Topic: SBOE

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...

Read More

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...

Read More

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...

Read More

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...

Read More

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...

Read More

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,...

Read More

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...

Read More

SBOE Deals with Charter Expansion, Testing

Publish Date: July 18, 2016

The 15-member elected State Board of Education meets in Austin this week to consider a lengthy agenda that includes charter expansion and an ongoing review of the validity and reliability of standardized state tests used to measure student and school performance. Commissioner of Education Mike Morath has given preliminary approval to three charter applications, including one recycled version of a...

Read More