Houston Schools Zero Dropout Rate ("Texas Miracle") A Lie

Houston's school leaders' arms have been so twisted to reflect decreasing dropout rates that they decided to make up fake numbers to keep their jobs and collect bonuses. They were reporting that their urban schools had NO dropouts. Was this a "Texas Miracle" or a BIG, TEXAS-SIZED LIE? Of course, it was a lie. Click here to learn more about why and how they did it.

This is the school district both President Bush and Secretary of Education Rod Paige have held up as the national showcase for accountability and the model for the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Is this what we want as a model for schools across the entire country? Would we rather our school leaders lie about the state of our schools and go into complete denial than face the challenges and work collectively, with our teachers who know our students best, toward actually improving education?

Bush and Paige have serious contempt for education, which is not uncommon among conservatives. Click here to learn why the right-wing hates public education.