On Mr. Maddox's blog he talks about how the Texas Central Railway plans to construct a train system that will link the Dallas, Forth Worth area to Houston.
I agree with Mr. Maddox that the state of Texas should be partially responsible for funding this private project. This method of transportation will be used by the public and will probably also be regulated which means that this is not only a private matter. Limiting the system to only two major areas might be a good start, but I think it's worth considering adding Austin and San Antonio like Mr. Maddox added. The majority of the Texas' population lives in this triangular area that will greatly benefit from having access to public transportation. Since not everybody has the luxury of owning a vehicle, this rail system is an alleviation to many. The cost of the average train fare is also usually lower than paying for gasoline and vehicle maintenance. Mr. Maddox explained that this high-speed rail system can actually reduce time spent travelling. This will definitely help with traffic, but I also believe that enough stations must be built for this to help.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
On February 21, 2014, San Antonio Express News released an editorial titled "No need for Tasers in schools." This editorial is supposed to raise awareness of how police officers should take alternative measures to protect students. In Bastrop county, high school student Noe Niño de Riveria was tased by officers after they tried to break up a fight between two girls, where Riveria tried to intervene. After being tased, he fell, hitting his head on the ground. Resulting from this incident, Riveria was in comatose for over 50 days and may have permanent brain damage.
The authors' main audience are students or people associated with the education system. Students are the ones that have to worry about their safety when news like this are reported. The main argument is whether tasers are supposed to be banned, because they don't come without hazards. The purpose of this non-lethal weapon is to immobilize an armed attacker. 50,000 volts is an excessive amount of force that I believe is unnecessary to use on an unarmed student. Different schools use alternatives such as pepper spray.
Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union asked the Texas Education Agency to ban non-lethal weapons all together.
I agree with the authors' argument because I think it's not necessary to take those measures. Even if the ban doesn't go through, the volts on tasers should definitely be lowered to a more reasonable amount. 50,000 volts seems appropriate in a life threatening situation, but not on a school campus.
The authors' main audience are students or people associated with the education system. Students are the ones that have to worry about their safety when news like this are reported. The main argument is whether tasers are supposed to be banned, because they don't come without hazards. The purpose of this non-lethal weapon is to immobilize an armed attacker. 50,000 volts is an excessive amount of force that I believe is unnecessary to use on an unarmed student. Different schools use alternatives such as pepper spray.
Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union asked the Texas Education Agency to ban non-lethal weapons all together.
I agree with the authors' argument because I think it's not necessary to take those measures. Even if the ban doesn't go through, the volts on tasers should definitely be lowered to a more reasonable amount. 50,000 volts seems appropriate in a life threatening situation, but not on a school campus.
Monday, February 10, 2014
On January 31st, 2014, The Texas Tribune published the article "SBOE Repeals Algebra II as Graduation Requirement". The State Board of Education voted that algebra II should be repealed as a graduation requirement for all Texas public schools. Statistics and algebraic reasoning are two alternative courses that will be offered for students to choose from. Both of these courses will be designed by the Texas Education Agency and local schools to meet equal rigorous demands as algebra II. Last year in May, Legislature passed the House Bill 5 which aims to remodel the high school curriculum. The goal is to allow more career training opportunities for students that don't wish to continue their education after high school. Depending on what specialized areas students will go into should determine what math courses they take.
There are varying opinions from the board about this legislation. One member argued that the Legislature passed down the hard work of filling in the details which they avoided doing themselves. On the other hand another member argued in favor, saying that Legislature believed in the board and trusted them enough to make the best decision in order to represent their districts. Dropping algebra II as a graduation requirement means that school districts will be more flexible, but this increased responsibility could prove to be burdensome for counselors.
I believe that this article is worth reading because it informs everyone involved in obtaining an education how the system will change. Even though it's not sure how replacing algebra II as a graduation requirement will impact students continuing their education. I think it's important to look at how the alternative courses will be designed to meet the high requirements.
There are varying opinions from the board about this legislation. One member argued that the Legislature passed down the hard work of filling in the details which they avoided doing themselves. On the other hand another member argued in favor, saying that Legislature believed in the board and trusted them enough to make the best decision in order to represent their districts. Dropping algebra II as a graduation requirement means that school districts will be more flexible, but this increased responsibility could prove to be burdensome for counselors.
I believe that this article is worth reading because it informs everyone involved in obtaining an education how the system will change. Even though it's not sure how replacing algebra II as a graduation requirement will impact students continuing their education. I think it's important to look at how the alternative courses will be designed to meet the high requirements.
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