This morning, the SBOE began their session with a prayer. I'll let the Texas Freedom Network take it from here -- the video pasted below is theirs, from their post, "Christian Land Governed by Christian Principles":
Even before the Texas State Board of Education took up its expected debate today over what students will learn about separation about church and state in their social studies classrooms, board member Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, made her position clear. She offered the board’s opening prayer this morning and removed any doubt about what she and other far-right board members want students to learn: America’s laws and government should be based on the Christian Bible.
The Texas Freedom Network caught video of Dunbar's prayer:
The May 4-12 statewide poll by the national firm of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for the TFN Education Fund shows that 68 percent of likely Texas voters agree that church-state separation is a key principle of the Constitution. Agreement extends across party lines, with 59 percent of Republicans, 76 percent of Democrats and 74 percent of political independents believing it is a key principle. (The question wording and poll results are available here.)
In addition, 72 percent of Texas voters – and 78 percent of parents – say that teachers and academic scholars should be responsible for writing curriculum standards and textbook requirements for Texas public schools. Only 19 percent prefer that elected members of a State Board of Education do so.
The Texas Freedom Network has been knocking it out of the park with their ongoing coverage and action on the State Board of Education. What began with a hugely successful rally and has continued with excellent liveblogging and reporting, the Texas Freedom Network has merged sophisticated communication with grassroots activisism that should make any Texan proud.
