The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) has been the target of the social conservatives for some time now. The SBOE determines the curricula for Texas schools, including textbook selection. The religious right now has a majority, or close enough to it, on this board, to push Creationism and other right-wing causes.
The religious right achieved their power on the SBOE at the ballot box. Conservatives like vouncher proponent James Leininger funded one far right candidate, Cynthia Dunbar, with tens of thousands of dollars, even though she faced no Democratic opponent. Dunbar is famous, not just for being a fervent Creationist, but for predicting the "end of America as we know it" should Barack Obama be elected President. She claims his election is null and void because he isn't a United States citizen. She says that if America suffers a terrorist attack, it will likely be part of a conspiracy by Obama to impose tyranny through martial law. Obama is not the only subject of her conspiracy fantasies. She claims that America is under daily attack by the "militant leftist Judicial branch."
You might wonder how such an extremist achieved a position of such influence over the classrooms of our children in Texas. It's because moderates and liberals haven't paid enough attention to these elected positions. Maybe that's all about to change. According to Burnt Orange Report, organizers are taking notice of the upcoming 2010 election in which Cynthia Dunbar's place on the SBOE is before the voters. "Education First", a network of residents of Cynthia Dunbar's District 10, is holding meetups 17 months before the election "to promote educational excellence by reducing the influence of politics and ideology on the board."
SBOE District 12, including Richardson, is represented by Geraldine "Tincy" Miller, who is a mild pro-science member of the SBOE, but whose vote for teaching science in our schools' science classes and not Creationism is far from assured. It wouldn't hurt for the moderate voters in Richardson to pay attention to SBOE races, too, to keep the Creationists from taking over the SBOE entirely. So, don't get distracted by all the sound and fury that next year's governor race is going to generate. Save just a little attention for those down-ticket races for SBOE.
4 comments:
Well said. I couldn't agree more. I was happy to see today that McLeroy is going to have a primary opponent, so here is to removing him and his creationist crazy.
My friend Muse, whom I met on the campaign trail down in South Harris County and is working on getting Melissa Noreiga back onto the Houston city council, writes a blog about education (being an educator herself) and frequently speaks to the SBOE (http://www.muse-musings.blogspot.com/). Hope that is a useful tool for you as well.
Alex Rotenberry, thanks for the feedback and the tip about Muse's blog.
For those who haven't heard the good news, let me quote Terrence Stutz, who posted in the DMN Trailblazers blog today:
"The son of former Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff announced Wednesday that he will challenge State Board of Education member Don McLeroy of College Station in the GOP primary next year. ... Ratliff said the board under McLeroy's leadership has become a 'distraction' to neighborhood schools and a 'liability' to the Republican Party. 'I strongly believe we need to take the politics out of kids' education,' said Ratliff, whose two children are in the Chapel Hill ISD."
The GOP might be freed from the Creationist fringe after all. :-)
Well, minus Cynthia Dunbar. At least we could be one fewer...
From her own webpage: "Working to clarify the Boards authority and will continue to fight for parental control over hidden socialistic, humanistic agendas."
Don McLeroy is being challenged by Ratliff. Cynthia Dunbar is being watched by "Education First." That leaves about four other Creationists who need some organized opposition.
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