Topic: SBOE

Mexican-American studies course one step closer to approval

Publish Date: April 12, 2018

A long struggle to add a course in Mexican-American studies to the state curriculum is on the verge of success. As reported in the Texas Tribune: Texas advocates for Mexican-American studies classes won a bitter victory Wednesday, gaining approval to move forward with the class they wanted but losing the course title. The State Board of Education had been debating...

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A chance to remove the “politicized distortion of history” from Texas curriculum standards

Publish Date: February 28, 2018

Eight years ago the State Board of Education blundered badly in drafting curriculum standards for social studies, approving language that has led textbook writers for the Texas market to distort what schoolchildren here learn about history. SBOE members have a chance to correct the mistakes of 2010 as these curriculum standards come up for review later this year. In the...

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State Board of Education developing Long-Range Plan via community meetings, survey

Publish Date: January 3, 2018

The State Board of Education is developing a new Long-Range Plan for Public Education through an 18-member steering committee made up of board members, stakeholder group representatives, and individuals from three state agencies. (This is not to be confused with the 13-member commission on school finance created by the Legislature in the special session last summer—concerning which we’ll have a...

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School Funding Comes to a Vote in Texas House

Publish Date: April 19, 2017

--School Funding Comes to a Vote in Texas House --Senate Committee Puts Priority on More Money for Charters --State Board of Education Debates Science Standards School Funding Comes to a Vote:  Scheduled for state House floor consideration on Wednesday is HB 21, the bill by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Houston) to revise school-finance formulas and increase school aid to districts. The...

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Upholding Standards for the Teaching Profession

Publish Date: April 11, 2017

On a busy day in state House and Senate education committees, we want to highlight one issue in particular raised by companion bills in both chambers. SB 1278 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) and HB 2924 by Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) reflect the agenda of private, for-profit educator-preparation programs calling for lower standards of entry into the teaching profession. Texas...

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Defective Mexican-American Studies Text Denounced at State Board Hearing

Publish Date: September 15, 2016

Upwards of a hundred witnesses citing chapter and verse came to the State Board of Education September 13 to urge rejection of a proposed Mexican-American studies text rife with outright errors and redolent of bias. Among the witnesses were state legislators, Mexican-American history specialists, parents, and veteran K-12 educators including Texas AFT secretary-treasurer Ray McMurrey. “Students and teachers alike should...

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Community-Educator Coalition Combats Ethnic-Studies Textbook Distortions

Publish Date: September 8, 2016

Texas AFT and allies in the Responsible Ethnic Studies Textbook Coalition will be rallying and testifying before the State Board of Education on September 13 against approval of a grossly flawed textbook proposed for use in Texas classrooms. At issue is a Mexican-American studies text, published by a former member of the State Board of Education, rife with factual errors,...

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Out-of-State Charter Chain’s Bid for Metroplex Campus Rejected

Publish Date: July 25, 2016

The Athlos charter chain, based in Idaho, has once again seen its bid for a Metroplex charter site vetoed by the State Board of Education, despite initial approval by the commissioner of education. SBOE members voted 7 to 6 against the Athlos proposal after members in the majority voiced ongoing concerns about the Athlos model relating to lack of sufficient...

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