Rep. Alonzo Joins Growing List Expressing Concerns About How Latinos & Other Minority Issues Ignored -- Urges Others to Write
AUSTIN TX - Texas State Representative Roberto R. Alonzo today continued to urge others to write the State Board of Education (SBOE) and express their views on how Latinos and other minority issues are being ignored in the social studies curriculum package to be adopted by the SBOE in less than 2 weeks on Friday May 21 2010.
The curriculum plan that the SBOE will be voting on that date will set the stage as to the required textbooks workbooks and any other supplemental curricular materials Texas students will have to use in classrooms until the next adoption cycle comes around which is normally every 10 years.
Rep. Alonzo has joined a growing list of educators history experts academicians researchers college and university professors and other lawmakers - both within and outside the state of Texas - who have banned together to express concerns over the latest social studies curriculum that the State Board of Education (SBOE) is proposing to adopt for Texas schools. However between now and then anyone can still submit input to the SBOE on the proposed vote in any number of ways.
1. Input can be sent to the SOBE by visiting the following website:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/home/sboeprop.html and submitting your input online;
2. If you want to testify in person you can access the following form at:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/sboe/forms/registration_form_public_testimony_012109.pdf
and complete it indicating whether you want to provide public testimony; the form includes either a telephone or fax number where you can indicate what type of testimony you wish to submit;
3. You can also call by telephone at (512) 463-9734 or by Fax at (512) 463-9838 and submit or record your testimony on public record.
Rep. Alonzo has written the SBOE twice in the last year on this very issue; once last summer (July 17 2009) when the Board first started discussing the preliminary proposal and the second time earlier this month (April 1 2010) when the Board took its first preliminary vote. Copies of both letters are attached to this press release for your easy access and perusal just in case you want some ideas as to what to include in your testimonial.
Rep. Alonzo writes in part in his April 2010 letter to the SBOE that he would encourage them to make sure that they adopt the most balanced and well-rounded curriculum that will best and most effectively address the needs of all Texas students including Latinos our fastest growing segment of the population.
