Issue Position: Providing a Strong Education System

Issue Position

Since Representative Parker joined the Texas Legislature, public education funding has increased by more than $5 billion dollars, Texas teachers twice received a pay raise and retired teachers were given a bonus 13th check in 2008. While an advocate for aggressively funding public education, Representative Parker also places great emphasis on responsibly allocating tax dollars so that Texas can achieve the most out of its public education resources. This approach is contributing to why Texas high school students achieved higher ACT scores in 2009 than 14 states that spend more per student on funding public education.

Alongside the increases in funding, Representative Parker has supported a menu of tools provided to public schools meant to improve the quality of education in Texas, including: replacing the TAKS Test with end of course exams for grades 9 -- 12, greater technological resources and programs that help at risk students stay on the path to high school graduation. Results from these programs can already be seen, as Texas' drop-out rate fell from 16.6% to 10.8% in just one year.

In 2007, Representative Parker proudly supported successful measures that protect a student's right to voluntary religious expression and allows biblical studies as an elective course in high school curriculums. As a father of two young daughters in the Lewisville Independent School District, Representative Parker remains committed to providing an excellent public education system centered on classroom success and individual student growth that allows our children, our greatest asset and investment, to be competitive in a 21st century global economy.

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