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).
Click here to go to TFN’s SBOE Election HQ, with in-depth information about state board districts, elections and candidates this year.
Larry E. Garza, District 2, D-Kingsville
(Current District 2 Board Member: Mary Helen Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi)
Larry Garza, a trustee in the Kingsville Independent School District, has announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for the District 2 SBOE seat. Current District 2 member Mary Helen Berlanga is not seeking re-election and will retired from the board when her term expires. Garza’s website is votelarryegarza.com.
Today current Kingsville Independent School District (KISD) Trustee Larry E. Garza R.Ph. announced his candidacy for State Board of Education, District 2 in the Texas Democratic Primary to be held May 29. Garza, whose nineteen years of service on the KISD School Board ends in May, is seeking the State Board of Education position in order to lend his experience and continued advocacy for public education. Mary Helen Berlanga, who currently holds the position, will not be seeking re-election.
As a candidate for the State Board of Education Garza pledges to continue his commitment to health, education and the welfare of the students from a health professional and public servant perspective. Garza believes that success in education must be all-inclusive, therefore requiring open and continuous communication with all stakeholders, students, parents, educators, local school boards, communities and educational service centers including institutions of higher learning. The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.
Well. Okay.
Appears to fall in the Sensible Party part of the spectrum.