Every Republican on the State Board of Education is endorsing Lani Popp for an open seat now that she is in a runoff against notorious conspiracy theorist Robert Morrow.  Morrow, who has a history of making racist, sexist and profanity-laced statements, finished first in the three-way primary last week to fill the seat of retiring member Ken Mercer. Popp, a Northside ISD speech language pathologist, came in second, getting 34% of the vote to 40% for Morrow.  (12) view article

Despite his history of sexist, racist tweets and conspiracy-laden rants, more than 54,000 Republican voters propelled Robert Morrow into a runoff for a seat on the State Board of Education. GOP leaders are terrified he might actually win.  Leaders of his own party may disavow him, but more than 54,000 central Texas Republican voters embraced Robert Morrow on Tuesday, sending the man with a profanity-laced record of sexist, racist and conspiracy-laden tweets into a runoff for a seat on the body that decides what Texas children are taught in the classroom.  He had no money, no endorsements and no campaign to speak of. What press attention he received would usually be considered fatal for a political candidate. Yet Morrow won around 40% of the vote for the District 5 seat on the State Board of Education, which stretches between San Antonio and Austin. He will face Lani Popp, a Northside ISD speech language pathologist, in a May 26 runoff. view article

A man who has called President Donald Trump a “child rapist” is headed to a runoff in the race for a position that would help decide what millions of Texas public school children are taught.  In the three-way Republican race for the District 5 seat on the State Board of Education, Robert Morrow held the lead with most polling locations reporting results Wednesday morning. Lani Popp, a speech language pathologist in the Northside Independent School District, came in second, sailing ahead of Inga Cotton, a parent activist and founder of San Antonio Charter Moms. view article

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Republican agitator who has called President Donald Trump a child rapist and posts risque images of women on social media advanced to a runoff in Tuesday’s primary for a seat on the influential Texas State Board of Education.  Robert Morrow has long been a thorn for Texas Republicans. He’ll face either Lani Popp, a San Antonio area public school speech pathologist, or Inga Cotton, who heads a nonprofit that supports families choosing charter schools, in the May runoff for the central Texas district. view article

Marsha Burnett-Webster is poised to win the Democratic nomination for the State Board of Education District 10 seat, which represents an area that includes the northern half of Travis County as well as Williamson County.  With 120,000 votes counted by early Wednesday morning, Burnett-Webster, a retired educator and college administrator, had 84% of votes. Her opponent Stephen Wyman, a school bus driver from Georgetown, had 16% of votes. view article

Robert Morrow, who has been a thorn in the side of the GOP, has clinched a spot in the May 26 Republican primary runoff for the State Board of Education District 5 seat, which represents an area spanning Austin to San Antonio, according to the Associated Press. With about 126,500 votes counted by early Wednesday morning, Morrow, an anti-Trump provocateur who often posts photos of women’s breasts on social media, had 40% of votes in the Republican primary. He will likely face Lani Popp, a public school speech pathologist who had 34% of votes, in the Republican primary runoff. Inga Cotton, executive director of San Antonio Charter Moms, a nonprofit that provides resources to families about charter schools, had 26% of votes.  Chairman of the Travis County GOP Matt Mackowiak bristled at Morrow’s lead. view article

Eight seats are in play for the 15-member State Board of Education, which decides what Texas children are taught. Democrats hope to pick up seats in November, but for now, both parties just want to see Robert Morrow lose his GOP primary. view article

The Texas State Board of Education, a perennial hotbed of right-wing ideology and clownery, could see a major political shift this election cycle, with four Republicans departing and four incumbents facing challenges. Marked by its divisive and downright embarrassing debates over evolution, history, and ethnic studies, the 15-member SBOE – when not mired in debating whether Moses was a Founding Father or if slavery maybe didn't spark the Civil War – is in charge of managing the $44 billion Perma­nent School Fund, approving charter schools, and adopting curricula and textbooks for the state's 5.4 million public school students. (And because Texas is so big, those decisions can cause ripples throughout the nation's educational materials markets.) This year, the board is set to debate the health curriculum, which includes sex education, and biology, which includes evolution and climate change; the members elected in November will decide how Texas textbooks address these politically charged topics. view article

The Texas State Board of Education, a perennial hotbed of right-wing ideology and clownery, could see a major political shift this election cycle, with four Republicans departing and four incumbents facing challenges.  Marked by its divisive and downright embarrassing debates over evolution, history, and ethnic studies, the 15-member SBOE – when not mired in debating whether Moses was a Founding Father or if slavery maybe didn't spark the Civil War – is in charge of managing the $44 billion Perma­nent School Fund, approving charter schools, and adopting curricula and textbooks for the state's 5.4 million public school students. (And because Texas is so big, those decisions can cause ripples throughout the nation's educational materials markets.) This year, the board is set to debate the health curriculum – which includes sex education – and biology, which includes evolution and climate change; the members elected in November will decide how Texas textbooks address these politically charged topics. view article

Come out and join me, Trustee Maxie Johnson and Trustee Justin Henry at the 2020 African American Read-in, Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Kimball High School. This  year’s theme is “Strong Roots: Amazing Achievements.” Each student will receive a free bag of books to build their home library. School bus transportation will be provided for elementary school students.  The read-in, always a wonderful way to mark Black History Month is being hosted by the Dallas ISD Racial Equity Office. view article

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas is on track to become the fifth state in the U.S. to approve a state-level African American Studies for high school, according to the Texas Education Agency.  In January, the State Board of Education approved the course through a preliminary vote.  “I’m proud of what this board has done for ethnic studies both in the past for Mexican American Studies and what we are currently doing for African American Studies,” said SBOE Chair Keven Ellis. view article

SBOE:  Three well-qualified Democratic candidates are vying to replace Chair Donna Bahorich,R-Houston, who is not seeking re-election. They are Debra Kerner, a speech and language pathologist; Kimberly McLeod, an assistant superintendent at the Harris County Department of Education; and Michelle Palmer, a social studies teacher. About 1.8 million Texans live in District 6, which stretches from Tomball to the north to Bellaire to the south. The good news for Texas voters is that all three Democratic candidates are qualified. Each brings to the table considerable experience in education. view article

Beaumont ISD is one step closer to adopting new textbooks for high school English and English as a second language classes after giving teachers a chance to meet with potential vendors at an event Tuesday.  “We do this every time there is a new adoption,” BISD’s Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jenny Angelo told The Enterprise. “This is for one called proclamation 2020, which mostly involves high school English language arts and reading, AP literature and composition, journalism and some of our English language learner texts in the other room.” view article

Texas may change how your child understands biology when taught in a public high school classroom. The Texas' Board of Education tentatively approved changes to portions of the states Biology curriculum. Instead of asking Texas public school students to “evaluate” scientific explanations for the origins of DNA and the complexity of certain cells, the state will now ask that the students "examine" the scientific explanations for the origins of DNA and complexity of certain cells. In the past, some educators have argued that the word "evaluate" encouraged students to challenge the scientific theory of evolution and opened the door to teaching creationism. view article

The Georgetown Board of Trustees has hired Fred Brent as the district's newest superintendent. view article