Public education in Texas has long been a punching bag, but there has been a dramatic turnaround when it comes to graduation rates, 1200 WOAI news reports.
"Eighty-nine percent of our students graduate. That's especially high," Mike Morath, head of the Texas Education Association, said this week.
Speaking this week to the newly-formed Texas Commission on Public School Finance, Morath says they have seen gains in both rich and poor students, and students who are English language learners. This comes at a time when student poverty is on the rise.
"In 1996, it was in the upper 40s. Now, it's close to 59 percent," he said.
Morath told the commission that if students come from a non-English-speaking household, they are more likely to outperform students who come from English-speaking households with similar levels of poverty.
When you break it down by subject, he says gains on math scores were more pronounced than reading, but both areas are on the increase.
The numbers come as the state debates public school finance, and its link to soaring property taxes. In recent state legislative sessions, the state has either reduced funding, or funding has flat lined. That put more of a burden on property owners to foot the bill.
Gov. Greg Abbott recently released a plan to cut property taxes, but some in the public education system believe the answer is to more fully fund schools.
Texas spends $60 billion on public education. There are 5.3 million students on 86 hundred campuses.
Morath tipped his cap to teachers who, despite the debate, have kept their eye on the kids. He says, nationally, Texas ranks number four when it comes to graduation rates.
"People often ask about how Texas is doing, and from a graduation perspective, we are absolutely a top performer in the United States. There is no question about it."