The Brookings Institution recently ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia by the percentage of population earning high school diplomas.
Texas came in dead last. Fifty-first out of 50 states and the District.
No doubt there are some extenuating circumstances contributing to that dismal performance, but other states likely have their extenuating factors, too, so that’s bound to be a push. We’re just last.
Wick Allison this morning called out Texas leaders and pointed to the fact that 27 states, with another 12 on the brink, endorsed and adopted the national educational standards set forth by the country’s governors and state education leaders. Texas, in our understated, we’ll-be-just-fine-thank-you bravado, passed because we’re not going to let anybody tell us what to do. We might not have a plan for improving the education system and percentage of graduates, but it damn sure ain’t gonna be Washington’s plan.
One commenter over on Frontburner wrote, “As we say in Texas, ‘Thank God for Mississippi,’!” Except in this regard, Mississippi outranks Texas, and how embarrassing is that?
The only nit I can pick with Allison’s observation is his choice of the word “mediocrity” in the headline. Last isn’t mediocre. Last is abysmal … and sad.
Bruce Felps owns and operates East Dallas Times, an online community news outlet serving the White Rock Lake area. He went through the Texas educational system, so maybe it’s a matter of educators doing the best given what they have to work with.
