Tag Archives: Thomas Ratliff

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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Some officials take note of special education funding restrictions

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. The vice chairman of the State Board of Education, a Houston school board member, a key state senator and scores of parents and disability advocates all expressed strong opposition on Monday to a Texas Education Agency performance-based … Continue reading →

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Trib overview of SBOE races

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As always, there’s a lot of action in these low profile races. Among the contenders in the races to replace Republican Thomas Ratliff of Mount Pleasant and Democrat Martha Dominguez of El Paso is a 68-year-old East Texas retiree who … Continue reading →

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Our stupid social studies

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Unbelievable, except that it totally is believable. The publisher of one of Texas’ controversial social studies textbooks has agreed to change a caption that describes African slaves as immigrant “workers” after a Houston-area mom’s social media complaints went viral over … Continue reading →

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Maybe Ratliff won’t step down from the SBOE after all

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Just when he thought he was out, they (might) pull him back in. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed a social conservative and former staffer for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to chair the Texas State Board of Education on Thursday. Donna Bahorich … Continue reading →

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Eltife not running for re-election

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

He will be missed. After 23 years in elected office, state Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, said he will not run for re-election in 2016 to devote more time to family, friends, his work and his community. Eltife said he’s loved … Continue reading →

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Fraser and Ratliff to step down

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s good news: State Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, announced Tuesday that he is not running for re-election, ending a tenure at the Capitol that has spanned four decades. “There comes a time when leaders must take a look at … Continue reading →

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SBOE defers new textbook decision

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

They’re funny even when they’re not trying to be. After an afternoon spent wrangling over the proper definition of jihad and the influence of Moses on the Founding Fathers, it was Common Core that ultimately derailed the State Board of … Continue reading →

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Ratliff and Patrick spar over CSCOPE

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds like fun. The state curriculum system known as CSCOPE — little known until recently — can now add two hours of lively and at times testy debate to a long list of public appearances that includes State Board of … Continue reading →

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CSCOPE still in scope

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Every once in awhile, whether they intend to or not, the SBOE does something worthwhile. The State Board of Education concluded its July meeting without providing further guidance as to whether Texas school districts continued to use lessons from CSCOPE, … Continue reading →

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Patrick versus Ratliff

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

TFN Insider: Texas State Board of Education Vice Chairman Thomas Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant, has already made clear his disgust over the political witch hunt that forced the state’s Education Service Centers to stop writing lesson plans in their CSCOPE curriculum … Continue reading →

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Some sanity on STAAR

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This is a welcome development. A requirement that the state exams count toward 15 percent of a student’s course grade sparked a backlash last spring over the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, among parents whose ninth-graders … Continue reading →

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Texas Freedom Network’s guide to the SBOE elections

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Freedom Network has put out a useful little voter’s guide to the 2012 State Board of Education elections, which covers a range of topics from creationism and climate change to bullying and SBOE procedures. You might look at … Continue reading →

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Who sets the standard for science?

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t get the fuss over this. Many say students need to be science literate so they can innovate, compete and maneuver with the latest technology. If the United States wants to compete on the world stage, teachers and science … Continue reading →

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GOP results, statewide

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Full, though not necessarily the most up to date, results, are here. The Trib and the Observer have good roundups as well. – Mitt. Yawn. He was at just under 70% statewide, with Ron Paul getting 11% and Rick Santorum … Continue reading →

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Three primary stories

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

TX Trib: 4 Democrats Vying to Replace Hochberg in HD-137 Observers say the winner of the contest for HD-137 is likely to be decided in the Democratic primary, whose four candidates are former Capitol staffers Joseph Carlos Madden and Jamaal … Continue reading →

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The “Moneyball” approach to public education

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Via Lisa Falkenberg on Facebook, SBOE member Thomas Ratliff uses the philosophy from Moneyball to analyze the accountability system for Texas public schools. The book says, “One absolutely cannot tell, by watching, the difference between a .300 hitter and a … Continue reading →

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A look ahead to SBOE races

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Regardless of what happens with the other maps, the one map that was precleared and is set for the next decade is the SBOE. With all 15 members up for re-election (like the Senate, everyone has to run in the … Continue reading →

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We need better information about our schools

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

SBOE member Thomas Ratliff makes a lot of sense about school accountability ratings and how little they really tell you about a given school’s performance. Many people across the state are familiar with the terms “exemplary,” “recognized,” “academically acceptable” or … Continue reading →

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Cut education now, pay later?

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the question for Republican legislators, isn’t it? GOP legislators didn’t budge this session from their commitment to reduce Texas’ education spending even in the face of protests, negative ad campaigns and reams of criticism. The outcry didn’t faze them … Continue reading →

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A few facts about education employment

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

State Board of Education member Thomas Ratliff brings some numbers to the debate. When you hear the discussion about the increase in the number of “non-teachers” in our schools, consider the following facts. These numbers represent full-time equivalent employees to … 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 →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

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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More on the SBOE

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Freedom Network does a victory dance over the defeat of wingnut SBOE member Don McLeroy, noting that overall the forces of good did much better than the far right did. “Don McLeroy was right when he said this … Continue reading →

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Election results: McLeroy loses!

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The second-best news of the evening is that wackjob SBOE member Don McLeroy lost to Thomas Ratliff, thus making the state’s worst elected body at least somewhat less dysfunctional. The board’s balance of power is delicate. Though it’s had ten … 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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Endorsement watch: DMN for Ratliff and Kinky

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Dallas Morning News has a couple of endorsements of interest, one good and one puzzling. In the good one, they endorse challenger Thomas Ratliff in his GOP primary race for the SBOE against wingnut Don McLeroy. McLeroy, a board … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Endorsement watch: ParentPAC for Thomas Ratliff

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m very glad to see that the Texas ParentPAC is getting involved in the SBOE primaries. Here’s their press release for the District 9 GOP race: The bipartisan Texas Parent PAC today announced its endorsement of Thomas Ratliff for election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

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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Let’s make this a bad year for Don McLeroy

Posted on November 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Don McLeroy is a wee bit concerned about losing one of his allies on the SBOE. State Board of Education former Chair (and current member) Don McLeroy wasn’t too concerned about losing Democratic swing-vote Rick Agosto. At least not at … 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 →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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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McLeroy gets a challenger

Posted on June 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Paul Burka breaks the news that Thomas Ratliff, son of former State Sen. and Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff, will challenge Don McLeroy, the now-former chair of the State Board of Education, for his seat on the board next year. From … Continue reading →

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