Category Archives for 2012 Texas SBOE elections

Another Big Setback for the Far Right on Texas State Board of Education

Last night’s State Board of Education elections marked another big step toward an end to the culture wars in Texas public school classrooms. With the defeat of incumbent Charlie Garza, R-El Paso, the state board’s faction of far-right ideologues should be smaller next year than at any time since before the 2006 elections. Zooming out […]

Also posted in 2012 Elections, Charlie Garza, Cynthia Dunbar, Don McLeroy, Gail Lowe, Martha Dominguez, Terri Leo, TFNEF | 16 Comments

Vote Today: The Education of Millions of Texas Schoolchildren Is on the Line

Yes, there’s a presidential election today. But when you step into the voting booth, don’t forget to pay special attention to the races for the State Board of Education. Because of redistricting, all 15 board seats are up for grabs this year. (You can find a listing of all the state board candidates on the […]

Also posted in TFNEF | Leave a comment

Most GOP Candidates for Texas Ed Board Support Teaching ‘Weaknesses’ of Evolution, Posting Ten Commandments in Public Schools

During the Texas State Board of Education‘s debate over science curriculum standards in 2008, supporters of sound science education succeeded in killing a provision that would have required students to learn creationism-inspired arguments about the “weaknesses” of evolution. But nine Republicans in state board races apparently will insist that new biology textbooks include those bogus […]

Also posted in church and state, evolution, Ten Commandments, TFNEF | 9 Comments

Nine Candidates for Texas State Board of Education Reject Government’s Responsibility for Educating All Children

At least nine candidates — all Republicans — in the November 6 elections for the Texas State Board of Education appear to have a pretty dim view of the role and importance of public schools. Responding to a survey sponsored by several religious-right groups in Texas, the nine candidates said they disagree that “it is […]

Also posted in TFNEF | 4 Comments

TFN’s Kathy Miller Talks about Texas SBOE Elections on Houston’s KPFT

TFN President Kathy Miller will be on Houston radio station KPFT (90.5 FM) at 6 a.m. Thursday (October 18) to talk about this year’s important State Board of Education elections in Texas. If you don’t live in station’s broadcast area, you can catch the livestream of the program, Thresholds, online here. Or you can listen […]

Also posted in TFN | 2 Comments

SBOE Campaign Finance Filings: Little Money, Probably Even Less Attention

Campaign finance reports due 30 days before the November 6 election make it clear that, once again, Texas State Board of Education elections are attracting little money. The 15-member board adopts curriculum standards and textbooks for Texas public schools, but it gets precious little attention during election seasons. We have listed (below) campaign finance information […]

Also posted in TFN | 3 Comments

TFNEF Releases 2012 SBOE Voter Guide

Many of you have been waiting and asking us for it, and here it is. Today the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund released our 2012 State Board of Education Voter Guide for the Nov. 6 general election. All 15 SBOE seats will be on the ballot. You can find the voter guide at tfn.org/voterguide2012, and […]

Also posted in Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, TFNEF | 2 Comments

SBOE Candidate: Dorothy Olmos

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 […]

Also posted in Dorothy Olmos, TFN | 5 Comments

Clayton Not Running

Texas State Board of Education District 12 member George Clayton has changed course and decided against a write-in bid to retain his seat on the board, he told TFN. Clayton, R-Richardson, finished third in his party’s primary on May 29. Last month, in an email to far-right activist Donna Garner, Clayton said he planned to […]

Also posted in George Clayton, TFN, Tincy Miller | 1 Comment

What Does It All Mean? Your SBOE Primary Election Wrap-Up

The 2012 Texas State Board of Education primary races have now been resolved, but the overall ideological balance of the board did not see a major shift following the May 29 primary, nor did it do so after last night’s primary runoff in three SBOE districts. In a press statement last night, TFN Deputy Communications […]

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