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).
Michael Soto, District 3, D-San Antonio
(Incumbent)
Trinity University faculty member Michael Soto on Oct. 19 announced on his website — michael-soto.org — he intends to seek reelection to the SBOE’s District 3 seat. Soto was first elected in 2010 to what was an open seat on the board.
Dear Friends,
It’s that time once again—no, it’s not my birthday, and it’s not yet Halloween. It’s time again to ask you to stand with me in my bid for reelection to the State Board of Education in 2012.
I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished since I took office in January:
- New science instructional materials based on sound scholarship, not on petty and divisive politics.
- Small but important steps toward academic rigor in SBOE rules.
- A renewed focus on student success and wise investment in public education.
But sitting on the State Board, I recognize that there is much more work to be done. Together, we must:
- Demand academic rigor and rely on evidence-based scholarship as we revise math, fine arts, and health education standards.
- Listen to teachers and public school administrators—our front-line educators–when it’s time to adopt new curriculum standards and new textbooks.
- Restore public trust in how the SBOE conducts its business.
The SBOE appears to be—slowly but surely—headed in the right direction, but we can’t take this progress for granted. As public school parents, my wife, Celina Peña, and I want nothing more than for our sons and their peers to have the same opportunities that have blessed our lives.
Thank you for your support,
Michael
Soto spelled backwards is Otos. He does have kind of unusual ears—dontcha think?
After reading this posting, Michael Soto has my support. Furthermore, I plan to share his message with others .
I know many Texans who will appreciate his dedication to the education of our children.
What about the atheistic Left’s corrosive influnce ? You,sir, are pushing an agenda. True science and true religion go hand in hand.
Them lefties are of the devil, with their communo-socio-atheo-fascistic agenda. And just because science relies on evidence and religion relies on faith—which don’t have much in common—that won’t stop me from proclaiming they are a match made in heaven.
And one of these days I’ll learn to proofread.
Soto is one of the stalwart members of the Sensible Party voting block.