Test Dilemma

The fact that many students entire futures are determined just by the passing or failing one of the five high stakes tests is completely ridiculous. I completely agree with my classmate Madeline Shapland.

Basically students could invest hours of work into school having straight A's, perfect attendance, and becoming an honor roll student yet be denied not only their much deserved diplomas but their hopes and dreams to achieve greater things in life."Students who do not graduate simply because they failed one high-stakes exam cannot attend most colleges, join the military or qualify for even some minimum wage jobs. Many "drop out" even though they may have passed course requirements"( Houston Chronicle; March 17, 2015). What does a child do when they have all these scholarships to attend Ivy League schools, but cannot attend do to inability to pass a single test?

Just as Madeline stated Texas did not take into account students who suffer from test anxiety or just do very poorly on tests but excel in other skills.It is hard to understand the reasoning for why Texas would implement a testing system with such sever consequences. The simple fact that 28,000 students may not graduate since the test was  implemented should be an automatic red flag that is may not be the best choice.

But the part that really gets me fired up is that even though 28,000 students may not receive their diplomas it is stated, " This statistic might be a sad but necessary consequence of educational accountability if these exams measured the skills sought by employers."

Texas Infrastructure

Infrastructure is a vital to a countries economic growth and prosperity. It is the fundamental system we rely on as a country in order to move goods, people, and provide services. However, our nations infrastructure has been becoming an ever growing problem as we wastefully spends tax payer money trying to expand highways rather then insuring they are well maintained.

For example, Texas infrastructure has become an ever growing problem in every metropolitan area Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. Even the Texas Department of Transportation stated, "that it needs about $5 billion more a year from the state just to meet current demands for road construction and maintenance. Amazingly, this number just maintains the current level of congestion, which is clearly not satisfactory." As stated this is just in order to maintain the states growing current level of congestion this does not solve the dilemma. This while become an even greater challenge as Texas only has a budget of about 2.6 billion to spend annually on Texas infrastructure. Unless transportation funding is increased at the local, state and federal level, Texas’ roads and bridges will become increasingly deteriorated and congested.

However, even with Texas's infrastructure at its current state there have been discussions on how to maximize work ethic in order to correct the failing system . Speaker of the House Joe Straus suggests, "proposes that the Legislature end all noneducational diversions of gas tax money away from transportation projects." On the federal level Texas government increasing the state's vehicle registration fee by $50 and dedicating a portion of the motor vehicle sales tax for road construction and maintenance. On the state level,  voters can pass this upcoming years transportation funding initiative.That amendment would authorize annual spending  from the state's oil and gas production tax collections to the State Highway Fund, transferring $1.4 billion in the first year alone.