State Board of Education

Mar 10, 2010, 08:40

Texas ed board set to take 1st vote since primary
USTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas' state education board, rocked by primary elections that may push the influential panel's far-right leanings toward the center, is set to take its first vote on a new social studies curriculum that could reverberate in classrooms nationwide. The board - long led by social conservatives who have advocated for ideas such as teaching Texas children more about the weaknesses of evolutionary theory - has worked on, and squabbled about, the social studies standards for months. The board's ultimate decisions affect the textbook content around the country because Texas is one of publishers' biggest clients [ View Article ] Mar 10, 2010, 08:38

Does state board need a history test?
SBOE: AUSTIN — This is what can happen when you ignore experts, don't fully know your history, and are responsible for approving textbooks for Texas schoolchildren, according to critics worried about the State Board of Education: You might delete someone recognized by Ladies' Home Journal as one of the 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century — citing her membership in a socialist organization. You could ban a popular children's author from textbooks because his name is the same as a professor who wrote favorably about Marxism. You might even vote to teach youngsters that U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy's 1950s crusade to smear suspected Communists was vindicated by later research on Soviet spying. [ View Article ] Mar 9, 2010, 08:37

Survey says textbooks going digital, ready or not
A survey of educators attending a national conference here shows they believe printed textbooks will soon be obsolete but few feel prepared for a shift to digital learning. The survey asked educators questions about social networking, digital textbooks and district spending on interactive learning methods. Sixty-five percent said they believe textbooks are going away. Just 19 percent said their school or district is “totally prepared” for the digital age. “We touch a lot of schools on a regular basis, and most are not ready,” said Eric Loeffel, CEO of CompassLearning, an Austin-based educational software company that paid for the survey. “I think that what it says is we need to take a long, hard look at how are we going to get ready. But there are some pockets of innovation in America, and we need to find them and begin to replicate them.” Some local districts are already experimenting with digital learning tools, though traditional textbooks remain the norm. San Antonio Independent School District recently rolled out interactive whiteboards for high school math and science classrooms, and Alamo Heights ISD offers technology-heavy “Inspired Classrooms” in elementary schools, where students use computers for many of their assignments. [ View Article ] Mar 9, 2010, 08:37

Dallas: DISD teacher pulls big upset in State Board race
Congratulations to North Dallas High School's George Clayton who managed to beat veteran State Board of Education member Geraldine Miller for the republican nomination in Tuesday's election. He won with 52 percent of the vote. Miller said she didn't see the loss coming. Clayton, an academic coordinator at the school, has been with DISD since February 1997. Click here to read the story on Clayton's victory that ran in today's newspaper. [ View Article ] Mar 8, 2010, 07:18

New SBOE member says he brings "voice of reason"
There was little time on Wednesday for George Clayton to bask in his Republican primary victory over longtime State Board of Education member Geraldine Miller. He had to give his students the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. A high school administrator in Dallas, Clayton stunned board-watchers with his defeat of Miller, who has been on the board since 1984. The race drew little attention until late Tuesday when Clayton took a decisive lead that held through the final count. [ View Article ] Mar 5, 2010, 08:36

Proposed Changes SBOE Rule for Bond Guarantee Program
The March 2010 State Board of Education meeting agenda for the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund includes an item for first reading and filing authorization for proposed amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 33, Statement of Investment Objectives, Policies, and Guidelines of the Texas Permanent School Fund, §33.65, Guarantee Program for School District Bonds. The proposed changes are excerpted below [ View Article ] Mar 5, 2010, 08:33

McLeroy loses ed board spot
After 12 years as a member of the State Board of Education, Bryan dentist Don McLeroy said losing the seat in Tuesday's election was disappointing. The race was close, with Thomas Ratliff, a legislative consultant from Mount Pleasant, securing [ View Article ] Mar 5, 2010, 07:36

Center of Gravity
Good article but a little late - js BY THE TIME YOU READ THESE words, early voting in the March 2 primaries will be under way. The race for the Republican nomination for governor, involving incumbent Rick Perry, United States senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and upstart challenger Debra Medina, has attracted the most attention, as it should. The outcome will influence the future of Texas, and the three leading Republican candidates have very different ideas about that future [ View Article ] Mar 4, 2010, 08:37

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