| 1. | Control Spending & Reduce Taxes |
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The Harris County Department of Education's Budget has continued to grow for many years faster than the rate of inflation. Taxpayers are simply taxed too much and need real relief.
| 2. | Evaluate and Reward Teacher Excellence |
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Teachers that have a proven track record of making a significant impact in our children's education should be rewarded for their standard of excellence. We tip a great waiter, but shouldn't we be tipping those who shape our children's minds so that they can financially stay in their chosen profession.
| 2. | Support Classroom Teachers |
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To often the classroom teacher has to dig into their own pocket for classroom supplies. Why is it that while there is money to build $100 Million dollar high schools there is not enough money to provide our teachers with a small supply budget.
| 3. | Responsible Education Funding |
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The Harris County Department of Education's budget and administrative positions have increased faster than student enrollment and classroom teacher positions. The legislature should require that 65% of school spending be dedicated to the classroom. We must focus education resources on the classroom instruction of our children.
| 4. | Focus on Education Basics |
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Schools need to teach knowledge-based, academic content which is largely objectively tested. In other words, teach math which has right-or-wrong answers, correct grammar, spelling, penmanship, and spelling. We should be teaching the classic pieces of literature and in a content-rich curriculum which trumps process.
Reading must be taught in a systematic way in a language-rich environment where the entire time children are learning to read independently they are also hearing the great pieces of literature being read to them, thus building that strong content/vocabulary/sentence structure base.
The best way to insure the future of our country is to make sure that all students are exposed to a deep and wide foundation of core knowledge. We must stop grade inflation and an over-abundance of projects which not only steal class time, are costly and produce very shallow learning experiences.
All students need to study American history intensely so that they gain a deep appreciation for the foundations upon which our nation is built, and students should study world history to gain a full understanding of past and current events and how they could impact the future of our nation.
| 5. | Educate in English |
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