Valley lawmaker calls for abolishing state education board
McALLEN — State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa announced Tuesday he plans for file a bill next legislative session to abolish the State Board of Education.
Citing recent media reports about the board’s decisions on updates to the state’s curriculum standards for social studies, Hinojosa accused the board in a written statement of “shaping an extreme, if not myopic, view of social studies material to be used in Texas schools.”
“For years, a faction within the SBOE has moved farther to the fringes, determined to wage a type of cultural war,” Hinojosa says in the statement. “Their methods consist of manipulating public school curriculums by controlling what is taught based on personal ideological agendas. The SBOE lacks a coherent mission aside from promoting a radical cultural view at the expense of public school children.”
The board’s 10-5 vote earlier this month on updates to state curriculum standards received national attention because of the heated debates that preceded it and because of some of the panel’s suggestions.
The proposed changes — a final vote is expected to be taken in May — include emphasizing the role Christianity played in shaping the United States while limiting references to the nation’s cultural and religious diversity. A majority of the board’s members also struck down attempts to include more women and minority historical figures in curricula.
While the nation’s third president, Thomas Jefferson, will continue to be included in various curricula throughout different grades, some board members and historians took issue with the board’s decision to remove Jefferson from a list of historical figures who influenced political change.
In a telephone interview Tuesday, Hinojosa said he has been concerned about the board’s actions over the past several years, particularly how the board has handled the permanent school fund and determined curriculum standards.
“The board does not seem to be very functional,” he said.
This is the first time Hinojosa has decided to introduce legislation calling for the board’s dissolution.
“Our responsibility in the Legislature, at least, is to take a look (and) hold some hearings on it,” he said.
One option is to give the Texas Education Agency more authority in overseeing much of what the board has been doing, including establishing curriculum standards.
“The TEA has the expertise, resources and experience to handle the responsibilities the state board already has,” Hinojosa said.
The lawmaker said he has received calls from constituents upset about the board’s latest decision on social studies curriculum standards.
“The reality is, this should not be a partisan issue,” he said.
Mary Helen Berlanga, the board’s longest-serving member and representative of an area that includes parts of the Rio Grande Valley, said abolishing the board is an option, but she would like to see how new members slated to replace outgoing members of the board will fare first.
Incumbent board members Don McLeroy and Geraldine Miller were defeated in Republican primaries earlier this month by two moderate candidates. Since there is no Democratic contender, Thomas Ratliff and George Clayton will take office in January. Board member Cynthia Dunbar did not seek re-election.
“The people have spoken,” Berlanga said.
Berlanga said the new board members will change the dynamics of the panel, which for years has had a strong majority of social conservatives.
“There are options out there,” she said. “We need to respect that (voters electing new board members) first.”
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Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.
