94 Percent of Texas Schools Meet Academic Standards

The Texas Education Agency was proudly announcing Monday afternoon that well over 94% of all schools in the Lone Star State met academic standards for the previous school year.  Texas educators and parents should be pleased but so should those in our commerce sector who are selling Texas as a great place to live and raise a family.

I grew up in an area where public schools were neglected and results were not spectacular.  In most states, the school system is a big bureaucracy and doesn't serve the needs of the immediate community as well as Texas schools do. That's largely because Texas got smart  and divided its educational system into Independent school Districts.  Instead of having one countywide authority, the ISD's are accountable to the people in the neighborhoods and smaller towns in which they serve. It's absolutely genius, and unfortunately, will probably not be seen anywhere else.

The system works so well,  I can't tell you how many people I know have moved to Texas just to get the kids into good schools.  I know teachers who have moved because Texas teachers make more money than their counterparts in other states. As a matter of fact, I know a school district in another state which lost most of its teachers to Texas and had to bring in  teachers from the Philippines to take over the vacancies!

And we all know the equation: good schools equals best and brightest moving in,  companies following to find the best and brightest to employ, and the schools with the parents raise smart kids. It's not Utopia, it's actually happening right now.

Whatever you doing, Texas, keep it up.