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Tribune"></a></h1> <time datetime="2015-02-28T08:49:34.082897">Saturday, February 28, 2015</time> </div> </header> </div> <div class="wrapper content-wrapper"> <div id="site_content" class="content "> <div class="grid"> <div class="cell w-8 main_column"> <article> <header> <h1><a href="/web/20150228144935/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/02/24/aycock-takes-stand-defend-texas-education/">Education Chair Defends High School Graduation Rates</a></h1> <ul class="meta separator"><li class="byline"> by <a href="/web/20150228144935/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/eva-hershaw/">Eva Hershaw</a> and <a href="/web/20150228144935/http://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/morgan-smith/">Morgan Smith</a></li><li><time datetime="Tue, 24 Feb 2015 17:06:51 -0600" title="2015-02-24 17:06"> Feb. 24, 2015 </time></li><li class="comments"><a class="comments" href="/web/20150228144935/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/02/24/aycock-takes-stand-defend-texas-education/comments/"><span 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</aside> <div class="content"> <p>A top House Republican on Tuesday pushed back against the notion that Texas public schools are failing to properly educate students.</p> <p><span><span>"The practice is to not get too editorial, but I am going to get editorial today,"</span> said House Public Education Chairman <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.texastribune.org/directory/jimmie-don-aycock/">Jimmie Don Aycock</a>,<span> R-Killeen, as he opened his panel's first hearing of the session.</span></span></p> <p>Aycock said he was troubled by skepticism that<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/02/20/texas-high-school-graduation-rate-behind-only-iowa/"> followed a recent report </a>showing high school graduation rates in Texas among the top in the nation for a third consecutive year. </p> <p><span style="line-height: 1.35;"><span style="line-height: 1.35;">"A</span><span style="line-height: 1.35;">ll sorts of comments hit the news that that graduation rate wasn ...</span></span></p> <p><a id="content_more" href="/web/20150228144935/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/02/24/aycock-takes-stand-defend-texas-education/" class="more" title="Read full story">Full Story</a></p> </div> </article> <div id="comment_policy"> <header class="smallcaps"> <h1>Comment Policy</h1> </header> <p> The Texas Tribune is pleased to provide the opportunity for you to share your observations about this story. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask that you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or wandering away from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of the Tribune, and your user name will be displayed. Thanks for taking time to offer your thoughts. </p> <p class="anonymous_message"> <strong>You must be logged in to leave a comment.</strong> <a href="/web/20150228144935/http://www.texastribune.org/accounts/login/?next=">Login</a> <script> (function(){ var allScripts = document.getElementsByTagName('script'), currentScript = allScripts[allScripts.length - 1], node = currentScript; while (node = node.previousSibling) { if (node.nodeName == "A"){ node.href += document.location.pathname; break; } }; })(); </script> | <a href="/web/20150228144935/http://www.texastribune.org/accounts/register/">Sign-Up</a> </p> </div> <section id="comments_container" class="sidebar_block"> <header> <h1>Comments (8)</h1> </header> <ul class="comments"> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003330227199"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935im_/http://graph.facebook.com/100003330227199/picture?type=square"/> </a> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> February 24 @ 5:22 p.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003330227199">Mary Mahurin</a> </span> via <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837">Texas Tribune on Facebook</a> </p> <p class="comment">Math skills are definitely lacking. Most think cutting revenue will create prosperity.</p> <ul class="actions clearfix"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837"><span>+</span> Reply</a></li> </ul> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1229016144"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935im_/http://graph.facebook.com/1229016144/picture?type=square"/> </a> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> February 24 @ 5:29 p.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1229016144">Jo Ann Bullock-Bell</a> </span> via <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837">Texas Tribune on Facebook</a> </p> <p class="comment">Come on get with the program and proof read before you hit enter JIMMIE DON AYCOCK</p> <ul class="actions clearfix"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837"><span>+</span> Reply</a></li> </ul> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005603144581"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935im_/http://graph.facebook.com/100005603144581/picture?type=square"/> </a> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> February 24 @ 5:31 p.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005603144581">Mellany Lamb</a> </span> via <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837">Texas Tribune on Facebook</a> </p> <p class="comment">There is plenty of waste with money that could go back to funding our schools. Almost $500M is paid out to Pearson for standardized testing and now this information regarding the Education Service Centers. Pressure your state legislator to cut funding to these types of spending. <br/>http://www.redhotconservative.com/texas-escs-exposed-part-1-2/</p> <ul class="actions clearfix"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837"><span>+</span> Reply</a></li> </ul> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> February 24 @ 6:09 p.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> Lan Bentsen </span> </p> <p class="comment">Lan Bentsen<br/><br/>I am having a problem with the math. The number of students statewide is roughly 380,000 per year as noted below by the TEA. Then in high school they drop down precipitously to 308,000 seniors and graduate 284,000. But 284,000 divided by the 380,000 = 75%.<br/>Go figure.<br/><br/>TEA Student Count<br/><br/>Early Education 21,397<br/>Pre-kindergarten 226,707<br/>Kindergarten 391,711<br/>Grade 1 409,433<br/>Grade 2 394,431<br/>Grade 3 389,998<br/>Grade 4 383,561<br/>Grade 5 382,914<br/>Grade 6 376,578<br/>Grade 7 385,483<br/>Grade 8 379,708<br/>Grade 9 408,202<br/>Grade 10 362,569<br/>Grade 11 330,382<br/>Grade 12 308,851<br/>Total All Grade Levels 5,151,925</p> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000829316784"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935im_/http://graph.facebook.com/100000829316784/picture?type=square"/> </a> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> February 24 @ 6:17 p.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000829316784">Neil Moyer</a> </span> via <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837">Texas Tribune on Facebook</a> </p> <p class="comment">grad rates meaningless if grads are poorly/inadequately educated....</p> <ul class="actions clearfix"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837"><span>+</span> Reply</a></li> </ul> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000713138135"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935im_/http://graph.facebook.com/100000713138135/picture?type=square"/> </a> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> February 24 @ 7:44 p.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000713138135">Gil Mauricio</a> </span> via <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837">Texas Tribune on Facebook</a> </p> <p class="comment">There has to be problems for the average TX Tribune reader to be happy.</p> <ul class="actions clearfix"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837"><span>+</span> Reply</a></li> </ul> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> February 25 @ 5:59 a.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> Tim Terry </span> </p> <p class="comment">Math skills were much better when we had to find the square root with a slide rule.</p> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> <li> <div class="comment_author_image"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=540878587"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935im_/http://graph.facebook.com/540878587/picture?type=square"/> </a> </div> <div class="comment_body"> <div class="comment_time"> February 25 @ 9:11 a.m. </div> <p class="byline"> <span class="author"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=540878587">Diana Vandiver</a> </span> via <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837">Texas Tribune on Facebook</a> </p> <p class="comment">Jimmie Don is an ignoramus. I guess he hasn't heard or read about the issues college professors have with students who graduated from high school. Most of them are ill prepared for college--they can't even write nor comprehend what they read that well due to the poor quality of education they are receiving in high school. The graduation rate might be high and that is because the standards for graduation have been lowered.</p> <ul class="actions clearfix"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/https://www.facebook.com/texastribune/posts/10153038144465837"><span>+</span> Reply</a></li> </ul> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </li> </ul> </section> </div> <div class=" rail cell w-4 hide-for-medium-down"> <section class="trib_newsletter"> <form action="https://web.archive.org/web/20150228144935/http://texastribune.us3.list-manage2.com/subscribe/post?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=68501b81bf" method="post" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" class="validate" target="_blank" novalidate> <header> <h2>Sign Up for The Brief</h2> </header> <p>Our daily news summary</p> <div class="mc-field-group nowrap"> <input type="email" value="" name="EMAIL" class="input_neue required email" id="mce-EMAIL" placeholder="enter your email here"> <input type="submit" 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