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3 Big Education Numbers to Watch

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – According to recent meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)  there are three (3) important education numbers state policymakers are concerned about. Financially a total of 33 states foresee a “stable” economic outlook, and 11 states say they are “concerned”.  

Certainly how President Obama’s Affordable Care Act will affect state budgets is a big-picture cost & logistical issue.

On State Budgets, the 1st education issue concerns State Revenues & Cash-Flow, represented by the number is 6. That’s the number of states that report they feel “optimistic” about their state’s economic outlook for Fiscal 2013.

Six is also the number of states that are members of what NCSL calls the “Billionaires’ Club” — states with at least $1 billion dollars in their Rainy Day fund. Those states are:

1. Alaska
2. Colorado
3. Massachusetts
4. Minnesota
5. New York, and
6. Texas

The 2nd education issue addresses College-Ready Graduates, and the number is 25. Former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, now head of the Alliance for Excellent Education, shared the following somewhat  grim statistics: 

• Of the 9th-graders who will enter school over the next few weeks, 1-in-4 will not graduate.
• 4-in-10 students of color will never earn a high school diploma.
• And of those that do persist to graduation, just 25% will actually be college ready.

The 3rd education issue, interestingly, addresses the Congressional Re-Election Ballot, and the number in this instance is 54. That’s the number of Americans, according to pollster Peter Hart, who say would like to vote out every member of Congress.

Hart and pollster Neil Newhouse also offered these insights into the Presidential Election:

• If you are a white, suburban woman, both campaigns view you as a member of their most desirable voting group.

If you are a white, suburban woman who lives in one of the 12 swing states that are still in play this election cycle, you might consider disconnecting your phone.