In Grapevine Thursday, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst announced five education issues that he’d like state lawmakers to focus on before the next legislative session.
Speaking at a luncheon to benefit the United Negro College Fund, Dewhurst instructed the senate committees to do their homework and return with ideas that will help further improve education in Texas.
“I want our higher education committee in the senate to be vigorously working on what our next plan will be over the next decade, how we can improve the workforce, how we can give more young people opportunities, so that they can realize their own dreams,” he said.
State senator Royce West, who is a member of the Senate’s higher education committee, attended the benefit, and says he supports these interim charges on education, including a closer review of how online courses affect higher education.
“Has technology worked?” he said. “There’s a lot of different reports that have come out that basically say that online courses are more expensive that online courses. Is that a fact, that the use of blended techniques is not as effective as the student and teacher relationship? We need to look at all of that.”
Dewhurst, who is running for re-election and faces three others in the Republican primary, wants lawmakers to look at whether more minorities are now entering college. He believes they have.
Michael Bradford is from the south side of Fort Worth, and attended Oscar Dean White High School. He got a scholarship to Howard University, and extra financial help from the United Negro College Fund. He says he could only do it because of assistance.
“It’s a strive for ambition,” he said. “It’s a … determination to be better, and [a] want to be better.”
