| We're closing in on May, and that means that the State Board of Education is closing in on finalizing a disastrous revision of our social studies curriculum. Our public schools need a world class education if we are going to lead the country for the next few decades, as I know all our leaders hope, but right now they are being set up for something that is, well, less.
Bill White, who wants to drive us back in the right direction, weighed in today.
Bill White called on Rick Perry today to ask his appointed chair of the State Board of Education (SBOE) to delay the May vote on curriculum standards until newly elected board members are in office.
Delaying action until next year could save money on new textbooks and allow new board members to provide leadership that will not allow political interference with education.
"Texas voters have voted against those who are extreme and hyper-political," said campaign spokesperson Katy Bacon. "If Rick Perry won't show some leadership about the process, he should at least respect Texans who've said they don't want the current, controversial SBOE making decisions about their children's future."
Perry's previous appointed chair of the SBOE, Don McLeroy, engaged in such extreme antics that the Texas Senate refused to confirm him the second time Perry appointed him in 2009. McLeroy was defeated in his party's primary this spring.
Nearly a month ago, White called on Perry to ask the current chair to send amendments back to the original curriculum review teams. Perry responded, saying of the SBOE that he was not going to "try to outsmart them."
Since White's comments about bringing revised standards back to expert review teams, the Texas Council for the Social Studies and the Texas Social Studies Supervisors Association have weighed in saying, "state education standards should be balanced and neutral and not reflective of political viewpoints."
But this isn't just a political move. State legislators are getting in the act, too. They know that there's a major policy problem.
21 state representatives and senators are scheduled to gather on April 28 in E2.012 in the Capitol as they schedule a hearing on the State Board of Education. Representative Trey Martiniez Fischer, chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, said, the members intend to send a message that "either they operate within the confines of statute or be ready to explain to the Legislature why not."
The Mexican American Legislative Caucus is hosting the event, but they've teamed up with other leadership groups in the legislature: the Legislative Study Group, the House Black Caucus, and the Senate Hispanic Caucus. The hearing will include both students and educators. Even some Republicans are likely to show, such as Republican SBOE candidate Thomas Ratliffe, who was invited for testimony.
It's not just these legislators, either, though. It's not just the elites who run this state and want to run this state. Pretty much everyone has noticed that the SBOE is ruining things, as 1,000 historians have signed a letter of protest, and the University of Texas' student Save our History! Coalition has had an Action Week against the board, which will culminate in a rally in the UT Campus' South Mall on Sunday.
Rick Perry, who appoints the chair of the board and likely holds all sorts of influence, is a statewide elected politician. All 15 members of the board are elected, too. They were elected by Texas voters, but the Texas Voters are now being ignored. |
