This Weeks SBOE Agenda November 18-19 2010

By Barbara Cargill State Board of Education District 8 Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Have you been wondering how YOU can serve the children of our state & make a huge impact on improving their education?  As the holidays approach I want to wish you & your families a blessed season filled with time together laughter & relaxation.  We as a country and state have much for which to be thankful!      ACTION ITEMS: Please consider serving on one of the following Curriculum Review Committees.  E-mail me at sboecargill@sbcglobal.net and I will send you the link to the simple online application form.  Science:  The online supplemental material for Biology Physics Chemistry and IPC (Integrated Physics and Chemistry) will be reviewed.  This material will cover the fantastic new science curriculum standards that were adopted by the SBOE last year. Math:  K-12 math curriculum standards will be revised. Committees include K-2 Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8 Algebra I and II Geometry Precalculus Math Models and other high school math courses. Fine Arts: The curriculum standards for grades K-12 art music theatre and dance are also scheduled for revision. We need parents educators business and industry representatives and employers to serve on these committees.  Here is some information about volunteering for this important task.

1. Review committees will convene in Austin to review the standards for the assigned subject area and make recommendations for revisions to the State Board of Education.
2. Committee members will be asked to meet a minimum of three times over the course of several months and may be reconvened for additional meetings at the direction of the SBOE and based on the scope of the work to be done.
3. Committee members will be reimbursed for travel meals and lodging for meetings held in Austin.

Time and time again over the past six years I have called upon you to help serve our schoolchildren.  You have answered the call with dedication and passion.  Please do so again by e-mailing me at sboecargill@sbcglobal.net. UPDATES ON SBOE ISSUES:

• Please take a minute and watch this informative video that Liberty Institute released. The link is listed below. Click on the You Tube play arrow.  I want to thank Liberty Institute for giving an accurate account of what occurred during the history standards revision and for showing the importance of the role of your elected State Board of Education. 
• After lengthy debate the Board passed the Balanced Treatment of Religious Groups in Textbooks Resolution.  During my travels within my 24-county district the last few months many of you were very interested in this issue and wanted to learn more about it.  I have pasted the link to the resolution itself below. 

Once there click on the word resolution." When the resolution was brought to the SBOE by a public citizen in July I wanted to review current World History textbooks being used in Texas classrooms to see if bias did exist. Unfortunately it was not difficult to find.  Religious groups are not treated the same.  I will give you a just a couple of examples. In one World History book there is an entire chapter entitled The Muslim World."  It covers the rise of Islam the benefits and practices of Islam and it gives a step by step list about how to become a Muslim and how to convert to Islam.  Other religious groups such as Christianity Buddhism Hinduism Judaism etc. are given far less coverage in various chapters in the book.  Another current textbook lists the word Islam 24 times in its table of contents.  Judaism and Christianity are not listed at all.  They are covered on very few pages in the book.  The Resolution is non-binding but it sends a message to publishers that the Board wants major world religions covered in a fair and equitable manner.  The last part of the resolution makes this clear by stating RESOLVED That the SBOE will look to reject future prejudicial Social Studies submissions that continue to offend Texas law with respect to treatment of the worlds major religious groups by significant inequalities of coverage space-wise and/or by demonizing or lionizing one or more of them over others as in the above-cited instances."

• If you have not looked over the excellent revised history standards please do so.  It is very enlightening to actually look at what our students (grades K-12) will learn in social studies classes starting in the 2011-2012 school year.  The helpful color-coded version is posted at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=3643. You will also be able to review the list of historical figures.

ON THE NOVEMBER SBOE MEETING AGENDA: Here is a description of a few items that are on the agenda for our meeting November 18-19. To see a complete copy go to the Texas Education Agency website.  The agenda is posted under State Board of Education" (on the left).  After that screen appears click on Current Agenda."  There are also links to meeting minutes web casts and SBOE member information.  (The comments in dark italics are mine.)

• Discussion of Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications:  This item provides the opportunity for the Board to discuss proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications Subchapter A Elementary Subchapter B Middle School and Subchapter C High School. (Thank you to the members of the Technology Applications work groups.  These volunteers have worked diligently on revisions to update our states technology classes.)
• Discussion of Proposed Cycle for the Adoption of Instructional Materials:  The Texas Education Code (TEC) Chapter 31 requires the SBOE to adopt a review and adoption cycle for textbooks. At the conclusion of the 80th Texas legislative session it was requested that the Texas Education Agency explore options to reduce the purchase cost of adopted instructional materials. This item will provide the board an opportunity to discuss the review and adoption cycle in light of the budgetary constraints that are projected for the 82nd Texas legislative session. (The state was scheduled to purchase textbooks for English Language Arts (Grades 2-12) Spanish Language Arts (Grades 2-6) English as a Second Language (Grades K-8) Handwriting (Grades 1-3) Spelling (Grades 1-6) and Supplemental Science materials (Grades 9-12). Through its prudent oversight of the Permanent School Fund the SBOE sends plenty of money to the Legislature to cover the cost of new textbooks.  Now the Legislature must appropriate the money back to the TEA so that textbooks may be purchased.  When the Texas Legislature meets in January 2011 we must make it clear that we want them to prioritize the funding to pay for these new textbooks!)
• Decision on the Percentage Distribution of the Permanent School Fund: This item provides an opportunity for the committee and board to evaluate and determine the percentage distribution of the Permanent School Fund for the fiscal years beginning September 1 2011 and September 1 2012.  (In September the Board voted to provide about $2.6 billion to the state from funds generated by the Permanent School Fund.  Now it will be up to the Legislature to appropriate that money and I will work diligently to make sure that it is used for needed instructional materials for our students.) 

The November meeting will be the last one for my fellow Board members Don McLeroy & Cynthia Dunbar.  It has been a privilege to serve with people of such integrity who worked tirelessly to improve education in our state.  I am thankful for them and for their service on the Board.