Gail Lowe, a member of the far-right faction of the Texas State Board of Education, has demonstrated once again her true agenda for public schools.
The State Board of Education is responsible for developing curriculum standards and approving textbooks that help our kids succeed in school and prepare them for college and the jobs of the 21st century. Lowe, R-Lampasas, appears to see the state board as simply another avenue for promoting her own personal and political agendas. As reported by the Graham Leader:
[All emphasis here is ours.]
Gail Lowe, Republican candidate for the Texas State Board of Education, told the Young County Republican Women she will continue to fight for conservative values Monday.
How about fighting for a good education for Texas kids instead of a political agenda for ideologues?
Lowe said her core values are to fight for strong curriculum standards, insure a thorough textbook adoption process, exercise prudent financial management and represent traditional values in education.
Traditional values? Like censoring textbooks? No thanks.
On the topic of certain books, Lowe said she is opposed to those exposing children to alternative lifestyles such as Heather Has Two Mommies in schools.
Does Lowe believe there are no gay or lesbian students in our public schools? Or no children with families headed by gay or lesbian parents? Is she that out of touch with our society today?
“I think public education should be family-friendly. I think it should be based on principles of free-enterprise… We should emphasize patriotism in our public schools,” she said.
Of course, when Lowe says she supports family-friendly schools, she really means so long as she gets to approve the families to which they’re friendly.
She said the last science textbook turned down [by the state board] was an environmental science book. Lowe said she guarantees she will turn down any book encouraging population removal or blaming global warming on the normal activities of everyday people.
“That’s another textbook that will be turned down by me — political agenda and not solid objective science,” she said.
Great. So Lowe — a weekly newspaper editor — isn’t just part of the board faction that wants to water down instruction on evolution in science classes. She also opposes teaching students established, mainstream science about one of the critical issues of our time: climate change and how human activity is influencing it. And she’s supported by a radical state board faction whose members have little or no experience in the classroom.
All of which raises a question: Why is the State Board of Education filled with people like dentists, real estate brokers, insurance salesmen and political activists who are hostile to a sound public education? Some have even rejected public schools by home-schooling their own children or sending them to private schools. Another question: When will Texans decide that they’ve finally had enough of this nonsense?
Does Lowe believe there are no gay or lesbian students in our public schools? Or no children with families headed by gay or lesbian parents? Is she that out of touch with our society today?
“I think public education should be family-friendly. I think it should be based on principles of free-enterprise… We should emphasize patriotism in our public schools,” she said.
I think you guys are probably focusing on a good issue but missing a point of discourse in something Mrs Lowe states. When she says, “. . . I think it should be based on principles of free-enterprise . . .” We should ask her again what her understanding of free-enterprise is? It is my understanding and the understanding of most who understand the laissez faire principals that money is money. I am afraid I find it dubious that a believer in free-enterpise would also find that it is necessary to place barriers within the system based on certain societal norms rather than emphasis on an unbiased market. If she believes in free-enterprise but also believes in a businesses right to refuse to do business with certain parties, then she does not truly believe in free enterprise but a system based on moral and ethical standards (which in her case come from her own personal belief in Christianity).
On another note, I think it is high time that instances used by those involved in the process of education curriculum in which opinions derived from moral or ethical based in religion thus open themselves and their religion to an open dialogue about it’s authenticity. I cna just imagine Mrs Dubar bringing up something about the bible and then a critic of her stance propose that since Mrs Dubar is such an advocate of biblical teaching ask her when the Board should decide on the teachings of an “eye for an eye” and a “tooth for a tooth.” For historical points we can bring up ( Leviticus 25:44)
“Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves.” when teaching about American history of slavery or we can add this as another supportive passage 1 Peter 2:18
“Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.”.
This is not tit for tat but is rather a game that the moral and ethical “chosen one’s” such as Mrs Lowe have decided to engage them. I take them at their word and am ready to use their own words against themselves to show them truly how ignorant and backwards their words have become.
Governor Perry appointed her , what do you expect, he’s not a friend to education.
How in the world can you allow re-writing history? What was IS what was, PERIOD!. No political agenda in changing what your schoolchildren learn in history? Give me a break, lady. I, too, sudied history in college as my major. But I am not politically motivated to try to change what was good and what was bad………it happened, whether your mind- warped ideas like it or not. You are a disgrace to the teaching of education and a disgrace to American society. But, of course…….this only happens in Texas , Kansas….or any of the other states with this huge political need to lie to support their own ends. Tell me something………are you sure you dont want to write Jesus out of the books as well?….He seemed pretty liberal to me…..feeding the poor, welcoming the whores and the lepers into his abode, and let us not forget that horrid thought of turning the other cheek….Man! You better get him out of those books while your eliminating Abraham Lincoln, lady.