Grading Texas

Well, it looks like it’s time to educate ourselves on another State Board of Education winner who seemingly came out of nowhere. Actually, this one came out of yesterday’s Republican Election Day drubbing. Carlos “Charlie” Garza of El Paso unseated longtime Democratic board member Rene Nunez, who was backed by TSTA, in District 1.

Our first question, of course, is, “Will this new guy help restore some educational respectability to the board or will he dive into the rightwing antics that have made the board the darling of latenight comedy writers?”

Leno, Letterman, Colbert et al may have a new source of SBOE material.

Garza, a former migrant worker and Navy veteran, ran as a “professional educator.” He is an assistant principal in the Clint ISD, a former teacher in the Socorro ISD and former director of student leadership and campus life at El Paso Community College.

But he was endorsed by “Texans for Better Science Education,” a group with a misleading name that actually is intent on undermining the teaching of evolution in the public schools. It also has supported members of the board’s rightwing bloc and called the Senate’s rejection last year of extremist chairman Don McLeroy a “dark day for Texas.”

Two of Garza’s biggest contributors ($5,000 apiece) were businessman Michael Boylan of Houston and Houston homebuilder Bob Perry. Boylan has contributed to other extremist members of the SBOE. Perry, who is more interested in closing courthouses to consumers than drafting curriculum standards, is, nevertheless, a goto money guy for conservative Republicans.

In other SBOE races, rightwinger Ken Mercer of San Antonio handily beat back a Democratic challenge from educator Rebecca BellMetereau, and former educator Marsha Farney, a Republican from Georgetown, defeated education consultant Judy Jennings for the open seat vacated by Cynthia Dunbar, a leader of the SBOE’s rightwing.

We can be optimistic that Farney won’t be as much of an extremist as Dunbar, even if that were possible, but Farney did entertain flatearthers at a Tea Party rally on July 4th by denouncing what she called “Americabashing Democrats.”

Educator George Clayton, another new member who unseated longtime incumbent Geraldine Miller of Dallas in last spring’s Republican primary, is still something of a mystery.

One of the brightest prospects for the restoration of political sanity on the board is Republican Thomas Ratliff, who, with TSTA’s support, unseated McLeroy for the GOP nomination last spring. The son of wellrespected, former state Sen. Bill Ratliff, he handily defeated two minor party opponents on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Ratliff announced that he will host his first “telephone town hall” meeting for educators, school board members and residents in his SBOE District 9. Imagine that. Here is an SBOE memberelect who actually wants to hear what educators have to say about education.

The call is set for 10 a.m. on Nov. 10 (next Wednesday), which isn’t the best time for classroom teachers. But if your schedule allows and you want to participate, call 3238430075 and, when prompted, enter 673463. If you want to submit questions, email them to Thomas@thomasratliff.com either before or during the call. The identity of those submitting questions will not be shared with other callers.

Republicans will gain at least 60 seats in the U.S. House, the largest number of House pickups since Democrats picked up 75 seats in 1948, CNN is now predicting. That could include as many as three from Texas Chet Edwards of Waco, who has lost, and Ciro Rodriguez of San Antonio and Solomon Ortiz of Corpus Christi, who were trailing in incomplete returns.

Democrats continued their fight to hang on to a Senate majority. CNN predicted, based on exit polls, that Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid will defeat Republican challenger Sharron Angle to keep his seat in Nevada.

Meanwhile, to add insult to injury, a Republican, Mark Kirk, was expected to win, when all votes were counted, the Illinois Senate seat once held by President Obama.

CNN is projecting 72yearold Democrat Jerry Brown to win back the California governor’s office he held from 19741982. The “Comeback Kid” has a 5point lead over Republican nominee Meg Whitman in early returns.

Jerry undoubtedly enjoyed his old job. I may be wrong, but I seem to recall that he dated Linda Ronstadt back then, or maybe it was another singer. Anyway, if CNN is correct, it looks like he his back. Gov. Arnold, a Republican, will be handing over the reins of the largest and perpetually challenged state to a Democrat.

CNN also is projecting that Democratic U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California will survive a challenge from Republican (and failed CEO) Carly Fiorina.

Probably the closest race out there tonight involves my state representative, TSTAbacked Donna Howard of Austin. According to final but unofficial returns from the secretary of state, she beat her Republican challenger, Dan Neil, by 15 (that is fifteen) votes out of more than 51,000 cast. That was 24,997 votes for Howard to 24,982 for Neil. A Libertarian got 1,517.
Neil, of course, may ask for a recount if this result holds up.

Howard was one of 22 incumbent Democrats in the Texas House listed as endangered by Quorum Report. Some have lost, and others are losing, although final votes haven’t been tallied yet.

The other 21 are Stephen Frost, Mark Homer, Jim McReynolds, Abel Herrero, Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles, Diana Maldonado, Joe Heflin, Kirk England, Allen Vaught, Kristi Thibaut, Solomon Ortiz Jr., Paula Pierson, Chris Turner, Robert Miklos, Liebowitz, Ellen Cohen, Hubert Vo, Jim Dunnam, Joe Moody, Carol Kent and Patrick Rose.

Some, but not many, were close enough to pull out a win. If all go down, the Republicans will be very close to a 100 vote supermajority in the 150member House.