State Sen. Dan Patrick, the Houston Republican who chairs the Senate Education Committee, on Thursday criticized those who oppose his bill to expand charter schools in Texas: “I want you to understand that when you testify, you’re not testifying against a bill. You’re testifying against 100,000 families who are are on the wait list who […]
Dan Patrick
Say What? Texas Lawmakers Go to a Private School to Talk about Public Education Reform
Perhaps the irony escaped them. Today Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Senate Education Committee Chairman Dan Patrick, R-Houston, held a press conference at a Catholic elementary school in Austin to talk about reforming public education. Now think about that a minute. Two of the most important elected leaders on education in the Texas Senate — […]
‘Dinosaurs and Denial’
That’s the headline to a piece by New York Times columnist Charles Blow. Blow suggests that confusing comments by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, about his thoughts on the age of Earth are just another example of modern American conservatism trapped in the grip of anti-intellectual zealots. Money quote: This anti-intellectualism is antediluvian. No wonder […]
New School Year, Same Old School Voucher Scheme. Plus, the Unabomber
This Friday we’ll be monitoring a state senate photo op committee hearing here in Austin on one of the longstanding pet causes for the far right: school vouchers. Yes, vouchers are back. Again. After failing to pass voucher legislation at each legislative session since 1995, the far right seems poised to try, try again next […]
Fox News’ Huckabee: Get Your Facts Straight
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has some gall. In the wake of this week’s silly spat over the Doonesbury series of comic strips depicting a woman undergoing a state-forced transvaginal sonogram before getting a completely legal medical procedure, Huckabee called out Doonesbury author Garry Trudeau for not checking his facts. In doing so, Huckabee ironically […]
