Tag Archives: SBOE

SBOE redistricting

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The House Redistricting Committee gets to work. It would be easier to draw new State Board of Education districts to reflect the state’s booming Hispanic population growth if there were more than 15 seats, a state lawmaker said Friday while … Continue reading →

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SBOE wants its new textbooks

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

But it may not get them. State board members are growing increasingly anxious that lawmakers might not provide funding for new textbooks and instructional material – even though they’re giving the Legislature $1.9 billion from a 157-year-old endowment established to … Continue reading →

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Republican legislators want SBOE do over on social studies

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Texas House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie; Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands; and House Administration Chairman Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth; criticized the new [social studies] standards. Various civil rights and minority advocacy organizations have opposed … Continue reading →

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Lowe has confirmation issues, too

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

John Bradley isn’t the only Rick Perry appointee who is having trouble getting confirmed by the Senate. State Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, who chairs the Senate Nominations committee, says Gail Lowe has not been scheduled for a hearing as chairwoman … Continue reading →

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What to do with the SBOE?

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Lege has many ideas about what to do with the state’s most embarrassing branch of government, some of which are better than others. State Rep. Roberto Alonzo (D-Dallas), wants the SBOE abolished under his House Bill 881 and all … Continue reading →

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More charter school stuff

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Now that you’ve listened to my interview with Chris Barbic, here are a couple more charter school-related articles of interest. First, from the Trib, a story about charter schools getting help for facilities from the Permanent School Fund. Fledgling charter … Continue reading →

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Where’s the money for new textbooks coming from?

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody knows just yet. Neither legislative chamber’s base budget appropriates funds for any new textbooks. The primary concern in the short term is funding for science materials that reflect the 2009 curriculum changes made by the State Board of Education. … Continue reading →

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By the way, our social studies standards still suck

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

So says a conservative think tank. In a report [released Wednesday], the Thomas B. Fordham Institute gives the Texas social studies curriculum standards a “D” while accusing “the conservative majority” of using the curriculum “to promote its political priorities, molding … Continue reading →

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Civil rights complaint against Texas curriculum

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. Two civil rights organizations are seeking a federal review of public school education in Texas, accusing state school administrators of violating federal civil rights laws after curriculum changes approved earlier this year by the Texas … Continue reading →

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“You know what that leads to? COMMUNISM!”

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I normally consider it unseemly to kick a man while he’s down, but some men richly deserve it. The godless, left-wing radicals have taken over universities and the national government and are radically transforming the country, State Board of Education … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Beware the really bad candidates

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Gloria Padilla in the Express News has some good advice. Voting is not as easy as it used to be when communities were smaller and everyone knew the candidates. Smart voters need to do their homework and research their candidates. … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Mistakes are made

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has decided for some unknowable reason to endorse County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez for re-election. Sanchez contends the treasurer’s office provides a vital checks-and-balances function on county spending, and that it would be a mistake to phase it out, … Continue reading →

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We’ll only debate you on our terms

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Democratic SBOE candidates accept yet another debate invitation – by all-Republican panel Earlier: Republicans turn down debate after debate and hide from voters, claiming sponsor League of Women Voters is “too Democratic” Note: The following statement is … Continue reading →

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Is this the swan song for the clown show?

Posted on September 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

After all this time, my heart isn’t into snarking on the SBOE and its latest travashamockery. I just want to point one thing out from how the vote went on that ludicrous and hateful anti-Islam resolution: State Board of Education … Continue reading →

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Help out our SBOE candidates

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

There’s an all-day push going on at Daily Kos to raise a few bucks for Democratic SBOE candidates Judy Jennings and Rebecca Bell-Metereau. You can see a few of the diaries touting them here, here, and – my favorite, written … Continue reading →

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It isn’t just about ducking debates

Posted on September 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

All you need to know about Marsha Farney, the Republican candidate in SBOE 10, and the kind of race she’s running is right here: Farney, a former school teacher and high school counselor, has not responded to phone calls or … Continue reading →

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True culture warriors never sleep

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

There’s no possible way that this can end well. The [State Board of Education] will consider a resolution next week that would warn publishers not to push a pro-Islamic, anti-Christian viewpoint in world history textbooks. Members of the board’s social … Continue reading →

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If the story of the SBOE were told as a fairy tale

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It would look something like this: The truly scary thing is that none of that was made up. If you want there to be a happy ending, I recommend supporting Rebecca Bell-Metereau and Judy Jennings. Thanks to Harold Cook for … Continue reading →

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Fear of debating is contagious

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Rebecca Bell-Metereau, Democratic nominee for State Board of Education District 5, and Judy Jennings, Democratic SBOE nominee in District 10, criticized their Republican opponents and the Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas today, after the RPT … Continue reading →

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The charter schools make their case

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Specifically, David Dunn, the executive director of the Texas Charter School Association, makes the case for public funds for charter school facilities in this op-ed from the weekend. One of the major obstacles to critical education reform in Texas is … Continue reading →

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Interview with Judy Jennings

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Completing our tour of the SBOE candidates, I bring you an interview with Judy Jennings, who is running for the open District 10 seat that the uber wingnut Cynthia Dunbar has vacated. Jennings has a PhD in educational psychology and … Continue reading →

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Interview with Rebecca Bell-Metereau

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Next up is Rebecca Bell-Metereau, who is running for SBOE in District 5, which also touches San Antonio and goes north into the Hill Country. Bell-Metereau is also a professor of English, at Texas State University. She is running against … Continue reading →

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Fundraising: SBOE

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Really only two races of interest here, SBOE 5 and SBOE 10. Let’s take a look. http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/php/summary.php?rn=458837&form=COH Totals From Report For Rebecca L. Bell-Metereau Filed on: July 15 2010 Covering the Period February 21, 2010 Through June 30, 2010 Total … Continue reading →

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Interview with Michael Soto

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It’s time to start up the interview machine again, as election season will be on us before you know it. (Fun fact: We’re less than 90 days out from the start of early voting.) I’ve got a trio of SBOE … Continue reading →

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TEA Commissioner Scott defends Texas Projection Measure

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott takes advantage of a friendly audience to lash out at critics of the Texas Projection Measure. Scott, speaking to the State Board of Education, said the so-called Texas Projection Measure has been misunderstood and … Continue reading →

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The SBOE and charter schools

Posted on July 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Some members of the State Board of Education want to get into the charter school business. Representatives for Texas’ 460 independent charter schools asked the State Board of Education on Wednesday to tap into the state’s education trust fund and … Continue reading →

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TFN poll on public school curriculum

Posted on July 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is generally good news. Eight of 10 Texans want high schools to teach contraception, including the use of condoms and abstinence, according to a statewide opinion poll that also shows high support for letting teachers and scholars write public … Continue reading →

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Beware the false moderates

Posted on July 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Marsha Farney, the Republican running to succeed super wingnut Cynthia Dunbar in SBOE 10, was considered the more moderate candidate in the GOP primary runoff for that nomination. When compared to Dunbar, or to her hand-picked successor, Brian Russell, Farney … Continue reading →

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White wants to “undo some of the damage” the SBOE has done to social studies

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Lord knows, there’s a lot of it to undo. Bill White wants to start with changing the Chair. Some Texans have called for a limited review to address some of the more controversial standards that will influence new history, government, … Continue reading →

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The clown show finally calls it a wrap

Posted on May 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some other state to be the national laughingstock again. The Court of Criminal Appeals gives it a good run for its money, but you just can’t out-embarrass the SBOE, and every … Continue reading →

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Back to the clown show

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

So here’s a bunch of coverage from yesterday’s SBOE hearings: from the Chron, the DMN, the Statesman, the Trib, TFN, and BOR. Very short summary: Many people testified. Some said crazy things. Others begged the SBOE to not enshrine crazy … Continue reading →

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And the clown show gets underway again

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your TFN liveblogging of today’s SBOE social studies hearings. Brian Thevenot of The Trib is also there, and he reports that an interesting character has asked the Board to slow down. Former U.S. Secretary of Education and Houston Superintendent … Continue reading →

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Briefly noted

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Some interesting things from today that I wanted to note… There are plenty of people who want to be on the Appropriations Committee, so putting some who doesn’t want to be there, like State Rep. Joe Driver of Dallas, doesn’t … Continue reading →

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Science textbook delay

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The adoption of new science textbooks may be delayed a year as a budget maneuver. The $1.4 billion price tag for new science textbooks and other materials has been causing sticker shock among state officials bracing for the upcoming budget … Continue reading →

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