The latest State Board of Education news from The Texas Tribune.
Was America ordained by God to lead the world? Are our public school students taught enough about the African American and Hispanic experiences? Was Joseph McCarthy an American hero? The always controversial State Board of Education meets this week to take up such questions as it revises Texas' social studies standards. Full Story
The venerable D.C. magazine takes on the State Board of Education — and its former chair. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/mcleroy_don.jpg)
The feds want Texas to sign onto a movement toward national education standards in order to get up to $700 million in "Race to the Top" money. Texas officials say our students —and our curriculum — aren't for sale. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/120909_cashforcurriculum_.png)
As anticipated, Cynthia Dunbar has officially announced that she will not seek re-election to her spot on the State Board of Education Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/09/13/cynthiadunbar-sized.jpg)
Even if Cynthia Dunbar doesn't seek reelection to the State Board of Education, another conservative Republican stands ready to take up the cause. Full Story
Lobbyists from across the Republican party come out to support one of their own for State Board of Education, forsaking former chair Don McLeroy. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/110509_mcleroy003_go.jpg)
Hoping to push a wide array of digital content and teaching tools to public schools, the Texas Education Agency has cut a deal with a division of The New York Times for an electronic curriculum portal and searchable access to the newspaper’s content since 1851. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/1237883_54023528.jpg)
Texas will not adopt national school curriculum standards, risking its ability to get a $700 million federal grant. Full Story
Two legislative ABCs — Anybody But Craddicks — back the Republican moderate challenging Christian conservative member Don McLeroy. Full Story
Multi-part stories from Ramshaw and Grissom and Stiles on mental health services for detained immigrants and on payday lenders who provide exorbitantly priced credit to people with nowhere else to turn... Twitter, word clouds and the race for governor — a Stiles joint... Farouk Shami is in and Hu was there to watch... Philpott went to Bastrop for a gather of Republican governors... Rapoport finds a State Board of Education that's trying to control itself... and we have the skinny on legislative races that are likely to be competitive (only about 5 percent of the races on the ballot). It's the best of The Texas Tribune from November 14 to 20, 2009. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/112109_twibweek_jv_.jpg)
The State Board of Education, which has showcased some intense philosophical fights, has drawn scrutiny for becoming a partisan battleground. For now, members are just trying to get along — but the rifts are as big as ever. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/111809_boardofeducation001_jv.jpg)
A for-profit company hopes to get approval to start two charter schools in Texas. Thursday's SBOE meeting will set the precedent for dealing with this murkier side of the charter school system. Full Story
Amid handwringing over child obesity, SBOE likely will eliminate health and physical education requirements at this week's meeting. Full Story
State schools chief Robert Scott recently failed to get the Legislature to increase the cap on charter schools — then found a legal way to do it anyway, much to the dismay of state Democrats and teachers unions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/111109_robertscott001_eh.jpg)
Rep. Brian McCall, R-Plano, is endorsing State Board of Education wannabe Thomas Ratliff, an important move because Collin County is a key part of that race's geography. Full Story
The SBOE's Don McLeroy might miss Rick Agosto more than he thought. Full Story
Federal officials say Texas' testing standards in reading are below the “basic” proficiency standards — and that low bar means those passing the TAKS may not be as proficient as advertised. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/110909_chart_edutests003_jv.jpg)
Rather than deliver curriculum by book or even CD — one product per student — “We’re going to buy content and get a statewide license and deliver it to anyone who wants it” over the web, says Robert Scott. Much of that content will come from “smaller content providers who have been shut out of the market.” Full Story
Under new legislation, school districts for the first time can spend a portion of state “book” money on computer hardware and digital content. Some fear the explosion of choice will produce an erosion of quality content. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/110509_bookswarehouse001_go.jpg)
So what if he's no longer the chair of the State Board of Education? Self-described "religious fanatic" Don McLeroy has big plans for Texas education — and science is just the beginning. Full Story