Texas Gov. Rick Perry has reappointed Gail Lowe, R-Lampasas, as chair of the State Board of Education. Her appointment is subject to confirmation by the Texas Senate. The Senate refused to confirm Lowe’s immediate predecessor, Don McLeroy, as chair in 2009. McLeroy had been one of the leading “culture warriors” on the board. During his […]
Education
Texas has an increasingly diverse public education system with a public school enrollment of more than 5 million. Unfortunately, that public education system is also the target of right-wing extremists seeking to privatize our neighborhood public schools and push a culture-war agenda in the classroom.
To that end, Texas Freedom Network tirelessly fights for Texas public school students at the Capitol — opposing private school voucher legislation, sticking up for students’ freedoms, advocating for truthful, censorship-free lessons and textbooks, and more. We’ve also conducted groundbreaking research into what is taught in classrooms on subjects like sex education and religion.
Resources
- Teach the Truth: Texans United Against Censorship in Education
- Can This Class Be Saved? The ‘Hobby Lobby’ Public School Bible Curriculum (2014 report)
- Reading, Writing & Religion II (2013 report)
- Sex Education in Public Schools: Progress in the Lone Star State (2011 report)
- Just Say Don’t Know: Sex Education in Texas Public Schools (2009 report)
- The State Board of Education: Dragging Texas Schools into the Culture Wars (2008 report)
- Reading Writing & Religion: Teaching the Bible in Texas Public Schools (2006 report)
- Broken Promises II (2001 report)
- Broken Promises: Charter Schools in Texas (2000 report)
The Right’s Anti-Education Reflex
It’s troubling that far-right members of the Texas State Board of Education insist on dumbing down education in science, social studies and other public school classes. But it’s hardly surprising. The knee-jerk anti-education reflex that characterizes the far right these days surely exasperates even mainstream conservatives. Eagle Forum’s website today offers another example of that […]
Clues
As we expected, today’s Texas State Board of Education meeting provided at least some clues about whether the new board is likely to refocus its work on education instead of politics. Some clues were clearer others. On the positive side was the election of two moderates as board officers: Bob Craig, R-Lubbock, as vice chair and […]
Important Texas Ed Board Meeting Today
The Texas State Board of Education‘s first meeting of 2011 begins at 1 p.m. this afternoon in Austin with five new board members. Two members of the board’s far-right faction over the past four years — Don McLeroy, R-College Station, and Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond — are not returning to the board. On the board’s agenda […]
Encouraging Signs at Texas Ed Board
For Texans concerned by the State Board of Education‘s efforts to politicize public school classrooms over the past four years, 2011 has begun with encouraging signs. Four of six far-right candidates, including incumbent Don McLeroy, R-College Station, lost their election races last year. That alone will affect the balance of power between the board’s once-dominant […]
