Texas State Board of Education Needs Your Help: Vote Comes Today!

Protect the elected Texas State Board of Education (SBOE): Vote Comes Today!

With only a few days left in the 2011 Texas Legislative session, there’s one opportunity left for you to call elected officials and protect the State Board of Education and the value of accountability in government. Currently, the elected SBOE has no authority to remove textbooks/instructional materials that are placed on the  “commissioners list” and no authority to remove “open source” electronic textbooks/instructional materials that are “self-certified” by certain university and faculty members and placed on a list to enter public school classrooms, new concepts started in 2009. In conference committee, we need the conference committee members to keep all “publishers” accountable by ensuring the SBOE can remove textbooks/instructional materials  on the “commissioner’s list”, and the “open source” list and prevent national curriculum standards.  This power to remove is consistent with the current authority the elected SBOE has over regular hard-copy textbooks.  Ability to “review and comment” is NOT sufficient.

Tell Conference Committee members that you support including the following language in HB 6:

(1)    Elected SBOE authority to remove textbooks/instructional materials?from the commissioner’s list, within 90 days after placement on list (Eissler/Hancock amendment, already adopted by House)

(2)    Elected SBOE authority to remove “open source” materials and/or?electronic textbooks from any list, within 90 days of submission (Supported by Senate majority, opposed by Senate Democrats)

(3)    Rejection of national curriculum standards being used in Texas schools. (Supported by Senate majority, opposed by Senate Democrats)

Make your call today -this weekend.  Texas House & Senate will be working on Saturday (today) and Sunday! Please call the following conference committee members:

Texas House:

Rep. Rob Eissler (R-The Woodlands)  (512) 463-0797
Rep. Dan Hub erty (R-Kingwood)       (512) 463-0520
Rep. Dan Branch  (R-Dallas)         (512) 463-0367

Texas Senate:

Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano)  (512) 463-0108
Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) (512) 463-0112
Sen. John Carona (R-Dallas)  (512) 463-0116