FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Perry markets existing law as "new plan" on dropout crisis
New video highlights Bill White’s efforts to cut the dropout rate
HOUSTON — Last week, after months of hammering from Bill White, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and others, Rick Perry re-released a so-called "plan" to reduce the dropout rate. He’d make having a driver’s license contingent on enrollment in school or GED classes.
"Unfortunately for Rick Perry, this law has been on the books since 1989 and he’s been responsible for enforcing it. Only a career politician would try to sell a law already in existence as his own slick new idea," said Katy Bacon, campaign spokesperson. "We need a governor who’s actually going to work on the dropout crisis instead of dredging up election year sound bites."
About 3 in 10 Texas high school students do not graduate from high school or get a GED within 4 years. The Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas estimated that every hour of every school day an astounding 93 students drop out of Texas schools.
The Bill White for Texas campaign released a web ad today highlighting Bill White’s longstanding commitment to cutting the dropout rate. Communities across Texas have adopted a successful solution that Bill White helped pioneer, an annual "Reach Out to Dropouts" walk in which volunteers go door to door to bring students back to school.
The video is available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyzCISWGcmI.
Information on school enrollment requirements for drivers’ licenses is available at: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/drive/defaq_teen1.html.
A fact sheet comparing Rick Perry’s Rhetoric vs. Reality and Bill White’s results is available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/34590331/Dropouts-A-side-by-side-comparison.