FREEDOM WATCH

Silencing The Public Voice

By BOB WARD

Editor of the Texas Journal

   For the the second session in a row legislation has been in-

troduced to diminish the influence of voters, taxpayers and

parents

in education policy at the state level. SB 1707 by Sen. Rodney

Ellis (D-Houston) transforms the elected State Board of Education

into an appointed body whose members would be appointed by the

governor with Senate confirmation. 

   On the House side Rep. Irma Rangel (D-Kingsville) offers HB

1232 which is more complicated but just as hostile to the public.

It provides for the governor to appoint ten of the 15 board

members. Five of his appointees must be from a list of 15 names

prepared by the speaker of the House.  The remaining five board

members would be appointed by the lieutenant governor from a list

compiled by members of the Senate. The governor's choices would

be subject to Senate confirmation.  The bill extends the terms of

board members to six years from the current four years.  

   The governor also names the chairman of the SBOE who serves at

his pleasure -- which means the governor could remove him if he

doesn't do what the governor says.  

   The elitist, anti-parent posture of educators is among the

reasons public discontent with government schools is high.  For

several years, Texas parents have been voting with their feet

causing enormous growth in private education and home schooling.

More recently we have seen the emergence of charter schools --

which are technically public schools but subject to only minimal

state control -- and increasing pressure for more parental choice

by vouchers redeemable at private and religious schools. 

    But they have also voted with their ballots and conservatives

have been elected to the SBOE.  These newly elected conservatives

have vocally represented the parents and taxpayers in their

districts and, consequently, have been a raspberry seed in the

molar of the bureaucrats, union bosses and social engineers who

want to run the schools to suit themselves and no any lip from

the riff-raff.  

   Last session Rep. Allen Place proposed a constitutional amend-

ment to abolish the SBOE.  Place said the board did too much

"bickering," (because the conservatives didn't simply roll over

for the liberals) and so "our proposal is to do away with them." 

    Bob Bullock, Lieutenant governor at the time, was less

diplomatic.  He complained that the voters had elected too many

conservatives so he wanted to "kick this bunch out and start over

again."

   Texas had an appointed board for a brief period on the

recommendation of Ross Perot who headed up a reform commission in

1984. The howl from the public forced legislators to restor the

election of board members the very next session.  Perhaps a

preemptive public howl will stop them from taking away the only

educational agency at the state level where citizens have any

voice.