Your devotion to those children our little ones with bright eyes and big dreams does much to shape their future and our future. It is an honor to serve as your governor, and to have this tremendous opportunity working side by side with you to make a difference for our youngest Texans. Much has been accomplished in the last few years. Test scores have gone up in a number of areas, and across demographic lines. We have placed unprecedented emphasis on early childhood literacy, and reading scores among our youngest students reflect that commitment.
Local control works.
That s not to say there isn t a state role. We have seen strong leadership and innovation at the Texas Education Agency under both Commissioner Moses, and now Commissioner Nelson. And it takes the commitment of legislators and decision-makers to appropriate the needed funds for important programs. Just last session, in fact, we spent 75 cents of every new dollar on education. But the real innovation the real results are found school by school.