A new majority is needed to restore Texas schools
By Laura Ewing
Despite the best efforts of teachers and many local school boards, our Texas education system is in crisis with dropout rates that are among the worst in the nation. This is unacceptable - or should be - to the State Board of Education, the 15-member body elected from regional districts.
Unfortunately, a group of so-called conservatives that has seized control of the board appear much more interested in furthering an ideological agenda than improving Texas schools. Far from conservative, these board members are fostering a radical attack on public education in this state. From tampering with science and reading textbooks to skirting or ignoring laws with which they disagree or find inconvenient, the group works full-time to undermine the very school system they are legally bound to support. They have flown in under the electoral radar to win these posts, with SBOE board seats essentially hidden near the end of a long ballot. This has made it possible for them to be elected, in spite of their views that are far outside the mainstream.
That may be changing, with increased attention being paid to some of the more outrageous actions prompting both Republican and Democratic members of the Texas Legislature to act to rein in SBOE excesses.
A glaring example of their misdeeds surfaced over the summer. Once again, SBOE members sidestepped appropriate and rational guidelines during their July 17-18 meeting in Austin. In doing so, they are setting our children up for failure and putting our neighborhood schools at risk.
On July 16, the Texas House Public Education Committee heard more than five hours of testimony from educational professionals, several SBOE members, and concerned citizens, most of whom addressed the lack of a fair and democratic process in approving the English Language Arts and Reading curriculum standards, or TEKS. Instead of listening to professional educators who developed a strong set of objectives (TEKS) for reading, writing, speaking, and listening, board members rejected the work of experts in favor of passing a cut and paste document of their own.
Two state board members, David Bradley and Ken Mercer, even bragged to the press that they had "spanked" the teachers. Mr. Bradley himself has called teaching thinking skills "gobbledygook." The teachers were belittled and insulted as the steamroller process produced a flawed document, which now must be used by Texas teachers and children for the next ten years.
As an educator with 34 years experience, I know how hurtful and disrespectful that is for our classroom teachers who are working so hard to help their students succeed.
Several members of the House Public Education Committee questioned the actions of the SBOE members in voting to accept a flawed set of ELAR standards that was created using such a flagrantly unfair and expensive process.
The current board is just as disrespectful of the Legislature as it is of educators. During hearings before both the House committee and a separate state board committee, Rep. Scott Hochberg reminded board members that the Legislature intended that they oversee the creation of specific standards to guide local school districts that teach classes about the Bible. The state board does that for other courses, including even classes in aerobics and fruit, nut and vegetable production. Why shouldn't a class on something as important as the Bible get the same respect?
A majority of state board members voted to ignore the Legislature's instructions anyway. They instead adopted general guidelines that leave the state's more than 1,000 school districts without the help they need to create good classes that respect the Bible and keep them out of court. That's absolutely irresponsible.
The State Board of Education needs to follow democratic and legislatively mandated processes. They also need to stand up for our local school districts and teachers, not insult and then abandon them. Too many state board members have simply ignored all of our educational stakeholders far too long.
In particular, Bradley has risen to the vice-chairmanship after serving on the SBOE for a decade distinguished only by his fealty to a radical agenda that attacks public education. He does this with no concern the education of his own offspring might be impacted, because the Bradley's home-school their children. That is their right, of course, but it also suggests why Bradley feels free to make educational mischief impacting our sons and daughter that he would not impose on his own children.
The Bradley faction has also given short shrift to vocational education and technology courses that will equip students for a wide range of career options, an omission I am determined to reverse.
That's why I'm opposing Bradley for the District 7 state on the State Board of Education in the election on November 4. A new SBOE majority will work with legislators from both parties to restore public education in Texas and relegate these radicals to the fringe where they belong.
Laura Ewing is a career educator and former "Teacher of the Year" who has taught in public schools in Pearland, Houston, Fort Bend, Clear Creek, Spring and Cypress Fairbanks. A member of the Friendswood City Council, she is the Democratic nominee for State Board of Education, District 7.
