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.