When parents are involved children get better grades and test scores, are more likely to graduate high school and go on to college, and are better behaved in class. Survey results support Riley's conclusions. A higher percentage of top students reported that their parents often assist them with homework. The survey also found that students who have at least one parent with a college degree or who come from families that have more than enough money to meet basic needs noted that their parents expressed a higher level of interest in their education. Opponents include the Parents for Public Schools of Houston, the PTA, the Texas Federation of Houston and the Texas Freedom Network.
Current law allows children who attend low-performing schools to transfer to another public school.
The new law would allow any student who has failed the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills in math and reading and who attends a school that has been classified academically low-performing by the Houston school district or the Texas Education Agency to also choose among certain private schools. Although I appreciate the interest of the Congress in the educational needs of the children in our nation's capital, this bill is fundamentally misguided and a disservice to those children. The voucher bill passed the House earlier this month by a 214-206 vote. The Executive Council of the American Federation of Teachers voted overwhelmingly to recommend approval by the AFT Convention of a set of guidelines for merger with the 2.3-million member National Education Association. The vote was 20-0 with two abstentions, in support of the guidelines, called Principles of Unity.