Summers: An argument for critical learning and economic development
As summer rapidly approaches, students, teachers, businesses and parents alike have a vested interest in protecting these valuable weeks of personal growth and economic development.
More Columns
Why put Texas business at risk instead of making a simple fix?
In a state in which 66% of Texans agree that LGBTQ people should be protected from discrimination, it is troubling to think that lawmakers might unnecessarily trade away these nondiscrimination ordinances — popular with Texans from all walks of life — for other political goals.
Texas telecommunications companies committed to rural broadband
High-speed internet has the potential like no other technology to improve the quality of life and advance economic development opportunities in rural Texas by offering increased access to education, healthcare and employment.
Texas schools should say how many kids aren’t vaccinated
I love our school, but schools need to report vaccination rates so parents can keep their kids safe and well.
Two ways Texas can save money and reduce teen pregnancies
Let’s make it easier for teen mothers to raise healthy children, and for low-income older teens to have the opportunity to delay having families until they complete their education and start their adult lives with self-sufficiency and promise for the future.
For our state hospitals, we need to go all the way
We should reward the time and effort of those who have spent a number of legislative sessions thinking deeply about our state hospital system, and we should respond now with funding support that matches the ambition and innovativeness of the collective plans submitted.
Rolling the dice on auto coverage
Did you know your insurance provider may not cover a loaner vehicle?
Expand access to care through Texas’ freestanding emergency centers
Freestanding emergency centers could be a vital resource for Texans who have very few options for outpatient care, especially in rural parts of the state.
Child care is hard to find for children with disabilities
It is imperative that child-care providers are trained to care for children with disabilities, and that families have access to care.
Paying the bill: The need for adequate TRS funding
If the Legislature doesn’t address the lack of adequate TRS contributions, there will be long-term negative effects on Texas’s fiscal sustainability.
Educate skeptical parents about vaccines. Don’t demonize them.
Efforts to dismiss or treat as crazy parents who raise questions about vaccines have been counterproductive: While vaccination rates are rising nationally, the number of parents declining all vaccinations has quadrupled since 2001.
Welcome to the United States
Like most people, my wife and I have been following the news from the border with a mix of worry, outrage, and helplessness. Separated families. Human beings corralled behind fences and under bridges. Children dying. And no doubt, innumerable tragedies that never even make it into the news.
The cloud your datacenter always wanted
When it comes to building a cloud infrastructure, the options are endless, and time is limited. With the IBM Cloud Private Storage, clients enjoy access to their data both on- and off-premises in a dedicated hosted private storage cloud infrastructure. As an industry leader, IBM Cloud Private Storage comes with the confidence of increased security and cost effectiveness.
Stop drugging Texas nursing home residents who have dementia
Today, the law says that nursing home residents must give consent for antipsychotics to be administered. And yet, all too often, family members of nursing home residents still report a lack of awareness of these drugs being administered.
State policymakers are making affordable housing problems worse in Texas
State policymakers need to take a step back and let local jurisdictions protect voucher holders and punish discriminatory practices. This decision could transfer more power and autonomy to families assisted by the voucher program, allowing them to make the best decisions for their families.
The new driving force of the Texas economy
Texas is an energy state. But, energy isn’t alone in driving Texas forward. We also have a burgeoning life sciences industry that – with the right policies and strategic investments – is poised to be a driving force in the Texas economy for decades to come.
Texas tinkers with the wrong way to make history
Lawmakers’ desire to enhance civic education in Texas is a laudable goal, but the Naturalization Test is not the solution. The state Senate must heed to the calls of the states’ social studies educators and save our history education while it can.
Lawmakers pushing conversion therapy in Texas are going in the wrong direction
While many states have passed legislation in recent years explicitly prohibiting mental health professionals from using conversion therapy with LGBTQ youth, legislation to protect professionals who engage in this practice is pending in the Texas Legislature. That would further marginalize and threaten the safety and mental health of some of our state’s most vulnerable youth.
Removing barriers to primary health care will benefit vulnerable Texans
For many Texans, finding a doctor to treat even a routine illness can be a challenge. When wait times are too long, or the price tag seems too high, people have a tendency to ignore an injury or illness, increasing the likelihood that a minor issue could worsen into a major one that can require expensive treatments or even hospitalization.
Keeping our promises to Texas mothers and babies
Protecting the health of mothers and babies is a promise made by everyone who works in health care. A healthy baby has a better chance of growing into a healthy child and a healthy and productive adult.