By Bill Ames
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas School choice has created an escape from failing public schools in those states where it has been implemented. Students performance has improved and they enter college or the workforce as 
better educated members of society. Texas however is not one of the many states that offer parents some form of school choice.
On February 9th I attended noted economist Arthur Laffers presentation as part of the SMU Cox School of Business Lecture Series. Dr. Laffers presentation equated the value of parental school choice with economic growth in Texass future.
Texas lack of offering parents some form of school choice was somewhat puzzling to Dr. Laffer (left) since his experience as a long-time California resident has convinced him that Texas is far ahead of 
the Golden State in other areas of public education.
Dr. Laffer with the strong support of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) presented a convincing argument for vouchers to his audience.
Vouchers are a good idea. Vouchers eliminate the stranglehold monopoly that public schools enjoy. Later in this article I urge support for Senator Donna Campbells Senate Bill 276 that helps students to escape public schools and enroll in private schools.
But I believe that vouchers are not the total answer. Texas has nearly 5.2 million students attending public schools. There is no way that in the foreseeable future are there enough private school slots to accommodate more than a small percentage of those 5.2 million.
Texas needs to also provide a better education to those students left behind.
My primary interest relates to public school curriculum. I have been involved in state and local curriculum issues beginning in 2001.
During this time my observation is that the leftist educators who dominate Texas education establishment continually introduce new attempts to indoctrinate our kids. For instance to name just a few:
- Biased Textbooks
- Corrupted Curriculum Standards Proposals (my book Texas Trounces the Lefts War on History tells that story)
- the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) unproven visions
- C-SCOPE
- the anti-American Advanced Placement (AP) history course
- the Project Based Learning (PBL) precursor to Common Core and
- Outside influences such as the revised SAT and ACT testing programs
All of these are welcomed by leftist educators who are driven to implement an overall trend away from student knowledge and towards social engineering.
The left never gives up. If or when one of their revolutionary" approaches is defeated or slowed down a new program simply pops up in a different place.
Unfortunately the lefts strategy has forced Texas conservative education activists to constantly play defense over the years using whack-a-mole tactics in their attempts to stop each new approach as it surfaces.
It is time to go on offense.
Each year the blue" education establishment in Texas graduates some 300000 young people into Texas conservative red" society.
If we allow leftist educators to continue to indoctrinate our kids they will destroy Texas conservative ideology. It absolutely makes no sense for taxpayers to fund such an obvious attack on our values.
To address this the 84th legislature should consider overarching curriculum reform legislation to ensure that each school district is teaching a curriculum consistent with TEC 28.002(h) ... … A primary purpose of the public school curriculum is to prepare thoughtful active citizens who understand the importance of patriotism and can function productively in a free enterprise society with appreciation for the basic democratic values of our state and national heritage.Such legislation should include:
School district certification of TEKS compliant curriculum- State funding penalties for non-compliance
- State Board of Education (SBOE) certification of all curriculum and curriculum support materials
number to oppose.
This list will helpful in sorting out the key education bills for the 84th session.
The list follows. Thanks to my friend Barbara Harless for providing the formatting and clip art enhancements.
Key Public Education Bills in the 84th Legislature
Bill Content Description: State contractors (incl. school district contractors) must participate in E-Verify program.
Bill Number: HB 88
Author: James White (R)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Contain employment of illegals. ************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Course in U. S. Constitution in curriculum requirements for public school students
Bill Number: HB 135
Author: Dan Flynn
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Counters trend towards progressive curriculum in Texas public schools. ************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Posting of 10 Commandments in public school classrooms
Bill Number: HB 138
Author: Dan Flynn (R)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Counters trend towards progressive curriculum in Texas public schools. ************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Prohibits abortion providers from teaching sex education in Texas public schools
Bill Number: HB 205
Author: Jeff Leach (R)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Prevents Planned Parenthood from using public schools as a platform to promote its products and abortion services. ************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Free health services and public education not allowed for illegals
Bill Number: HB 306
Author: James White (R)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Contain illegal immigration. ********************************************************************** Bill Content Description: School district or campus that has been assigned an unacceptable rating cannot receive a waiver or exemption for its performance.
Bill Number: HB 340
Author: Harold Dutton (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Requires school district to focus on improvement rather than release from unacceptable performance. ****************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Access for home schoolers to UIL activities
Bill Number: HB 347
Author: Harold Dutton (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Home school families pay school taxes should be allowed to participate. ***************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: SBOE approval required for all Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in public high schools
Bill Number: HB 374
Author: Ron Simmons (R)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Ensure Texas values on curriculum created outside of Texas. ***************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Parental School hoice
Bill Number: SB 276
Author: Donna Campbell (R)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Breaks government school monopoly. **************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Allows professionals to teach in public schools without a teaching certificate
Bill Number: HB 810
Author: James White (R)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Improves subject matter knowledge in teaching profession. ***************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Requires passing civics test for graduation
Bill Number: HB 829
Author: Bill Zedler (R)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Upgrades serious deficiency in civics knowledge among high school/college youth. ***************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Increase homestead exemption for 65 and disabled
Bill Number: HJR 30 Constitutional Amendment
Author: Armando Martinez (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Support Justification: Property tax reduction. ***************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Sets minimum starting salary for professional employees of Texas public schools
Bill Number: HB 47
Author: Armando Martinez (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Oppose Justification: Minimum wage" legislation for education professionals. ****************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Relates to suspension/termination of school district employees
Bill Number: HB 54 / HB 57
Author: Mary Gonzales (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Oppose Justification: Overly complicates suspension/termination of employees. *************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Provide free pre-kindergarten
Bill Number: HB 186 / SB 72
Author: Senfronia Thompson (D)/Rodney Ellis (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Oppose Justification: Selective Expensive unproven. ************************************************************************* Bill Content Description: Locally determined assessments substitute for state tests
Bill Number: HB 406 / HB 407
Author: Mary Gonzales (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Oppose Justification: Create chaos across already anti-measurement school districts. ***************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Creates non-partisan State Board of Education (SBOE)
Bill Number: HB 429
Author: Donna Howard (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Oppose Justification: Public Education curriculum IS political. Voters need to know the ideology of SBOE candidates. **************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Prohibits teacher rewards based on state-required assessments
Bill Number: HB 513
Author: Joe Moody (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Oppose Justification: Prohibits teacher pay-for-performance. **************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Bans corporal punishment in public schools
Bill Number: HB 567
Author: Alma Allen (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Oppose Justification: Further erodes discipline in public schools. ************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Voter education for high school seniors
Bill Number: HB 587 / SB 141
Author: Ana Hernandez Luna (D)/Sylvia Garcia (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Oppose Justification: Includes voter registration. Much opportunity for chicanery bias. Remember ACORN? ************************************************************************* Bill Content Description: Places State Board of Education (SBOE) under review by Sunset Advisory Commission
Bill Number: SB 74
Author: Rodney Ellis (D)
NTCL Recommendation: Oppose Justification: Texas requires SBOE to ensure good curriculum. *************************************************************************** Bill Content Description: Require SBOE to review modify TEKS standards
Bill Number: SB 313
Author: Kel Seliger (R)
NTCL Recommendation: Oppose Justification: Given relative curriculum anarchy at school district level the last thing we need to do is attack the SBOE standards.
Bill Ames is an education activist who lives in Dallas. His book TEXAS TROUNCES THE LEFTS WAR ON HISTORY" (WNAenterprises.com) tells the story of his experience in developing Texas U. S. history standard in 2009-2010. He reviewed CSCOPE lessons as part of the State Board of Educations Ad Hoc Committee Project. His work in his local school district resulted in Board reviews of both its social studies curriculum and project based learning implementation as well as securing a superintendent commitment to modify the AP history course to be Texas standards (TEKS) compliant. He welcomes reader comments at billames@prodigy.net
