Greg Abbott unveils third phase of his education plan in Tyler
Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott said digital technology is the future for Texas’ classrooms.
Abbott unveiled the third phase of his public education plan during a Thursday tour of Jack Elementary School in Tyler, and its digital teaching tools, including “SMART boards,” which help student-teacher interaction and response. He announced a $164 million plan to increase accessibility to technological teaching tools, online courses, teacher and student tutoring modules and state grants to improve digital learning.
The first two phases of Abbott’s four-pronged public education plan included focusing on kindergarten to third-graders and producing “grade level,” students in math and reading. The second includes returning “genuine local control,” such as allowing school boards, superintendents and principals exemptions from state mandates.
“Texas is No. 1 in creating jobs, energy, exports and so many different things,” Abbott said. “My goal is a new No. 1 ranking — public education.”
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Smith County Democratic Party Chairman David Henderson, who arrived at Jack Elementary School and was turned away because the meeting was not “open to the public,” said Abbott represents the GOP establishment’s policy that put teachers, public education and the state’s future workforce on the chopping block during the 2011 legislative session.
“You can’t have a 21 Century education system when you cut $5 billion out and then not restore it when you can afford to,” Henderson said.
Henderson said Abbott is regurgitating a political myth about education and technology. There is no technological substitute for a good teacher and classroom-based learning processes, he said.
More at http://www.tylerpaper.com/TP-News+Local/199491/greg-abbott-unveils-third-phase-of-his-education-plan-in-tyler#.U3J2Myjj-RN .
[font color=green]To summarize, Abbott plans on diverting more money to his cronies.[/font]
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