Let's Help Raise Higher Education Standards

An article that was written by a classmate of mine, Sheila G on her blog: Texan View Point, which I think is an important issue to the state of Texas can be found here: Let's Help Raise Higher Education Standards

My comment about her article can be found at the link above or pasted below:

I agree with you that education is one of the most important things that we as a state should be focused on to maintain a good outlook in the business climate. While reforming college education is important I think it can start even a little bit earlier than that to help prepare us kids. I know from personal experience that friends attending other high schools in the area had to do almost nothing to be in their top quartile or top ten percentile while at our high school it was an uphill battle. By helping to prepare these kids for college earlier and not letting them just coast through high school like many teachers sometimes do these students would be much more prepared for college.

I think you cited some great and telling statistics. It's dangerous to think about what may happen to our state if soon 63% of jobs will require a degree and right now only 30% in the age group immediately following college have a degree. This makes me think Texas may lose out to some outsourcing and some business over time making business decline.

I'm also hoping the state can help to get control on rising tuition rates. Some of the hardest working people I know can't afford to go to college right out of school and therefore must start working a minimum wage job to start saving up. This of course isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think they could have so much more potential just if tuition rates were kept reasonable.

I am personally against the Seven Break Through Solutions simply because many professors I know and respect at A&M are strongly against them. I do agree overall with you though that higher education and education in general needs to be reformed in order for continued success and prosperity in the state of Texas. The statistics you posted really opened my eyes to what could happen over the next few years.