Former Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) member Cynthia Dunbar still seems determined to destroy the most important protection for religious freedom in America: the First Amendment. As a member of the Texas SBOE in 2010, Dunbar lead successful opposition to requiring that public school students in social studies classrooms learn how the First Amendment […]
Textbook Censorship
The Texas Connection to a Minnesota Extremist and Potential Education Disaster
Allen Quist, the Minnesota extremist Don McLeroy — then chairman of the Texas State Board of Education — tried to appoint as an “expert” adviser during the revision of social studies curriculum standards in 2009, is back in the news. Quist’s appointment three years ago seemed almost a done deal until the Texas Freedom Network […]
Texas Ed Board Candidate Advocates Teaching Creationism in Science Classrooms
One of the Republican candidates for the Texas State Board of Education District 15 seat, Marty Rowley of Amarillo, is offering one of his clearest arguments for teaching “intelligent design”/creationism in science classrooms. Rowley talked to the Amarillo Globe-News for a story about next year’s scheduled adoption of science textbooks by the state board: “Evolutionists […]
Barbara Cargill: Protecting Texas Students from Planned Parenthood and Muslims!
Barbara Cargill, who chairs the Texas State Board of Education and is running for re-election to her District 8 seat this year, still thinks she is one of a minority of “conservatives” on a state board in which 11 of 15 members are Republicans. And she also wants voters to know that she’s working to […]
Handful of Contests See the Most Money in Texas State Board of Education Races
In the 1990s, San Antonio businessman James Leininger — the religious right’s sugar daddy in Texas — poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into State Board of Education (SBOE) races. That money helped hard-right social conservatives build a multi-year campaign to take control of the board — and turned subsequent board debates over textbooks and […]
