Reforming texas education

Summary: The author, Dick Armey, in this article suggests that there should be desperate measures to regulate the system at Texas universities. According to Armey, the universities are more focused on the complacencies of the faculty instead of the students that has potential. Armey sides with the undertaking of Governor Rick Perry’s education reform, which states that Texas’ education has gone off track and changes must be enforced. The University of Texas is pronounced the third largest endowment in the country, but falls into 47th for best academics. Not only the need for higher education has raised concerns but tuition is too. Tuition has gone up every year by 9. 8 percent since 1994, which many families are stressing to provide that extra amount. The Texas Public Policy Foundation recently surveyed how conducive Texas universities and colleges are, and 80 percent said more could be done. Armey argues that tenured professors should be removed due to lacking teaching skills. All professors should establish and approved on their teaching skills before stepping foot in front of a classroom. Also, Armey points out that taxpayers are contributing to tenured professors. He reveals that free market reforms should also be considered, which academic results would determine funds to schools. Armey hammers on a founding that at one research university only has about 22 percent of professors actually teaching. He states that funds for research and teaching budgets should be separated to reduce tuition. To conclude Armey’s article, the main focus should be on higher education given by adequate professors. Meanwhile, researchers’ main goal should help better the education, which he suggests should have a different budget than joint with teaching. Tenured professors should have limitations on pay and teaching. Armey suggests that if all these needs are met, then it should benefit everyone. Opinion: I agree with what Armey said in his article and some things need to be changed within the system. I did not know much about how the school system work and where the funds comes from. Every year I always wondered why I am paying more than the previous years. I feel that as much money that I am putting out is not going towards my full advantage. There are always new fees included or higher rates for interest in my tuition. Every day I would pass my college to see the same construction that has been going for quite a while, and I wonder if that’s the reason the tuition keep going up. Not only that I am struggling to pay my tuition, I cannot handle the textbook changing every year or even semesters. Also, I believe that it is not to anyone’s concern that the textbooks are costing students a fortune. Armey states that the main focus should be about the students and I agree highly. But I do not believe the students have the main floor as they should. Half of the classes that I have taken so far, the professors do not live up to their end. I often wonder to myself where my money was going towards. I come across professors who do not want to be in the classroom or want your input about the topic of that day rather than wanting to leave. I don’t mind cutting class short but I would like to be taught properly and understand what they are rushing through. And, sometimes people do not that the time to stay after to get tutorials due to family, work, or personal issues. I do believe higher education should be enforced. It would challenge not only the students but the professors too. So, students can focus more and learn more, while professors are actually being paid for what they are meant to do. I have never thought about tenured professors until this article and Armey is right. There should be more restriction for tenured professors because the students’ education is at risk or removal them completely. I would like to know that I am being taught properly or at least I know they are capable to teach. Tenured professors should have certain qualifications, requirements, and be supervised until ready to go solo. Armey goes on and says that the research and teaching budgets are in one budget. I do not think this is not fair for either side. Either, they are not getting paid enough or not having enough faculty staffs. Also, Armey points out that colleges and universities funds should be determined by the academic results. Having taxpayers pay for those students that either does not show up to class or come back to college at all, should be enforced. It is not the taxpayers fault that those students choices not to attend school. Public schools (K-12) have been running on that system and with the help of taxpayers so why colleges and universities can cannot do it? In the article, Armey addressed that 49 out of 3, 000 staff members only brought in enough money for their salary and overhead for over the past five years. I believe that not that much enforcement is being made. In result to my opinion about how we need to have higher education reform, I believe that everyone should pitch in help better the future. Professors should be accountable on their end results of teaching and their focal point, which are the students, whom are providing for the professors’ paychecks, and proved greater service to the students. Being that taxes and tuition rates are increasing every year, many people are furious about the situation. There are people out there that can afford to go to college or back to college for these reasons. We all are in need for this higher education reform.