The Baines Report
On Monday Brazilians took to the streets for another night of protests against government corruption and poor services. São Paulo, Brasilia and Rio de Janiero have been sites of protests and some violent police reactions over the past week. Headlines in the United States have described the protests as a fight against a 10-cent increase […]
When Ross Perot embarked on his crusade to fix the Texas education system in the 1980s, he said the state’s schools excelled in only three areas: drill team, band and football. To fix this, he helped craft and lobby for a sprawling education reform package that boosted state aid to poor districts, funded prekindergarten, […]
This summer I worked for the non-profit organization The New Teacher Project (TNTP), which is in the middle of a five-year contract with the Houston Independent School District to reform the human capital system of HISD. The changes happening at HISD quietly place the district in the center of the most controversial debates in education […]
In response to Allison Ramirez’ feature article titled, “Our Broken (Values) System” published October 26, 2011. President Reagan passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act which granted amnesty to around 2.8 million illegal immigrants in 1986. This legislation was intended to be a “one time only” deal to give legal residency to illegal immigrants already here in the United […]
“I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally.” – Ronald Reagan, 1984 debate with Walter Mondale Yes, you read that correctly: Ronald Reagan, the father of modern conservatism, in support of the A-word. Conservative champions of our […]
Is there a government prize for breaking the law in Texas? The Texas DREAM Act forces the taxpayer to reward those who continue to break the law by illegally residing in the United States. Since being signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry in 2001, the Texas DREAM Act has provided in-state tuition and need-based financial aid […]
Halfway through my first semester at the LBJ School, I have been impressed with the diversity of interests and strengths of my fellow students. I have felt challenged by my classes and supported by faculty and staff. At the same time, I have been disappointed in the amount of racial and ethnic diversity within […]
Disrupting class used to land kids in the principal’s office or detention. In Texas, however, more and more children are facing criminal prosecution, criminal records and hefty fines for acting out in school. It is estimated that at least 275,000 non-traffic tickets are issued to kids in Texas each year. The vast majority of […]