Gov. Rick Perry delivered his seventh State of the State address to the 83rd Texas Legislature earlier today. Regarding education, Perry advocated for providing students more alternatives to traditional public schools. “Not every child learns for the same purpose, not every child thrives in the same settings and schools,” said Perry. “Limiting a child to just one opportunity does nothing more than limit that child's future. The way forward must involve more public charter schools, which offer parents a tuition-free alternative to their neighborhood school.” Perry also lent support to Sen. Education Committee Chairman Dan Patrick’s plan for using public funds for scholarship programs to send students to private schools. “It's also time to introduce scholarship programs that give students a choice, especially those who are locked into low-performing schools,” said Perry. Perry prefaced his remarks on the need for these alternatives to Texas’ public schools by announcing that according to the U.S. Department of Education, Texas’ graduation rates are the third highest in the nation - an all-time high. You can find Perry’s full address here.