School choice isn’t the same as text book choice
Texas School Finance System Unconstitutional – by Connie Sadowski – The Heartland Institute:
“I was pleased that the Supreme Court did not rule our schools were inadequately funded,” said Don McLeroy, a member of the State Board of Education’s Finance Committee. “Adequacy is a highly subjective assessment. The best way to judge an adequate education is to let the parents decide–give them the right to choose their child’s school.”
As long as McLeroy gets to decide on their text books.
Does this make sense? McLeroy is all for parent choice but actively works so that the SBOE is the only authority of text book content.
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Comments
I know it isn’t the only authority—for now. However, I would argue that there are several board members who think that they should be the only authority in the best interest of the students. I suppose you could make the argument that where I see some members trying to insert their opinions concerning evolution, sex education, slavery, and other subjects into text books, they consider it just checking for facts. The whole reason Abbott wrote an opinion is tell Teri Leo “no, you can’t do that.”
Texas Freedom Network
http://www.tfn.org/
Texas Citizens for Science
http://www.texscience.org/
Dallas Morning News Candidate Recommendations
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-board_07edi.ART.State.Edition1.3e04c2c.html
Corsicana Daily Sun
http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/news/local_story_251103813.html
Don McLeroy
http://dmcleroy.home.att.net/
All other states, beware! Texas is changing curriculum standards!
http://texased.wordpress.com/2006/07/06/all-other-states-beware-texas-is-changing-curriculum-standards/
If you only read the news and don’t read the actual AG opinion, you don’t know this: AG GA wrote his Sept 18 opinion stating he is overruling the 1996 AG DM opinion… read the opinionhttp://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/GA/GA0456.pdf . The news media and TFN openly participated in censorship, ask them about why they distorted the AG opinion. TFN’s comments with regards to the opinion are Truely appauling. In his opinion, AG GA gives the SBOE “significant statutory authority”, allowing sboe rules to be written to ensure that the TEKS are in textbooks AND ancillary materials, there are no factual errors….read it all in the opinion. Texased,when and where did any board member ever say they wanted to be the “Only authority”, as a board member, elected by the people, they have to hear expert reviews of textbooks, public review and testimony, and then they only get one out of 15 member voting power, how can that be the “only authority”? The textbook review and adoption process includes many more hands in the decision than the 15 member ELECTED sboe. Remember: Under the new AG opinion, The Texas Education Code remains the same as when it was written in 1995 by the Legislature, it is not written by the SBOE, and the sboe or any member is not the “only authority” as you claim.
So you’re telling me that McLeroy, Leo, and Miller among others would not ban biology text books from discussing evolution or only allow it to be discussed as part of “teach the controversary” if given the authority? And that they have done nothing since the 1995 opinion to try to influence the content of the text books to reflect a certain ideology? And given that the state will only pay fully for text books approved by the SBOE, doesn’t the SBOE for all intents and purposes control which text books the districts get to choose from unless it can afford to purchase text books on its own?
texased, I refer you back to my #3 comment, did you read the opinion and the review process, I don’t think you could have if we are still addressing this! And yes to your first question. Evolution and creationism are theories or”opinions”as you said in #1 comment, you called it “certain ideology” in #4…so what ideology is being pushed…evolution (yes) or creationsim (no you don’t want that taught as a theory, just evolution, is that what you are saying, No you may say, so teach them both, right? THAT is what the SBOE members you mentioned attempt to do in their votes. In comment 4 you again say approved by the SBOE, did you see the chain it must go through before the list gets to the SBOE, do you pay attention to what gets weeded out by the experts who review and dump books before the SBOE does, they are the ones who weed through the most junk. Teach and they will do: Sex education should involve abstinance, as these are minor kids….now we have day cares and many many girls pregnant at 12-18 year old, do you advocate that? My tax dollars are paying for it, and girls and boyse being wrecked by unwanted pregnancies and STD’s. Before sex ed, there were pregnant girls and kids with STD’s but to this gross extent, NO. Slavery was a tragedy, but it shouldn’t continue to define us now, it happened, it should never happen again, but don’t insert opinions in it. Opinions are good, unless you disagree. Confused by your one-sided-ness ; )
SBOE is not the only authority of textbook content, nor does anyone on the SBOE claim to b, where did you pull that from? Read up on it
Find the opinion regarding textbook content standards by Attorney General Abbott at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/GA/GA0456.pdf
An overview of Texas’ Textbook Adoption Process may be found at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/textbooks/adoptprocess/overview.html
Find a sample of textbook errors with corrections dated November 6, 2003 in the Texas Commissioner of Education Report to the State Board of Education at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/textbooks/adoptprocess/proc2001commiserror.pdf
State Textbook Review Panel Handbook can be viewed at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/textbooks/adoptprocess/reviewpanel/handbook.pdf
Find the Texas Education Code dealing with curriculum in CHAPTER 28: COURSES OF STUDY at http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/ed.toc.htm