[dropcap]T[/dropcap]exans got a reminder this weekend of what our state can do when we set our minds to it. News of former Governor Mark White’s death on Saturday brought back memories of our public education system before he took office in 1978,  a reminder of how resistant to change we are, even when change is for the good.

When White became governor in 1983, teacher salaries were abysmally low, worse than today by a long shot. School finance was tied almost entirely to unpredictable ris...