| Texas school children deserve to be more than a prop for Kay Bailey Hutchison's weak and unimportant campaign for Governor. Yesterday, in what is at least her second campaign appearance at a public school, Hutchison continued her legacy of failing Texas school children with her shallow annoucement of a hodgepodge "education" plan before a group of students at Collin College in Plano. Her talking-points-proposal calls for an increase in various programs, yet fails to identify how to pay for anything. In fact, Hutchison said there should be no new education funding -- which just goes to show how little she's actually thought through or cared about her "education" announcement. From the Dallas Morning News: Speaking at Collin College in Plano, Hutchison said her plan includes making better use of technology in the classroom, recruiting and retaining quality teachers, curbing the state's dropout rate and making schools more financially accountable. Hutchison's plan calls for no new money for public education, and no raise in teacher pay. She said existing dollars would be put to better use by demanding that school districts be more efficient.
Kay Bailey Hutchison has a history of promoting failed education policies and underfunding Texas' public schools. Remember, she was one of the key Senators who crafted and helped pass President George W Bush's failed No Child Left Behind Act and has a history of voting against policies that would help Texas' schools. From the Texas Democratic Party, "The Real KBH...Leaves Our Children Behind." - KBH Supports No Child Left Behind
Kay Bailey Hutchison embraced one of the worst legacies of former President George W. Bush when she voted for No Child Left Behind. (Source: Project Vote Smart)
- KBH Kept $11 Billion in Corporate Tax Loopholes Open, Instead of Funding Education
In 2005, Senator Hutchison voted against closing $11 billion in corporate tax loopholes to support public education initiatives. (Source: On the Issues) The $11 billion would have been spent on increasing the maximum Pell Grant scholarship, student loan forgiveness for future math and science teachers, and restoring Republican cuts to adult education.
- KBH Voted Against Sending $3.7 Billion in Education Funding to Texas
KBH voted against the stimulus package, which to date is scheduled to send at least $3.7 billion to Texas’ public schools. (Source: Think Progress) Those dollars that both Hutchison and Perry fought against will provide funds for 1,031 Texas school districts and 8,061 schools that have been shortchanged under one party Republican rule, helping pay for new textbooks, provide teachers with a pay raise, and improve achievement in low-performing schools. (Source: Texas Education Agency)
Hutchison's proposals are nothing but empty promises that are as insubstantial as they are insulting. It is unacceptable for a career politician like Senator Hutchison -- on an issue as important as public education -- to offer boilerplate rhetoric that offers no real solutions or any way to pay for anything. Hutchison's pointless and pathetic education talking-points-proposal is yet another prime example of her incessant political pandering to the future of our state, Texas' school children. |
