Education commissioner: Texas Must Expand Teacher Pool

[TexasTowelie]

In his first public remarks since announcing his resignation as the state’s education chief, Michael Williams said Saturday that the biggest threat to Texas schools is the state's teacher shortage.

In an interview with Dan Rather Saturday at The Texas Tribune Festival, Williams said it's crucial that Texas expand the state's teacher pool and get them the training they need.

Williams, a Midland Republican, was appointed Texas Education Commissioner by then-Gov. Rick Perry in August 2012. He has cited the long-distance relationship with his wife as his reason for leaving the position effective Jan. 1.

The Texas Education Agency, which the state's education commissioner runs, oversees 1,200 Texas public school districts where more than 5 million students are enrolled.

Read more: http://www.texastribune.org/2015/10/17/michael-williams-reflects-his-time-texas-education/

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. This could be the flaw in their thinking, right here:

>>>He said he knows Texas teachers need more support than they're getting.>>>>>

What kind of "support" is he talking about? "Support" devised by professional NON-teachers ( i.e. politicians... almost always trained as lawyers)?

Or real help from people who know how to teach?

What Williams is talking about is more.... or better ( or probably just MORE)... legal MANDATES.

Most teachers don't regard that as "support". It's not the solution to the problem so much as it IS the problem itself.

[Turbineguy]

2. The Teachers have support.

There's God and they carry guns to school. Some people are just never satisfied!

[exboyfil]

3. We had two friends who got teaching degrees

from a marginal college here in Iowa (one in which our public schools don't even look at for our teachers). They were both able to get jobs in Texas teaching, but the conditions were so intolerable that they left and returned to Iowa for non-professional positions in Iowa.

[DhhD]

4. Education in Texas: Another stomp party for the GOP: Move funding into extremist desires.

http://www.texasaft.org/key-senate-vote-minimum-teacher-pay/
Please read the Comment section below the text.

http://www.texasaft.org/senate-passes-bill-test-driven-appraisals-insulting-minimum-pay-figure-still-time-take-action/
Please read the Comment section.

http://www.teachthevote.org/news/2015/04/14/updated-information-on-bills-to-eliminate-salary-schedule-for-teachers/
Comments include links.

https://www.texasisd.com/pages/legislative

[DhhD]

5. Extremist desires like millions of dollars for a race track/gambling. n/t no text

[DhhD]

6. Oil prices fall in October 2014. Texas Legislature knew what that meant; rework the race funding.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/business/energy-environment/oil-prices-fall-as-opec-members-fight-for-market-share.html?_r=0



snip
Yesterday Glenn Hegar, the comptroller—who I’ll be interviewing at the Texas Tribune Festival this weekend—released an updated forecast of state revenues for the 2016-17 fiscal years. The top-line news is that Texas will have $110.4 billion in revenues available the next two years. That represents a downward revision from the $113 billion available Hegar had projected, in January. - See more at: http://www.texasmonthly.com/burka-blog/the-comptroller-issues-a-wake-up-call/#sthash.FiHi67nw.dpuf