Education Top Priority for Texas Politicians, iTunes U Initiative Announced

Gov. Rick Perry recently tackled the topic of education, just as millions of Texas students go back to class.   He announced the formation of Texas Education on iTunesU.  It's a "modern approach" for keeping teachers and students in the know by providing free educational material accessible anywhere.

“iTunes U will easily and efficiently distribute Texas-based educational materials to teachers, parents and students statewide, and will help improve Texas education and secure our position as the best place to live and work in the years to come,” said the governor.  “The quality of education in Texas is steadily improving as we continue to combine tried and true teaching methods with new technology to achieve educational success.”

Teachers will be able to see professional development and support materials, according to a report from the governor's office.  Students will be able to get more information to understand subjects better.

Texas Education on iTunes U expands Project Share, a collaborative effort with the New York Times and Epsilen LLC, which will enable the creation and delivery of high quality professional development in an interactive and engaging eLearning environment. The online platform, unveiled this spring, also provides access to online resources, online course content, academic networking and professional learning communities. The Project Share initiative currently supports more than 146,000 teacher accounts, and the website (www.projectsharetexas.org) will link directly to Texas Education on iTunes U.

Perry's opponent in the upcoming gubernatorial election, Democrat Bill White, wants to hold schools, teachers, and students accountable from the top down, according to the candidate's web site.  White outlines his plan for education on his web site, which includes expanding pre-kindergarten programs, targeting drop out students to get them back in class, allowing teachers to teach writing, reading and problem-solving skills instead of teaching to a test, and making college affordable.

White says Texas is just about in last place in the country for the number of adults with high school diplomas, and cites a report that says Texas is not globally competitive. 

Gov. Perry wants to put education issues in front of state legislators next year when the session begins.  Perry is calling for a multi-million dollar expansion for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program and requiring high school students to be enrolled in school or working toward a GED to be eligible to keep a Texas driver license, to name a few.

Regardless, politicians view education as one of their top priorities on both sides of the aisle, and many are taking steps to improve education standards in Texas.

See more info on the governor’s education priorities and on the iTunes U initiative.