SBOE Candidate: Rebecca Osborne

Because of redistricting, all 15 seats on the Texas State Board of Education will be up for grabs in the November 2012 elections. The results of those elections will determine whether the religious right’s corrosive  influence over public education will weaken or grow as the board considers what the next generation of public school students in Texas will learn about sex education, social studies, science and other subjects. We plan to publish on TFN Insider candidate announcements for a seat on the SBOE. We will publish announcements in no particular order, and their publication does not constitute any sort of endorsement by TFN. We will redact requests for contributions or mentions of fundraising events from the announcements, but we will provide links to the candidates’ websites (if available).

Rebecca Osborne, District 10, R-Round Rock
(Current District 10 Board Member: Marsha Farney, R-Georgetown)

Round Rock teacher Rebecca Osborne says she is once again seeking the Republican nomination for the District 10 seat on the Texas State Board of Education. Osborne sought the GOP nomination for that seat in 2010. Marsha Farney of Georgetown won the party’s nomination and general election, but she has announced a campaign for the Texas House in 2012.

Following is an excerpt from Osborne’s campaign web site:

Every day in the high school where I teach, I see teenagers who are thriving, happy and engaged with school, community and their families. These kids are connected; they have a compass in their lives. But I also see the many young people we are losing, and it troubles me greatly.

Our public schools are regulated by rules that too often reflect a disconnect between the State Board and the children it is supposed to be serving. I am running for the State Board of Education, District 10 because I believe our children deserve better. As adults, we have a responsibility to speak on their behalf. After 26 years as a public school classroom teacher and educational administrator, I believe in:

* Relevance and rigor in curriculum;

* Fiscal conservatism;

* Local control and accountability; and

* Achieving a common vision.

As I travel across our 18 county district before the Republican Primary election on March 6, 2012, I look forward to meeting you and listening to your concerns. . . .

If we all take action, we can give voice to the needs of each child. In turn, our children will be prepared to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and our country will remain strong.

Osborne finished third in the 2010 GOP primary. Farney then defeated Austin attorney and State Republican Executive Committee member Brian Russell in the runoff. Cynthia Dunbar, a member of the board’s far-right faction who chose not run for re-election to the District 10 seat two years ago, had anointed Russell as her replacement. So we won’t be surprised if Russell decides to run again. More about Russell’s 2010 campaign here and here.