Education
Strengthening Texas Schools For The 21st Century
Free, Online Tutoring Available To All Texas Public School Students
Farouk proposes a system modeled off of Alabama’s successful “HomeWorkAlabama.org” website where students can connect to a tutor for live help via the Internet. Tutors will help students through the use of instant messaging, interactive virtual “chalkboards,” shared browsing, and similar features including enhanced capabilities to help students with science and math. Tutors would be online from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Early Childhood Education
Farouk proposes increasing funding for the TEA’s Early Start Grant program to allow districts to fund expanded pre-k (pre-k education for children three years of age from low-income families, and pre-k for any child, regardless of financial need).
Farouk proposes universal Pre-K By 2013 to ensure that every three and four-year old in Texas has access to quality pre-k education so their lifelong learning process gets off to a positive start.
Dropping The Drop Out Rate
Catch Up Programs. Farouk proposes providing “catch-up” programs for credit-delinquent students in Texas high schools.
Making High School More Relevant. Farouk proposes increased career and vocational training and mandatory dual-credit opportunities, as well as improved science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) magnet high schools, as well as more vocational magnet schools.
Improving financing and career options to High School Students
A Graduation Coach Program. Farouk proposes a graduation coach program for at-risk students.
Making Students Aware Of Opportunities. Farouk proposes programs to improve student and parent awareness to insure that Texas students who wish to go to college are fully aware of all funding (grant, loan, scholarship, etc.) opportunities available to them.
Farouk proposes creating the Vocational & Technical High School Program.
Under Farouk’s plan, a new graduation track geared toward vocational and technical career training would be added to the existing graduation tracks.
Teacher Recruitment and Retention
Farouk proposes that the state establish guidelines to allow public schools to create and maintain stakeholder partnerships between industry, labor unions and labor councils, and colleges to further vocational education at the high school level.
Farouk proposes an across-the-board teacher pay raise of at least $3,000.00 to $5,000.00
Farouk proposes indexing the State Minimum Salary Schedule To Inflation.
Farouk proposes expanding the State Minimum Salary Schedule out to 30 years of experience so highly qualified teachers don’t “top out.” Under the existing schedule, employees covered by the SMSS top out at 25 years exclusive of local supplements.
Farouk proposes expanding the Texas Loan Repayment Assistance Program.
