Posted on 08/08/2011 9:07:03 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Over the past two years, Gov. Chris Christie, by picking and winning a battle against the teachers’ unions in one of the bluest states in the country, has shown other conservative leaders that it is possible to take on the Left’s most powerful special-interest groups.
..Rick Perry may be in the process of teaching conservatives a similar lesson by taking on another sacred cow: the higher-education establishment.
Friday’s Washington Post article “Rick Perry wages assault on state’s higher education establishment” describes how Perry has picked a high-profile fight with the state’s university system. He is pushing reforms to improve the efficiency of the state’s universities and backing a potentially game-changing plan to create a low-cost $10,000 degree program.
Perry’s initiative is attracting fierce opposition — challenging higher education unsettles some big constituencies, like alumni groups that maybe resistant to change and potential threats to tradition.
But like Christie’s fight with the teachers’ unions, Perry’s effort to reform higher education could become a model for conservative reformers around the country.
First, runaway college costs are an important “kitchen table” issue for American families. After the economic woes of the past decade, many families are wondering how they are going to afford to send their kids to college (the yearly cost of attending an in-state four-year public college now tops $16,000 per year).
Second, like our public schools, America’s colleges are woefully underperforming. The authors of the recently published book Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses found that 45 percent of college students show no improvement in critical skills after two years in college. Troubling statistics are forcing many families to question whether investing time and money in college is really worth it, particularly since many college graduates are struggling to find employment and appear to have gained few marketable skills.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Chris Christie article -- Even Democrats are now alarmed about the state of education in this country but its too late because the GOP owns this issue.
Perry Draws Flak for Plan to Run Universities Like Businesses ……..”Perry, who has been governor since 2000, has filled state boards and commissions with those who share his vision and has launched a public attack on college costs.
“A bold, Texas-style solution,” the governor said in an address to the Legislature. “I’m challenging our institutions of higher education to develop bachelor’s degrees that cost no more than $10,000, including textbooks.”
The amount is about a quarter of what students at the University of Texas and Texas A&M pay for tuition and books. An organization formed to fight the changes, Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education, counts among its members power Republicans such as TRT Holdings Chief Executive Robert Rowling, who gave $1 million to the conservative “super PAC” American Crossroads. Handling media for the group former George W. Bush adviser Karen Hughes, the Post reported.
Nonetheless, some of Perry’s higher-education ideas could be catching on elsewhere. Florida Gov. Rick Scott said he was passing on a list of higher education reform ideas from Texas known as the “Seven Breakthrough Solutions” to candidates for the Florida university and college boards of trustees, the Post reported.
Perry creates online university Gov. Rick Perry announced Wednesday that Texas is getting a branch of Western Governors University, a private, nonprofit school whose online model dovetails with Perry's emphasis on flexibility and affordability in higher education.
An executive order issued by Perry calls on the state's education and workforce agencies to help Western Governors establish WGU Texas.
[Texas Education Agency] TEA to lay off 178 workers [Thousands of pink slips for state workers]
[Rick] Scott Promotes Controversial Education Reforms [Rick Perry has championed] “Gov. Rick Scott has begun discreetly promoting the same changes to the higher education system that Texas Gov. Rick Perry has championed. The proposals include some of the same reforms pushed by conservatives in K-12 schools: merit pay for professors, tenure reform, and generally a much greater emphasis on measurement of whether professors are turning out students that meet certain goals.
The attempt in Texas has caused something of an identity crisis in that states higher education community, with opponents saying what needs to be reformed is Perrys control over university policies.
Scott told the News Service of Florida on Tuesday that he has discussed the Texas reforms with his appointees to university and college governing boards in an effort to line up support for a nascent campaign to dramatically change how universities and colleges are funded, overhaul professor tenure, emphasize teaching over research, and give students more influence.
An admirer of Texas, Scott has developed a friendly relationship with Perry, who is flirting with the idea of seeking the Republican nomination for President in 2012. Texas is regularly praised for its business-friendly climate and has weathered the economic recession better than most states…….”
Florida might reject $100 million [Fed] grant to educate children [tied to Obamacare]
Perry's education record distinctly different from Bush's
Higher Education Coalition attack on [Texas Gov. Rick] Perry raises eyebrows
[Texas Education Agency] TEA to lay off 178 workers [Thousands of pink slips for state workers] [great Freeper discussion about education]
Gov. Perry: Veterans’ Experiences, Skills are Valuable to Our Workforce "The knowledge and skills our veterans bring back from service are an important, and all too often untapped, resource for our communities," Gov. Perry said. "While we can never fully thank them for their service to our nation, I'm proud to sign this important bill, which helps veterans and military service members transition to civilian life by applying their skills and experience to help them graduate more quickly and save money on tuition."
A cry in the black education wilderness - LINKS to education, leftists and race.
Good job compiling the background and the links.
Federal funding "subsidies" are in addition to what states pay for education.
Close to HALF of every state's budget goes toward public education.
But it NEVER ever is enough, for the children.
Thanks.
I do a slow burn when I think of all the wasted potential caused by the Left and their grip on education and the minds of our youth.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....
What precisely are Perry’s ideas
“to improve the efficiency of the state’s universities”?
I cannot find them clearly listed in the article.
It does say he is “backing a potentially game-changing plan
to create a low-cost $10,000 degree program.”
That plan is not his idea if he is backing it.
What precisely are Perry’s ideas
“to improve the efficiency of the state’s universities”?
“Damnit, Barney, if we lose the stupid people’s vote, there’ll never be another democrat elected in this country!”
Why is one dollar of the taxpayers’ money going to pay for the “higher” education of someone else’s kid?
If you took the time to look at the links I provided you’d understand.
Perry and Scott and Christie, and I’d go out on a strong limb and say all conservative governors, want to regain control of education to bring down costs and make learning the reason for universities — make education the product — the students and their parents the consumers. Separate research from teaching (that’s simplistic but you can get more information).
Start with “Seven Solutions” linked above.
Why were billions of "stimulus" dollars used to prop up union jobs -- teachers?
Because it redistributes wealth to buy Democrat votes.
And Karen Hughes is in charge of media for the group fighting these Perry changes — the same group that gave $1Million to Karl Rove’s PAC Crossroads America. (LINKED above in Post #1 “Perry Draws Flak for Plan to Run Universities Like Businesses”]
Can you not name ONE (1) idea of Perry regarding education?
Or is that article a sham.
Precise. Like ‘injecting children with Gardasil
by Mandate by Governor’.
See. Specific. Precise.
The Republicans are just as implicated in that vote-buying scheme, in state after state after state.
“In addition to suggesting that tuition be reduced, a panel appointed by Governor Perry suggested that professors were “wasting time and money churning out esoteric, unproductive research.” Shocking. The panel suggested dividing the research and teaching budgets to encourage excellence in both, and introducing merit pay for exceptional classroom teachers.”
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/273730/beware-those-radical-ideas-mona-charen
Can you point me to where your beloved Governor Perry has called for the dismantlement of the unconstitutional U.S. Dept. of Education?
A link would be fine.
What does your party platform say about education EV?
Since you're Chairman for America's Independent Party, you'd be the one to ask.
With the many appointees to the Regents should get a hearing. The education community wields a lot of power from the very local elementary school through the largest university.
The Seven Solutions:
http://utsenate.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/Breakthrough-Solutions.pdf
The U of H analysis of the Solutions:
Other universities have done similar analysis.
Rick Perry, as he is with the EPA, battling the Department of Education.
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/14146/
And Perry sued for Texas’ $$ w/o strings attached and won.
The College Credit for Heroes program is going to help alot of our returning veterans. As an old Vietnam combat veteran, I applaud Governor Perry for his initiative in this area. Veterans, taxpayers, and employers, as well as our overall economy will all benefit from his forward thinking and fiscally conservative approach.
"All spending and regulation by the Legislative branch that lies outside the Enumerated Powers must cease."
So, since you're promoting Perry for President, the first question for you, and for him, is "which part of the U.S. Constitution enumerates a power to take money from one person and give it to another to "educate" their children?"
The second question, akin to the first, is "which part of the U.S. Constitution enumerates a federal power to set up a vast bureaucracy to control the education of our children?"
Perry is throwing bones and doggie treats to republicans..
Many “bitches” might bite.. the sires are suspicious..
Are you one of Perry’s bitches?..
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.