You can’t’ make this stuff up. Governor Greg Abbott selected a homeschooling mom to chair the State Board of Education in Texas.
The Texas Freedom Network, a watchdog group, warned that Bahorich would “put culture war agendas ahead of educating more than 5 million Texas kids.”
“If Gov. Abbott wanted to demonstrate that he won’t continue his predecessor’s efforts to politicize and undermine our state’s public schools, this appointment falls far short,” Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller said in a statement. “The governor has appointed as board chair an ideologue who voted to adopt new textbooks that scholars sharply criticized as distorting American history, who rejected public education for her own family and who supports shifting tax dollars from neighborhood public schools to private and religious schools through vouchers.”
Even Republican State Board member Thomas Ratliff called the move a mistake.
“Public school isn’t for everybody, but when 94 percent of our students in Texas attend public schools I think it ought to be a baseline requirement that the chair of the State Board of Education have at least some experience in that realm, as a parent, teacher, something,” Ratliff argued.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It figures. Chris Hedges was just on LinkTV and talked about the dangers inherent when verifiable truths are supplanted by lies, misinformation etc.
He stated in no uncertain terms that which we all know, that corporations are not trying to raise educational standards. They see that money, money, money.
A non educator as head of education makes it easy to circumvent “truth” and present unverifiable facts to promote their agenda.
If you ever have a chance to listen to him I would strongly urge you to do so. He has written several books, been around the world in the “hot spots” and knows what he is talking about.
AMEN, Gordon.
“A non educator as head of education makes it easy to circumvent “truth” and present unverifiable facts to promote their agenda.”
I have had enough of what public schools are calling the “truth”. The public education racket has become a useful tool for central planners and cultural Marxists to inject their misinformation and agenda into American culture. It’s time to take it back.
Are you saying that publically funded charter schools are Leninist-Marxist-Stalinist-Maoist commie commies??
Take it back to what?
It is the “truth” that “public schools CANNOT CALL for anything”. A school is an inanimate object with no thinking/speaking capabilities.
Is that “true enough” for you Chris W???
I feel sorry for Texas. Our current Superintendent of Public Instruction in Utah is also an outsider to the teaching profession. He is a lawyer who ran for a local district school board, succeeded in disenfranchising the local teachers association, and rose to local district superintendent before catching the fancy of our state school board. The school board is stacked with traditional school critics through a process mandated by our conservative legislators and was recently ruled unconstitutional.
Utah Superintendent Brad Smith is already infamous for his gaffes. He called Utah teachers whiny cry babies when they sought funding greater than what was finally approved. He also said we can improve our schools without more funding–he sees no problem with being 51st among all the states in per-pupil funding. Some advocate.
Hey John! Welcome from another Utahn! I agree that our board and superintendent stink, and I wish I knew what we could do to get some support from someone. I’m hoping that if Brad Smith keeps sticking his foot in his mouth, that they’ll realize what a liability he is and get rid of him. Senator Howard Stephenson has also GOT to go.
Wouldn’t want experience, knowledge and wisdom to interfere with her new position . . .
http://democracy.com/Donna4Texas/bio.aspx
(Begin biography)
As the District 6 State Board of Education (SBOE) member, Donna Bahorich brings experience in business, education and legislation to the position.
Donna took office on January, 2013. She serves as chair of the Committee on School Initiatives, which oversees agenda items related to charter schools, State Board for Educator Certification rules, long range plans for K12 education and education technology, and the appointment of school board members for those districts located on military bases. Donna was appointed by the chair of the SBOE last June to be the board liaison coordinating with the education commissioner on all charter approvals.
Background and Experience:
After graduating from Virginia Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in financial management, Donna went to work in the telecommunications industry. She was first employed by the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company, under the AT&T umbrella, and later transferred to Mountain Bell. During her time at Bell, she handled multi-million dollar contracts and earned recognition as one of the top five district manager candidates. Donna left Mountain Bell to raise a family with her husband Mike in 1985.
In 1990, Donna earned a Master of Arts degree in counseling from Liberty University.
In 2005, Donna became the campaign manager for Dan Patrick during his first run for a state senate seat. She subsequently worked as the campaign treasurer and communications director for Sen. Patrick. In her work as the legislative district director for the senator, she gained valuable experience and knowledge in meeting the needs of constituents. Donna was named the Senate District 7 Volunteer of the Year in 2007. She also served as the 2010 Harris County Republican Primary Director, assigning polling locations and assembling election personnel for 885 precincts for primary and runoff elections.
An active community volunteer, Donna served as a member of the West Houston P-16 Council; graduated from the Leadership Houston program, served as president of the Daughters of Liberty Republican Women; and is a member of the pastor’s council at the Vineyard Church of Houston.
Donna and Mike Bahorich have been married for 32 years and have three sons and three granddaughters.
Donna’s Priorities on the SBOE:
Donna is committed to developing advanced, real-world core and career and technical education courses that will lead to career exposure and strong opportunities for students after high school. As the chair of the Committee on School Initiatives and the board liaison, Donna is passionate about approving quality, effective public charter schools that will successfully prepare the most disadvantaged children.
As the District 6 representative, Donna Bahorich represents most of the western half of Harris County.
(end biography)
I must have missed something.
They didn’t include this clue about her homeschooling background, “Founder, Home Ed Plus in 1998, a non-profit organization offering supplemental classes for home school families. Served as founder, administrator, and board member.” That info can be seen on her page here: http://www.donna4texas.com/ The Home Ed Plus webpage is located at homeedplus dot com/
Good point. No wonder!
http://www.homeedplus.com
Houston Area Academic Support for
Homeschool Families
Excellence in Academics
Excellent Christian Teachers
Monday Classes for K-12th Grade
Our Mission
Home Ed Plus provides the opportunity for homeschool families and Christian teachers to come together in support of a high quality academic education for homeschool students. HEP classes are designed to enhance, not replace the teaching done by homeschool parents. HEP classes are taught from a Christian worldview perspective.
Our Prayer
Even the Broadies have to attend the book club.
In Utah, 8 out of the 15 members of the state school board are charter school supporters. At least one owns his own charter school–some others probably do, too.
A few years ago, the Utah state legislature set up a system to “vet” school board members that got rid of a lot of the public school supporters on the board. The Utah state Supreme Court found the system unconstitutional last fall, but the legislature has yet to put together a new electoral system for the state school board. The next elections are November 2016.
It’s pathetic, but really–look at Arne Duncan. That’s far worse.
Do Texas governors take a particular vitamin? I mean, W, Rick Perry, now Abbott.
Prolly vitamin “F”.
Yes, indeed, Prolly vitamin “F” is right. Politics is just a chess game, not played with the rules of chess.
OTOH, Gov Abbott might just be playing 11-dimensional chess putting that home school lady in charge of Ed policy.
When Obama’s Federal Government invades Texas this summer (using military training exercises Jade Helm as cover) the kids will be safe at home reading their Bibles and . The kids left sitting in public schools would just be sitting ducks for capture and internment in FEMA camps.
TAGO!
http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/local/dallas-county/2015/06/25/dallas-isd-auctioning-new-surplus-supplies-it-overbought/29313447/
http://www.disdblog.com/2015/02/16/dallas-isd-case-missing-toilet-paper/
You can’t make this up either. Multiple teachers have reported on blogs that they need to bring their own toilet paper to Dallas ISD schools for themselves and their students. Meanwhile, entire pallets of the good stuff bought by the district are being auctioned off.
School “reform’ is sounding more and more like Iraq every day, where untold billions of dollars were handed out with no accountability whatsoever and American troops had to buy their own body armor because the military supposedly did not have the funds.
Good old fashioned vulture capitalism and corruption.
Most of the American public still have no clue about Iraq and I seriously doubt that most o f them have any clue what is happening to our public schools.
OMG. horrors.
And teachers also FEED hungry students, too. Amazing that we are being crucified for $$$$$.
Gosh…she HAS been an educator…her own kids (who went to high school) and it seems through a business for educating groups of homeschoolers. I think you all may be pleasantly surprised…she will probably strive for smaller class sizes and less corruption. She will likely fight against high stakes testing, too.
Wow…how horrible!! She may actually try to give educators the chance to put their passion back into their jobs instead of prepping for stupid useless tests!
I think you should all be jumping for joy!!
I guess time will tell, eh GR?
I won’t bet on any of the things you mentioned coming to pass.
I’ll jump for joy when you wisely buy some of my inexpensive ocean front property with proposed condos over at Lake of the Ozarks in Central Missouri. Call now operators are standing by.
TAGO & LOL, Duane!! Or–I have a bridge to sell you, GR…
He seems to think supervising state public education does not require teaching and supervising experience in school. Only perseverance to overcome the handicap–physical and material–will help one to be qualified for the position, like his physical handicap doesn’t bother him to fulfill his daily tasks as a governor.
Sorry, Gregg, you are no FDR in Texas. Your confusion of home schooling with managing state school system is so ludicrous that even some hard core GOP state lawmakers scoff at your decision.