You may have heard that on Thursday evening I was experiencing significant chest pain and Jan took me to the hospital. After taking several EKG and blood tests, which were all normal, the doctor decided to perform one last test — an angiogram that injects dye into the heart’s arteries. I’m glad he did. He discovered a dangerous blockage in a major artery that supplies over 50% of the blood to the heart. He immediately put a stent in place. It was a very close call, but a great outcome.
I am so thankful for the doctors at Methodist Willowbrook, and am so grateful that they went the extra mile in insisting on that final test. I left the hospital on Saturday and am back on my regular schedule. I encourage all of you to pay close attention to the warning signs regarding heart disease. Because I had such a close call, I am committed to raising awareness about this issue and will be talking about it a lot in the days and weeks to come. I had a “heart to heart” talk with Mark Davis about it this morning — we also talked about expanding background checks and the reason Texas does not need a Red Flag law. If you missed it, you can listen here.
#ElPasoStrong
I joined Governor Greg Abbott in El Paso last Wednesday for a memorial service for the victims of the August 3rd shooting. I visited with several victims and their families immediately following the tragedy, which made this event all the more heartbreaking. It was held at the baseball stadium in El Paso in order to accommodate hundreds of people. There was an illuminated star on the baseball field for each of the 22 lives lost in El Paso and nine circles for those lost in Dayton. All of Texas is grieving for this beautiful and proud community. The courage and faith of the families and friends of the victims continues to be an inspiration to us all. Please continue to pray for the people of El Paso.
A-F Ratings Making a Big Difference in Texas Schools
Although every school district in Texas was given a letter grade last year, the first A-F campus by campus ratings were released last week. I visited schools in San Antonio, Irving and Houston, along with Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath, to congratulate some of the teachers, superintendents and principals who have improved dramatically and were rated “A.” It was a very proud day for me. I began the fight to establish A-F ratings in our schools as a senator in 2013 when I served as Chair of the Senate Education Committee because I knew district and campus ratings would provide educators with the information they need to help transform our schools and ensure that more students are successful. Ratings also provide transparency to help parents make sound decisions for their child. Some may not remember that there was a great deal of opposition to establishing A-F ratings in Texas, but we got the legislation passed and today — thanks to the hard work of our teachers, administrators, and staff — Texas is reaping the benefits.
During my time in public office, my top priority has been to make Texas public schools the best in the nation, and this past legislative session we made great strides toward achieving that goal. With House Bill 3, we transformed our school finance system so it is focused on the child and we increased pay for our teachers. Aside from a parent, nothing has more impact on the success of a child than a teacher, and increasing their pay is essential. And now, with our A-F campus and district ratings, parents and the community at large will have the information they need to improve their local public schools and keep them successful.
Here are some high points from the newly released A-F Ratings:
- 296 high-poverty schools achieved an A rating this year and schools across the state are making significant progress.
- 88 campuses went from a C, D, or F in 2018 to an A in 2019. 552 campuses went from a B, C, or D in 2018 to an A in 2019.
- 20 districts went from a C or D in 2018 to an A in 2019. 131 districts went from a B, C, or D in 2018 to an A in 2019.
- 41% of Texas school districts improved their letter grade from 2018 (52% stayed the same and 7% declined).
- 26% of campuses improved their letter grade from 2018.
For information on ratings at your local public school, visit txschools.gov.
Fox News | Outnumbered
On Outnumbered last week, I talked about my support for President Trump’s green card proposal. In case you missed it, you can watch it here.
I also talked about my support for the Second Amendment and the NRA. You can watch the clip here.
“You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.”
Over the weekend, Texans celebrated the “King of the Wild Frontier” and Texas legend, Davy Crockett, on his birthday. Crockett said it best, “You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas!”
I am proud to be your Lt. Governor and I appreciate your continued support — thank you all for the prayers you sent over the weekend. Please remember to continue to pray for the people of El Paso. May God bless you, your family, and the greatest state of all—Texas.
Sincerely,
Dan Patrick
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
