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WE'LL SHOW YOU HOW YOU CAN HELP
YOUR KIDS MAKE
CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY
CAPTION SOLUTIONS, LLC
WWW.CAPTIONSOLUTIO
IVE IT THEIR
LUKEWARM SUPPORT.
BACK TO YOU.
>> FORD, THANK YOU.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE BILLS BEING
DEBATED IN AUSTIN AIMED AT
BEEFING UP EDUCATION IN TEXAS.
DR. SHARON WASHINGTON, THEDER O
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT IS HERE TO WEIGH IN
WITH HER EXPERTISE.
DOCTOR, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
OKAY.
AS SOMEBODY WHO'S AN EXPERT ON
THE SUBJECT, LET'S TALK ABOUT A
BILL BEING PRESENTED BY O ONE O
OUR LOCAL STATE SENATORS,
REPUBLICAN DAN PATRICK, WHO
WANTS TO DEVELOP DEGREE TRACKS
FOR KIDS IN HIGH SCHOOL,
SPECIALTIES AT THAT EARLY ON IN
THEIR EDUCATION.
DO YOU THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA?
>> WELL, THE PROBLEM WITH THAT
IS THAT WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY
WHAT WE WANT TO DO WHEN WE'RE
THAT YOUNG.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE KNOW
WHAT WE WANT TO DO W WHEN WE'REN
COLLEGE.
SO KIDS CAN GET STUCK IN A
TRACK.
BUT THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH IT.
BUT I THINK THAT IT'S A
FANTASTIC IDEA THAT THEY ARE SO
OPEN TO OVERHAUL THE EDUCATION
PLAN IN SUCH A BIG, BIG WAY.
THAT'S AN INTERESTING THING.
THE DEGREE PLAN IS YOU HAVE AN
OPTION TO CHOOSE EITHER BUSINESS
AND CAREER OR YOU CAN CHOOSE AN
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT PLAN WHICH
FOCUSES ON STEM, ARTS AND
HUMANITIES OR THE DISTINGUISHED
PLAN.
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS, AT
LEAST THE OPPONENTS TO THE IDEA
SAYS THAT MINORITY KIDS COULD
GET TRACKED INTO THE CAREER AND
BUSINESS PLAN.
THOSE WHO SUPPORT THE IDEA SAY
IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE EVEN
IF YOU GRADUATE WITH A CAREER IN
BUSINESS PLAN, YOU WILL BE ABLE
TO GET INTO ANY COLLEGE.
I DON'T SEE HOW THAT CAN HAPPEN.
THE CAREER INN BUSINESS PLAN
MEANS YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE
HIGHER LEVEL MATH AND SCIENCE.
>> THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO
ASK.
I REMEMBER, WHICH IS IRONIC,
BECAUSE I WENT ON TO MAJOR IN A
SCIENCE WHERE I HAD TO USE MATH,
BUT I WAS A LAZY SENIOR, OKAY,
IN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND IN GOING INTO THE SENIOR
YEAR, YOU HAD AN OPTION TO TAKE
A CERTAIN MATH COURSE OR NOT.
I OPTED NOT TO AND LATERER
REGRETTED IT SINCERELY.
FOR KIDS MAKING THAT DECISION,
IF YOU SAY TO A 16-YEAR-OLD, YOU
CAN GO ON THIS TRACK AND NOT
HAVE TO TAKE CALCULUS, OR GO ON
THIS TRACK AND HAVE TO BUST YOUR
BACKSIDE, MOST WILL CHOOSE THE
PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE.
>> EXACTLY.
HERE'S THE THING.
TODAY WE ARE IN A KNOWLEDGE
BASED D GLOBAL ECONOMY.
FOR A ANYONONE TO THINK THAT
WHATEVER TRACK YOU TAKE, THAT
YOU DON'T NEED THESE HIGHER
LEVEL MATH AND SCIENCE CLASSES,
YOU'RE EITHER LYING TO YOURSELF
OR JUST STUPID.
BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THOSE
HIGHER LEVEL MATH CLASSES TO
COMPETE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY.
SO EVEN IF YOU BECOME A
MECHANIC, THE THINGS THAT YOU
USED TO DO WITH A WRENCH YOU NOW
HAVE TO DO WITH A COMPUTER.
YOU NEED THOSE CLASSES.
>> HOW DOES THIS CURRENT PLAN AS
YOU UNDERSTAND IT COMPARE TO,
LET'S SAY, WHAT THEY DO IN OTHER
COUNTRIES?
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT IN CHINA, A
CHILD HAS TO TAKE A TEST AND
BASED ON THEIR APTITUDE TOWARDS
CERTAIN THINGS, THEY'RE
CHANNELLED INTO CAREER PATHS
FROM A YOUNG AGE AND DON'T HAVE
MUCH OF A CHOICE.
>>>>RIGHT.
THERE, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.
HERE, YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO
CHANGE YOUR PATH OR YOUR DESIRE
OR YOUR WAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO
GO.
HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM THAT WE
HAVE THAT WE DON'T SEE IN PLACES
LIKE CHINA IS THAT HEREE WE
STANDARDIZE TESTS.
SO KIDS GET TRACKED BY THE
STANDARDIZATION OF THEIR TESTS.
IN OTHER PLACES WHERE IT'S
WORKING BETTER, LIKE FINLAND,
THEY STANDARDIZE THE QUALILITY
TEACHING.
ALL TEACHERS GO THROUGH THE SAME
PROGRAM.
THEY STANDARDIZE FUNDING.
ALL KIDS GET THE SAME FUNDING.
WE DON'T DO THAT HEHERE.
WE HAVE KIDS TAKE ALL THE SAME
TESTS.
>> LET ME ASK ABOUT THOSE TESTS.
SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME THE TEXAS
CONGRESS IS IN SESSION, THERE
ARE BILLS TO MODIFY, USUALLY
REDUCE THE NUMBERS OF THESE
TESTS THAT THE KIDS HAVE TO
TAKE.
DO YOU THINK THEY'RE TESTED TOO
MUCH OR TOO MUCH EMPHASIS IS PUT
ON THE TEST?
>> THERE'S A LOT OF EMPHASIS PUT
ON THE TESTS.
EVERY FIVE OR TEN YEARS, WE PUT
OUT A NEW TEST BECAUSE THE LAST
ONE DIDN'T WORK.
>> WE'VE GONE TO STSTAAR.
>> EXACTLY.
KIDS WERE BEING TESTED OVER A
COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE THEIR
GRADE.
IN TENTH GRADE, YOU'RE TESTED
OVER EIGHTH GRADE MATERIAL.
YOU SHOULD P PASS IT EASIY.
IT REVEALED THAT KIDS WERE NOT
ABLE TO PASS EIGHTH GRADE TESTS
EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE IN TENTH
GRADE.
WE HAD A PROBLEM THERE.
NOW THEY WANT TO REDUCE THE
NUMBER OF TESTS FROM 15 TO FIVE.
>> WHATEVER MAKES LIFE EASIER
AND EDUCATION BETTER IS WHAT I'M
IN FAVOR OF.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS.
WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE YOU BACK ON
TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE ANSWER