ick Perry remains the governor for his third term in a row. He won by a landslide of 57 percent, beating his leading contender, Bill White, who only received 42 percent of the votes. Perry has impressed voters with his low tax efforts and his ability to create jobs. He is also appreciated for his efforts toward a better future for students by making education easier and convenient.

He recently proposed a virtual school network by creating the Texas Virtual High School that will provide students who have dropped out of traditional high schools an opportunity to earn a high school diploma without returning to a bricks and mortar school.

Also, this expanded network will give students additional access to classes their schools may not offer, dual credit

opportunities, and flexibility to help keep students in school. Rick Perry is not only worried about drop-outs, as can be seen in his recent sponsoring of the Texas High School Project.

The Texas High School Project (THSP) is a multi-million dollar public-private partnership designed to improve outcomes for economically disadvantaged and at-risk students through innovative programs such as high school redesign and early college high schools. To date, THSP has served 83,000 students in 172 schools across the state. It is a new way to ensure students success after high school.

Governor Perry also proposed a $160 million expansion of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program by doubling the number of T-STEM Academies, funding STEM scholarships to help ensure students receive a competitive education in these subjects. Perry’s goals are to increase student performance and career awareness in the area of STEM by linking schools, universities, centers, organizations and businesses with valuable resources and tools associated with best practices in STEM education.

To increase the success of these ideal education programs, Gov

ernor Perry has led the fight for better schools, including a $2,000 teacher pay raise, a return to basic subjects like math, history and science, and ways to measure student success, bringing an overall better existence for the youth of today.