Reply #24: Bush destroyed the Texas education system while governor [View All]

[AnArmyVeteran]

Governor Bush began standardized testing and ever since then teachers have been held back from teaching students and told they have to teach the students the answers of the state-mandated TAAS test, as it was known when it first started. When Bush was running for governor in 1992 he promised to abolish the Texas Education Agency. But instead, Bush stacked it with his cronies and gave the TEA even more power over teachers. Because teachers were forced to teach the TAAS test it took away from the educational experience for the students.

Conservative republicans have always held teachers with contempt. They hate teacher's unions. But the result of Bush's new top down education system was drastic. Under Bush 50% of teachers said they would quit teaching within 3 years. Teacher morale plummeted. They wanted out of teaching if they were going to be forced to just teach answers to a test. Some principals and teachers were even caught changing the student's answers on the tests because of the pressure from above was so great.

Even with a standardized test, there was so much pressure a lot of students were exempted from taking the test if teachers felt they wouldn't do well. So this artificially gave the state higher test score results. But the children weren't learning. Texas became number one in the country in 10th grade dropouts. And Texas high school graduates scored horribly on college entrance examinations.

Republicans love top down education systems. They love control. And they love to dominate teachers. When Bush became president his education secretary Rod Paige said "Teacher's unions are terrorist organizations".

At one time, teachers were respected and honored by society. But as their control over the classrooms were chipped away by top down education systems they became neutered and found it almost impossible to teach. In Texas, the average teacher takes $1,000 out of their pockets just to get the supplies they need to teach. How many people in any other business would take that much money out of their pockets for a company? None. Teachers are low paid and overworked, and then they have to use their own money just to teach children. No wonder teachers' morale in Texas is so low.

Standardized testing is a failed system.