Dexter the Texter!

In response to John's post against texting and driving and the bill against it: 

John's post addresses the issue about the danger of texting and driving. This is a serious issue and is a leading cause for many accidents. I liked how John pointed out that "Dexter the Texter" was sending a meaningless text, because I believe that many texts are meaningless and are not worth risking the lives of others. To build his credibility, John quotes Representative Craddick's viewpoint on texting and driving and why HB 63 was filed, a bill against texting and driving. I agree with Craddick when he says that banning texting and driving will help save lives. I must admit that I have been involved in a fender bender because of me texting, but after that I quickly learned my lesson. I thought, what if it was not just a little accident and I had actually injured someone? How could I live on knowing that I had taken away someone's life because I "had" to send that meaningless text? John also tells of two very realistic scenarios in which someone could be seriously injured due to texting and driving to drive home his point.  I believe people will not do the right thing and stop texting and driving if there is no punishment involved, because facts have not deterred people from texting and driving. Sadly, I believe force may be the only successful way to make people stop this behavior. 

Here is a link to AT&T's "The Last Text" documentary, which is a powerful account of how people's lives have changed for the worst because of texting and driving.  I immediately thought of this video after I read John's post and believe that it shows just how dangerous this act can be.

BlogStage7

Just recently, Proposition one passed.  This proposition will allow Austin to have a medical school and a teaching hospital, and also is focused on improving heath care in Travis County. Powers, the University of Texas at Austin president, points out in his article that almost every major city in Texas has a medical school and that it has diversified and energized the city’s economy.  I am from Houston, a city with a large medical center, and I believe that it greatly benefits Houston’s economy.  Not only does the hospital benefit financially, but surrounding businesses such as restaurants and hotels will also benefit from the influx of costumers. Also, the hospital and school will need many personnel to staff the hospital, thus attracting more employees to Austin.  In addition, I think that individuals have a right to adequate healthcare and Proposition one is a means of ensuring that insured and uninsured individuals receive the healthcare they need and deserve.

Although Travis County residents must also pay more taxes to support the new school, Powers says that UT Austin has committed to give over 290 million dollars to fund the school. Thus debunking the myth that taxpayers are the only ones funding the new development.  In addition, Seton family of hospitals has committed to give over 250 million dollars to fund the teaching hospital that will go along with the medical school. I think that the community should be better informed about the fact that UT and Seton are both giving money and are not just relying on the public to pay. I also believe that the community should be informed about the various benefits, besides medical ones, they will enjoy because Proposition one passed.  For example, as I stated earlier, the creation of a medical center will positively impact the economy, a big issue in all of America today.  So, the positive effect this development will have on Austin’s economy can lessen the financial burden that the tax increase imposes on Travis county taxpayers.

The article also points out another myth, that UT Austin is “rich” and should be able to use its own money to build the school because of the large endowment it receives. I agree with Power’s when he points out that the “endowment in question goes to 13 schools within the University of Texas System as well as the UT System administration.”  Thus, the wealth is spread out quite thinly in order to fund all of these schools, leaving little extra left over.  

Lastly, Powers points out that Proposition one will not only benefit UT-Austin, but also the whole central Texas region.  I also agree that it will positively impact the entire region by increasing access to healthcare for all people, insured or uninsured.  He also notes that it will “expand the health care workforce.” I think this is very important not only because new jobs will be created, but also because I am on the educational path to becoming a nurse. It’s important for there to be an increase in demand for nurses because, contrary to popular belief, it’s actually difficult for nurses to find jobs.  Also, a well qualified staff for the medical school will attract well qualified medical students who will most likely stay in Texas after they graduate, thus making Texas have better doctors.

I really enjoyed Power’s closing statement to his article, “A medical school will expand the health care infrastructure for Central Texas, resulting in healthier students in our classrooms and a healthier, more productive work force for our community.” I believe this to be true and am very excited that Proposition one passed because of the economic and humanitarian benefits it will bring to Austin.

BlogStage6

I wrote this comment in response to John Olson's blog post:
I believe that we do need a light rail system in Austin, one that also spans into Austin's suburbs. This type of transportation is very efficient and avoids the pesky traffic of Austin. I read somewhere the other day that Austin has some of the worst traffic in the United States. By creating a light rail system, the passengers would get to their destination faster without having to deal with the stress of traffic. In addition, the passengers on the train would be off the street, and thus Austin's roads wouldn't be as congested. Though, I do believe that Austin's bus system is fantastic, as I use it twice a week to go to the Rio Grande ACC campus. Yet, the bus system is using gasoline and oil, which is not energy efficient like a light rail. Austin's population is growing quickly and people need a more efficient way to get to places. So, we should get a jump on creating a light rail system soon because the new good spots to install it will be taken.

Blog Stage Five

In this article, it states that Austin, Texas has announced that it supports marriage equality.  I am very proud of my city for finally declaring its support for same sex marriage.  I believe that everyone has the right to love whomever they want, regardless of their gender.  I cannot wait for more conservative Texas towns to start showing their acceptance of same sex marriage, and then maybe one day Texas could allow gay marriage.  It will be a long uphill battle, but I feel that people are becoming more and more supportive of same sex marriage, especially the younger generation.

It just seems natural in our society for a straight couple to be married if they love each other. So why are we depriving people, people who share the same feelings for each other as a straight couple, the same right. I have many close gay friends who are in monogamous, loving relationships and they act just like straight couples do, except they are the same gender. 

It may seem unnatural for a man to date a man or for a woman to date a woman in the eyes of straight people, and some people even believe that gay people “choose” to be that way.  Yet, when I have asked my friends about their sexuality, they believed they always had felt different, even from a young age.  Their attraction to the same sex seems to be something inherent, and many say that if they could choose their sexuality, they would choose to be straight and fit in with everyone else.  I feel like a way to show these people that they fit in with our society is to recognize the legitimacy of their relationships via marriage.

Plus, how does giving two people who love each other the right to have a legally recognized relationship hurt others? It doesn’t mean that people will all the sudden push for the right to marry their animals or to have multiple wives, that is just another illogical argument against same sex marriage. 

I do not understand why this is still an issue today.  The pros outweigh the cons a hundred times over. I agree with what Mayor Leffingwell said in her prepared statement last month, “The tide is changing in America and I hope… our city can play a significant role in helping set us on a path to full marriage equality in our country in my lifetime.” 

Blog Stage Four

This editorial on the blog The Burnt Orange Report, by Ben Sherman, is concerned with the drop in SAT scores in Texas.  He doesn't find this surprising because of the 2011 budget cuts. Sherman notes that Rick Perry recently praised the higher SAT participation rates, but this is because of the increase in the Hispanic and African American population in Texas.  He points out that the quantity of students taking the test doesn’t matter, but the quality of their education matters more, obviously.  The poorer SAT scores show that the quality of education is decreasing.  He points out that the draining of the education system’s funds is the culprit.  In addition to the poor SAT scores, Sherman points out something even scarier, that only forty-seven percent of Texas school students are prepared for college when they graduate.  He says that by failing our children we are failing our state and believes that a new Legislature needs to be elected, one that is more concerned with education. 

Since I am very much into education, so I totally agree with these statements. Sherman is arguing for a change in the educational system of Texas to better prepare students for college. I believe that his audience is parents, teachers, students, and legislators.  I read his biography and found out that he was Communications Coordinator for the Bill White gubernatorial campaign.  So, I believe this gives him some kind of credibility since he has worked in politics.  He also backs up his information with facts and figures that make his argument more credible.

The purpose of his commentary is to convince electors and legislators that there is a deficit in the Texas educational system that has been caused by an increase in students and a decrease in funding.  Not only are the SAT scores bad, but students are also less prepared for college if they do graduate high school.  This shows that these students might not just be bad test takers, but that they are simply undereducated.  I believe this commentary was written to open up the eyes of the people involved in education so that they can understand the bleak situation that the educational system faces.  If voters understand what current state the educational system is in and do not like it, then they can vote for legislators who will work in accordance with their beliefs of education.

I must say that simply adding money into the system won’t cure all of the problems in the Texas public education system. The money must be used in the most efficient way possible. When money is added, school districts should be very cognizant of what programs they put the money towards.  There must be a way to motivate parents to become more involved in their children’s academic life.  If this cannot be achieved, there should be a program geared towards getting students more involved in their education.  This program should motivate, guide, and give academic support.  Having a supportive network of people around will encourage students to strive to do better academically.  

Blog Stage Four

This editorial on the blog The Burnt Orange Report by Ben Sherman is concerned with the SAT score drop in Texas and what this means about the Texas education system.  He finds this to not be surprising because of the 2011 budget cuts. Sherman notes that Rick Perry recently praised the higher SAT participation rates and that this is because of the increase in the Hispanic and African American population in Texas.  He points out that the quantity of students taking the test doesn’t matter, but the quality of their education matters more, obviously.  The poorer SAT scores show that the quality of education is decreasing.  He points out that the draining of the education system’s funds is the culprit.  In addition to the SAT scores, Sherman points out something even scarier, that only forty-seven of Texas school students are prepared for college when they graduate.  He says that by failing our children we are failing our state and believes that a new Legislature needs to be elected. 

Since I am very much into education, so I totally agree with these statements. Sherman is arguing for a change in the educational system of Texas to better prepare them for college. I believe that his audience is parents, teachers, students, and legislators.  I read his biography and found out that he was Communications Coordinator for the Bill White gubernatorial campaign.  So, I believe this gives him some kind of credibility since he has worked directly in politics.  He backs up his information with facts and figures that make his argument more credible.

The purpose of his commentary is to convince electors and legislators that there is a deficit in the Texas educational system that has been caused by an increase in students and a decrease in funding.  Not only are the SAT scores bad, but also students are less prepared for college if they do get through high school.  This shows that these students might not just be bad test takers, but that they are simply undereducated.  I believe this commentary was written to open up the eyes of the people involved in education so that they can understand the situation of the educational system.  If they understand what current state the system is in now, and if they don’t like it, then they can vote for legislators who will work in accordance with their beliefs of education.

I must say that adding money into the system won’t cure all of the problems in Texas public education.  Legislators and school districts should be held accountable for what programs the money goes to. There must be a way to motivate parents to become more involved in their children’s academic life.  If this cannot be achieved, there has to be a program to get students more involved in their education, which would involve an increase in funding.  This program should motivate, guide, and give academic support.  Having a supportive network of people around will encourage students to strive to do better academically.  

Blog Stage Three

This editorial by Tom Pauken discusses the new standardized test that Texas students must take, the STAAR.  This test has replaced the TAKS test and the grade on this test accounts for fifteen percent of a student’s final grade in that particular subject.  I am so glad I got out of high school when I did.  These students may have to take up to fifteen of these tests before they get out of high school.  This test is supposed to make students college ready, but what this test fails to take into account is that not all students want to go to a four-year college after they graduate. Pauken does recognize that there needs to be some way to check school accountability, but he points out that even the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, Robert Scott, said that the system we have implemented to do this “has become a perversion of its original intent.”

Pauken also points out that there are many necessary jobs out there that do not require one to have a college degree.  The emphasis on college may turn off some students and as a result many drop out.  Pauken says, “Many of these students, who may not thrive in a classroom setting, would benefit from the opportunity to receive training that leads to an industry-certified credential.”  I believe this statement to be true because I had a few friends in high school who were not the best students and became very discouraged when they saw their TAKS scores.  Yet, they were great with cars and if there were a program at school that would train them to be an automotive technician then they would have had a brighter future. The regimented schooling gave them this mindset that if they didn’t succeed in school, they wouldn’t succeed in anything. 

There actually was a program in the school district in Houston that I went to before I moved to Austin called the Miller Career Center.  This was a place where students who didn’t see themselves going to a university after high school could go and learn trades such as automotive technician, cosmetology, EMT, and many others.  Pauken also talks about the need for younger people to become a part of the skilled trade workforce.  Many welders, plumbers, and masonry craftsmen are hitting retirement age, leaving a space that could be filled by these students who do not plan on going to a university. I absolutely agree with Pauken’s idea that schooling should be focused more on individual needs and we should not measure each child’s intelligence based on a test.

I think Pauken’s audiences for this article are all the individuals involved in education.  Such as legislators, teachers, parents, and students.

I believe that Pauken’s complaints, coupled with the complaints of many others, about the current way of testing could possibly lead to changes in legislation about standardized testing in Texas.

I believe Pauken is a knowledgeable man in many political areas since he has held some political positions over the years.  Though he never held any positions related directly to education, but I still believe he is credible because I have seen this phenomenon where students become discouraged because of the standardized tests and may end up dropping out.  Like I said earlier, there should be programs in school that teach students trades so those students who don’t feel like they’re cut out for college.