Demographer says Texas must do more pre-K prep
06/21/2010
A former head of the U.S. Census Bureau said Texas must do more to prepare preschool-age children before they enter kindergarten so they won't drop out later.
Steve Murdock, the former state demographer, also said Texas needs to boost its grant program for college students. Murdock realized current trends show that by 2040, three of every 10 workers may not have a high school education.
"Clearly, with the dismal levels that we have in terms of education right now, that's clearly where we're headed," Murdock said.
Murdock also said the trend of higher dropout rates in the state's public schools with more low-income students could also mean more Texans will depend on food stamps, Medicaid and CHIP as well as higher incarceration rates.
"It frightens me because it makes it difficult for Texas to achieve the things that all Texans want to achieve that is, to be very competitive, to be an economic leader in the country and world," Murdock said.
The San Antonio Express-News reported Monday that if nothing changes, average Texas household incomes will be about $6,500 lower