Ewing cites SBOE ‘sidestep’

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Ewing cites SBOE ‘sidestep’

By Laura Ewing
Posted Monday, August 11, 2008

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To The Editor:

Once again, members of the State Board of Education (SBOE) sidestepped appropriate and rational guidelines during their July 17-18, 2008, meeting in Austin. In doing so, they are setting our children up for failure and putting our neighborhood schools at risk.

On July 16, the Texas House Public Education Committee heard more than five hours of testimony from educational professionals, several SBOE members, and concerned citizens, most of whom addressed the lack of a fair and democratic process in approving the English Language Arts and Reading curriculum standards, or TEKS. Instead of listening to professional educators who developed a strong set of objectives (TEKS) for reading, writing, speaking, and listening, board members rejected the work of experts in favor of passing a “cut and paste” document of their own.

Two state board members, David Bradley and Ken Mercer, even bragged to the press that they had “spanked” the teachers. Mr. Bradley himself has called teaching thinking skills “gobbledygook.”

The teachers were belittled and insulted as the steamroller process produced a flawed document, which now must be used by Texas teachers and children for the next ten years.

As an educator with 34 years’ experience, I know how hurtful and disrespectful that is for our classroom teachers who are working so hard to help their students succeed.

Several members of the House Public Education Committee questioned the actions of the SBOE members in voting to accept a flawed set of ELAR standards that was created using such a flagrantly unfair and expensive process.

The current board is just as disrespectful of the Legislature as it is of educators. During hearings before both the House committee and a separate state board committee, Representative Scott Hochberg reminded board members that the Legislature intended that they oversee the creation of specific standards to guide local school districts that teach classes about the Bible. The state board does that for other courses, including even classes in aerobics and fruit, nut and vegetable production. Why shouldn't a class on something as important as the Bible get the same respect?
A majority of state board members voted to ignore the Legislature's instructions anyway. They instead adopted general guidelines that leave the state's more than 1,000 school districts without the help they need to create good classes that respect the Bible and keep them out of court. That's absolutely irresponsible.

The State Board of Education needs to follow democratic and legislatively mandated processes. They also need to stand up for our local school districts and teachers, not insult and then abandon them. Too many state board members have simply ignored all of our educational stakeholders far too long.

Submitted by Laura Ewing, candidate for SBOE, District 7
Friendswood, TX

(District 7 includes all or part of Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Harris and Jefferson counties)