The Beginning
In October of 2000 the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
adopted the Closing the Gaps - The Texas Higher Education plan. Within this plan
the Higher Ed Coordinating board addresses 4 critical areas: participation,
success, excellence, and research. The Graham Education & Workforce Center will
provide an avenue for colleges and universities to meet goals in the areas of
participation, success, and excellence. Particularly focusing on the area of
participation. According to the plan - only 5% of the Texas population have been
enrolled in higher education. The national average was about 5.4% in 2000 and
the .4% difference represents 76,000 students in Texas. The participation goal
calls for an overall increase from 5% to 5.2% for this year to 5.5% by 2010 and
5.7 by 2015. Within Goal #1 - the plan calls for the Recommended High School
plan to become the standard curriculum for Texas public high schools. Often
times in Graham - you might hear that referred to as the Texas Scholar Plan.
Goal #1 also calls from the recruit & retention of well qualified educators for
K - 12 schools as well as ensuring that families understand the benefit of
higher education. Noted in the report according to Steve Murdock - the Chief
Demographer of Texas is a comment that if participation and graduation rates for
higher education remain low, the poverty rate in Texas will increase by 3% and
the average Texas household income will decline by $3,000 in constant dollars by
2030.
In relationship to the Closing the Gaps - Texas Higher Education Plan -
The Graham Education & Workforce Center began. While Project developers may not
have used the specifics of the higher ed plan to chart their path they certainly
recognized the need in our community to create a bridge between training and
education and the vocational opportunities in today's high skilled job market,
to keep our citizens abreast of these latest technologies and skills as the key
to keeping new jobs in our community, and to bring skilled teachers and
craftsmen to the community to create a place to develop our skills in this ever
changing job market.
This need was recognized over the last several years by members of the Graham
Higher Education Board. This board is appointed by the City of Graham and the
membership includes the President of Graham Industrial Association - Businessman
Ed Hinson, Superintendent of Graham schools - Dr. Beau Rees, GHS High school
principal - Clay Wright, Graham Regional Medical Center Administrator - Blake
Kretz, and Graham citizens Jack Graham, Alice Ann Street, and Meredith Lucas.
The vision of this board in cooperation with TBEC & TWC paved the way for the
Graham Education & Workforce Center to become a reality.