparation for students who plan to go straight into the workforce, rather than into college after graduation:
Debate over the proposal, he said, centered on two questions.
“One, does everyone need to [earn] a four-year degree?” he said. “And two, does every kid need to take algebra II?”
His bill embraced the response of “not everyone, but a lot of them,” he said, adding that he was not convinced that algebra II was as strong predictor of college success as the legislation’s opponents suggested.
The rigidity of the current system forces a “one-size-fits-all” approach that can prevent students from exploring their interests, leaving them less engaged in school, Aycock said. And a lack of options for career training, he said, leaves a gap in the state’s workforce.
But opponents argue that even traditionally blue-collar employment, like manufacturing, is becoming increasingly high-tech, and will require students to acquire some advanced education in order to compete for those jobs. DISD trustee Elizabeth Jones was among those who voted to urge changes to the bill. In speaking with the Dallas Observer, she
said she doesn’t believe that non-college-bound students need less rigorous classes. Since DISD’s goal is to help students live a meaningful and productive life, regardless of whether or not they attend college, students should not be put on less demanding tracks. This resolution is meant to be a reminder of that to Austin, she said.
Trustee Carla Ranger voted against the DISD resolution and took to her blog this morning to explain her stance.
The Resolution demands that all students must be “enrolled by default in rigorous college-ready graduation pathways.”
That is exactly what the Legislature is attempting to change because it is that very rigid mentality that is doing great damage to schools and students in Texas.
It is the same mentality that is creating failure for large numbers of students – especially minority students – who drop out or are being pushed out and prevented from any opportunity to complete high school.
Is a high school diploma worth very much, though, if the requirements to earn one are significantly reduced?
On the other hand, I took Algebra 2. I even got an A in Algebra 2. But I probably could have lived the same happy and productive life I’m blessed to have now, having never taken that course. Then again, I wouldn’t have gotten into the college that I did without it.
I guess we need to argue about the fundamental purpose of education. Is it OK if, for some people, it’s just vocational training?
