| The word education means "to draw out', | | | | programs and improved funded equity to retain |
| facilitating realization of self-potential and latent | | | | and attract qualified talented teaching |
| talents of an individual. It encompasses teaching | | | | professionals. |
| and learning specific skills, and also imparting | | | | Improving Public Education: The aim of good |
| knowledge, positive judgment and well-developed | | | | education is to develop the latent talent of |
| wisdom. Texas Democrats attach great | | | | students and encourage innovative thinking |
| importance to the power of education and rightly | | | | (thinking out of the box to provide solutions to |
| so. To quote famous Texas Democrat and | | | | ordinary everyday problems). This is possible only |
| President Lyndon B. Johnson | | | | when students are assessed through a |
| "At the desk where I sit, I have learned one | | | | comprehensive assessment system and latest |
| great truth. The answer for all our national | | | | teaching tools are employed. Texas Democrats |
| problems - the answer for all the problems of the | | | | are committed to improving public education in |
| world - come to a single word. That word is | | | | order to make a qualitative improvement in the |
| "education." | | | | students' life. |
| - President Lyndon B. Johnson | | | | - Improve Teacher Quality and Teaching |
| To achieve their dream of providing every Texan | | | | Conditions : To provide quality education to |
| child with access to education, Texas Democrats | | | | students, it is important that we attract and |
| developed the following policy initiatives | | | | retain qualified teaching professionals. This can only |
| Provide free public education : Texas Democrats | | | | be done by improving teachers' pay, benefits like |
| believe in the right of every child to free public | | | | health insurance and improve teaching and learning |
| education and thereby provide all Texans an | | | | conditions at schools. Texas Democrats have |
| opportunity to achieve to their fullest potential. To | | | | promised to repeal regressive Republican |
| ensure full accountability, public education must be | | | | provisions like "government pension offset and |
| 100% funded by the government. This initiative is | | | | windfall elimination provision (which unfairly reduce |
| not restricted to primary education alone, but | | | | Social Security benefits duly earned by Texas |
| extended to higher education and career | | | | teachers and other school employees)" and |
| education programs. To ensure quality of teaching, | | | | "incentive pay programs (linking pay to student |
| Texas Democrats propose adhering to the 22-1 | | | | performance which is an unfair practice). |
| class size limit, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten | | | | |