Education System in Texas - Essay Example

? Education in Texas Education in Texas The education system in Texas over the last 150 years continues to be a leading example of how to effectively educate children. The system over its lifetime has evolved into a complex, intricately designed networks of governmental officers, educational administrators, teachers, and others with the interest in ensuring the children of Texas are academically prepared to compete in the global arena. This paper will reflect on the history and evolution of the education system in Texas. The discussion in the paper will highlight some of the historical contributing factors that occurred during the system’s developmental growth stages that enabled the current system of education in Texas to evolve. Origins of Public Education in Texas The origins of the public education system in Texas grew out of the dissolution of an alliance between Mexico and Texas. Prior to 1835 the agreement between the two states stipulated that Mexico be responsible for education in that particular region of the United States. Because of the dissolution of the agreement and the enactment of the Texas Declaration of Independence of 1836 the responsibility of educating the public shifted from Mexico to the State of Texas. Major Milestones The education system in Texas has progressively evolved over the last 150 years. The development of the education system grew in response to the needs of the citizens and the demands of regional commerce. Some of the major historical milestones of the education system in Texas include: 1840 – First Anglo-American school opened; 17,712 acres of land in each county in the state designated for public schools (Texas Education Agency, 2011). 1845 – A specific percentage of annual tax revenue set aside for free public education; creation of the Permanent School Fund (McClellan, 2011). 1876 – State Constitution of 1876 set aside 45 million acres of public lands for schools; funds held within the Permanent School Fund invested in bonds (Texas Education Agency, 2011). 1884 - School laws rewritten; re-creation of the duties and responsibilities of the State Superintendent of Education; ad valorem tax affirmed to create a consistent source of income for the public education system (Texas Education Agency, 2011). 1885 - Statewide school accreditation system developed and implemented (Texas Education Agency, 2011). 1949 - Senator A. M. Aikin and State Representative Claud Gilmer organize committees to reform education system (Gilmer-Aikin laws); teachers’ salaries and standardization of teaching credentials established (Erekson, 2010, p. 1033) 1957 – Assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of the Gilmer-Aikin laws (Texas Education Agency, 2011). 1984 - House Bill 72 increased teachers’ salaries and restructured school financing enabling a shift of resources from wealthier school districts to poorer performing districts (Texas Education Agency, 2011). 2001- No Child Left Behind (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). Reforms and Revisions The development of the education system, management agencies, state municipalities, along with individual school districts throughout the State has been an ongoing process. Pivotal events in the United States’ history such as the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and integration influenced the formation of the education system in Texas. From the inception and establishment of the first public school in 1840, leaders, elected administrators, and lawmakers sought ways in which to deliver the highest quality of education available for the residents of Texas (Texas Education Agency, 2011). Provisions for permanent funding for the education system did not occur until 1845 in which the Permanent School Fund was created. The fund created specific financing options for educating students in Texas; its purpose was to lighten the burden on citizens paying taxes and to produce an alternate way of funding public education. The predecessor of the Permanent School Fund was the Special School Fund enacted by the School Law of 1854 in which 2 million dollars of a 10 million dollar settlement from an agreement between the United States and Texas was invested into bonds to generate income to support educating the public (McClellan, 2011). The settlement was a means of preventing Texas from claiming additional territory in surrounding states after its secession from the Union. The distribution of the funds in the Permanent School Fund to the local governing authorities and school districts was based on the average daily attendance in the districts, similar methods for distributing money to school districts exists today. To preserve the principle of the fund and ensure the integrity of the account the State Constitution of 1876 designated that only interest paid on the account could be used (McClellan, 2011). One of the most influential methods of reforming the education system was the formation of Gilmer-Aikin Committees. The two year study was comprised of an initial group of 18 members that included the opinions and suggestions of an additional 75 people (Morowski, 2009, p. 328). The study committees consisted of school administrators, teachers, law enforcement, parents, and community workers from various industries united for the purpose of objectively evaluating the education system in Texas (Morowski, 2009, p. 328; Texas, 1949, pp. 247-248). To ensure the perpetuation of the growth of the education system Gilmer-Aikin’s assignment was to: 1) study the system; 2) determine opportunity (ies); 3) estimate financial obligation(s) and means of support for the education system; and 4) identify areas within management in the existing system in which change could be implemented to bring about more efficiency (Texas, 1949, p. 247). A significance feature of the study was that each county in Texas identified and assessed their individual challenges pertaining to education with the data from each county sent to the State Board in Austin for review. The data from the research became foundational in the formation of proposals that later became laws affecting the fundamental principles of how the education system in Texas is managed (Texas, 1949, p. 247). Additionally, the results of the study established a minimum foundations standard for children in the State along with restructuring the local school districts and combining resources from the state assets with the local municipalities for the purpose of providing the best education for the children in Texas. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Education System Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the education system is not an easy task however one of the inherent strengths historically has been the underlying motivating factor of administrators and lawmakers to provide a comprehensive education for the children in Texas. Therefore the reforms and redistribution of wealth through legislative means has promoted the initial intent of making available to the public the highest quality of education with the lightest possible burden on taxpayers. The agreement between the local school districts and the state governmental administrators to share the expense of public education is an additional strength, in which making public education available and affordable continues to be effective. In contrast an area of weakness continues to be teachers’ credentials and the minimum acceptable standards for evaluating the effectiveness of teachers. Prior to the Gilmer-Aikin laws Texas did not have standard education qualifications for those that taught in the classroom and many teachers were unqualified by modern standards. Because of the reforms of the Gilmer-Aikin laws teachers must possess an adequate level of preparation and education before being certified to teach in Texas classrooms. The controversy of teachers’ training and teaching effectiveness continues to be an area of inconsistency and weakness some 150 years after the formation of the education system. Whereas the minimum educational standards are enforced for those desiring to teach in Texas determining teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom is assessed from the results of standardized tests taken by children. This is a weakness because the evaluation of the results of testing involves a multitude of uncontrollable factors that do not reflect the aptitude or abilities of teachers. Current Reforms in Development A present day controversial educational reform is “voluntary skill standards” (Davis, 2005). Texas is one of a number of states that is discussing how to train and adequately equip the future workforce (p. 648). Realizing the dominating influence that technology and globalization is having in the marketplace, educators are recognizing the need to provide a minimum set of skills through the education system. Texas leads the reformation with the introduction of mandatory assessment tests taken by children in grades K-12 (Davis, 2005, p. 648). The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills assessment (TEKS) in theory is an effort to systematically train students through the education system providing them with a basic set of skills that are essential in the workplace (Davis, 2005, pp. 648-650). The reform is foundationally an attempt to standardize education in compliancy with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) enacted in 2001 and coinciding with the current national effort to ensure that each child in America receives specific knowledge and skill sets (U.S. Department of Education, 2011; Davis, 2005). Conclusion As the global community continues to grow smaller and technological advancement expand capabilities education and educating becomes a critical component in preparing for the future. The unification of the education system and standardization of education in Texas is underway however, simply understanding how students learn and evaluating effective teaching styles is not enough. The ability to efficiently manage the education system with the foresight of what the future will demand is of paramount importance. If Texas students as well as America’s students are to become productive workers what is taught in the classroom and how the education system is managed will determine the quality of the future workforce. By responding to the demands in the marketplace, adequately managing, and developing programs to educate and prepare students are some ways in which to change how the education system operates. Reforming the education system and enforcing the standardization of the educational process will take insight and input from society in general and more specifically dedication and the implementation of innovative and creative methods from leaders, administrators, teachers, parents, and others with an interests to prepare students for the future. References Davis, J. (2005). Industry validated skill standards: The Texas response to the challenge Project Innovation. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196427260?accountid=35812 Erekson, K. A. (2010). To get a better school system: One hundred years of education reform in Texas. Southern Historical Association. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/807982870?accountid=35812 McClellan, M. E. (2011). Permanent school fund handbook of Texas online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved from http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/khp01 Morowski, D. L. (2009). Meeting the needs of Texas school children. American Educational History Journal, 36(1/2), 327-341. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Texas Education Agency. (2011). An overview of the history of public education in Texas. Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=148 Texas Studies Its Schools. (1949). Educational Leadership, 6(4), 247-248. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Read More