Tag Archives: Cynthia Dunbar

No Rocket

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

What a world we live in. Pitching great Roger Clemens didn’t shy away from many battles in his major league career, but politics is something he’s not willing to take on. Clemens had been encouraged to run as a Republican … Continue reading →

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SBOE rejects that lousy Mexican-American studies textbook

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The State Board of Education voted 14-0 Wednesday to deny the adoption of a Mexican-American studies textbook decried by opponents as racist and inaccurate. The textbook, titled “Mexican American Heritage,” was the only submission the board received when it … Continue reading →

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Publisher of crappy Mexican American Studies textbook defends said textbook

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not that crappy, she swears. The publisher of a proposed Mexican-American studies textbook that scholars, elected officials and Hispanic activists have decried as racist and inaccurate is defending the high school text ahead of a public hearing on the … Continue reading →

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In which we find another way to suck at textbooks

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, good Lord. If the State Board of Education approves a proposed Mexican-American studies textbook this fall, Texas students could learn that the Aztecs waged war because of “bloodlust,” 19th-century Mexican industrial laborers often drank on the job and slavery … 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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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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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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White tells the SBOE to wait till next year

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the SBOE is set to take a final vote on their proposed revisions to the social studies textbook standards. They’ve received a lot of mostly negative feedback so far, but have said they’re still considering specific suggestions. … Continue reading →

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We’ve done well, but we can still do better

Posted on April 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The defeat of wingnut candidate Brian Russell, who was backed by departing SBOE member Cynthia Dunbar to succeed her, in the GOP runoff this week is unquestionably good news that will help de-loonify that dysfunctional body. I’m as glad as … Continue reading →

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Just a minute, SBOE

Posted on April 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I almost missed this op-ed by State Rep. Carol Alvarado about everyone’s favorite clown show, the State Board of Education. In it, she hits on a theme we’re seeing more and more of. How can board members claim that our … Continue reading →

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“The list of shame”

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here are three last reminders of that gang of idiots known as the State Board of Education before they return in May to finalize the vandalism they committed last week. First up, from the Texas Freedom Network: So what happened? … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Statesman on the SBOE

Posted on February 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman makes some recommendations in SBOE primaries in hopes of getting a better, or at least a slightly less dysfunctional, Board for the coming year. In the District 5 Republican primary, Tim Tuggey, 54, gets our endorsement. Tuggey, running … Continue reading →

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The SBOE slate

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Martha has a great rundown of the slate of candidates for the State Board of Education, along with some partisan index numbers for the districts, which you should check out. The best part about this is that with Michael Soto … Continue reading →

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Dunbar not running for re-election

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. Richmond Republican Cynthia Dunbar will not seek re-election next year to a second term on the State Board of Education, fellow board member David Bradley confirmed Wednesday Dunbar, whose expansive district includes northern Travis County, wrote in an e-mail … Continue reading →

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Perry appoints Lowe chair of SBOE

Posted on July 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is, he didn’t pick Cynthia Dunbar. The bad news is, it’s not clear how much better new State Board of Education Chair Gail Lowe will be. Lowe, co-publisher of the Lampasas Dispatch Record, was first elected to … Continue reading →

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The SBOE’s assault on history

Posted on July 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In my earlier post about the virtues of a pro-science PAC, I mentioned that the State Board of Education had turned its attention towards doing to social studies what it had done to science. Vince gives a great rundown of … Continue reading →

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SciencePAC

Posted on July 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Chad Orzel mentions an idea by Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum from their book Unscientific America. Why not form a nonpartisan science political action committee, or PAC, devoted to funding candidates who are either scientists themselves or who make science … Continue reading →

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Dunbar in line to chair SBOE

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The crazy never stops. Critics who engineered the recent ouster of State Board of Education Chairman Don McLeroy, in part because of his strong religious beliefs, could end up with someone even more outspoken in her faith. Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, … Continue reading →

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Five for SBOE 10

Posted on June 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I think it’s safe to say the State Board of Education elections aren’t going to be the obscure affairs they’ve historically been any more. We know that now-former SBOE Chair Don McLeroy has drawn a high-profile primary challenger, and one … Continue reading →

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Senate spikes McLeroy

Posted on May 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The Texas Senate on Thursday refused to confirm Don McLeroy as State Board of Education chairman after an impassioned floor debate. The 19 to 11 party-line vote was not enough to get McLeroy across the required two-thirds … Continue reading →

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The zombie nominee

Posted on May 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the Senate confirmation of Don McLeroy as Chair of the State Board of Education, which we all thought had been scuttled back in April, got new life earlier this week when Senate Nominations Committee chair Mike Jackson, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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No sunset for SBOE

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Well, that‘s too bad. Just yesterday the Texas House approved on second reading House Bill 710, which would have made the Texas State Board of Education subject to periodic review by the Sunset Advisory Commission. That vote was 74-68. But … Continue reading →

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Clipping the SBOE

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Patricia Kilday Hart has the quote of the day. The fallout from the State Board of Education’s debate over the teaching of evolution continued this morning in the Senate Education Committee, which held a spirited discussion on Sen. Kel Seliger’s … Continue reading →

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Strengths and weaknesses fails

Posted on March 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the good news. San Antonio’s Ken Mercer, part of the board’s seven-member social conservative bloc, tried to put the much-debated “strengths and weaknesses” language back into the state’s science standards that guide the content of textbooks and curriculum. Mercer’s … Continue reading →

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The dentist in charge

Posted on March 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman has a profile of Don McLeroy, the young-earth creationist who is also the chair of the State Board of Education and who is currently leading the fight to cripple science education in Texas. I’m not going to get … Continue reading →

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Two challengers for Dunbar

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Cynthia Dunbar, one of the loonier members of the State Board of Education, has at least two Austin-based Democrats considering challenges against her in 2010. In the past two days, party activist Susan Shelton confirmed to me that she definitely … Continue reading →

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Chron coverage of yesterday’s SBOE actions

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron story about yesterday’s happenings at the State Board of Education, in which the good news was that the anti-science “strengths and weaknesses” language had been removed from the curriculum, and the bad news was that a subsequent … Continue reading →

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Statesman calls on Dunbar to resign

Posted on December 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Why in the name of common sense is Cynthia Dunbar on the State Board of Education when she despises public education so intensely? She is not there to improve public schools but to undermine them, and says … Continue reading →

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The Cynthia Chronicles

Posted on December 6, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

In a way, you have to admire State Board of Education member Cynthia Dunbar. It can’t be easy to establish oneself as the craziest person on that undistinguished body, given the fierce competition that exists for that title, yet she … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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