Legislators Seek to Gut SBOE

One thing that seems to be constant is that if conservatives have power and are making policy, they will be accused of being divisive and "political" and even "not caring about the children." This year is no different, as a contentious debate over science standards on the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) resulted in a compromise that took a conservative position.

Once again Texas legislators are seeking to take authority away from the elected SBOE and give it to the appointed commissioner of education. Not too many years ago, the legislature took away from that elected body the authority to hire the commissioner and gave it to the governor, who also appoints the chairman of the SBOE. Now they want to take away the board's authority over curriculum and textbooks. This is probably because they don't like the policy adopted more than the process itself. It's no secret that many in the legislature would like to do away with the elected SBOE completely and make it an appointed board. We tried that in the 1970s, and the people voted to go back to an elected board.

"[Kel] Seliger [R-Amarillo] said the 'political nature' of the elected board often 'results in infighting and partisan beliefs becoming part of the public school curriculum' – as exemplified in the battle over science standards." [Dallas Morning News, April 15, 2009] Oh no! Actions by an elected body involve politics and infighting and partisan beliefs? Come on, Senator. What body of elected officials from local school boards and city councils to the legislature doesn't involve such things. Senator Kip Averitt, R-Waco, said the SBOE was the worst example of "partisan bickering and fighting." [Ibid.] I'd say that is like the pot calling the kettle black, coming from a Texas legislator.

Only Senator Dan Patrick stood up for allowing the will of the people to be done through their elected officials. If the voters don't like what their SBOE representatives are doing, they can always elect someone else - just as we can with our state representatives and state senators.