April 2009

McElroy as chair of TX Bd of Ed no more

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 10:42
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Last night, when McElroy's nomination didn't make it out of the TX Senate nominations committee, it pretty much sealed his tenure as Chairman of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE). Without confirmation by the full Senate, he automatically is removed as chair (but not as a member) when the Lege adjourns on June 1st. But what happens next...?

Video of McElroy being skewered by Senators

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 17:51
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If you've got 2 and a half hours to spare, and you want to hear for yourself (rather than the summaries provided in my previous posts) you can download the RealPlayer file.
McElroy's part begins at about 1:20:00, and the skewering by Senators Shapleigh and Watson beings in earnest at about 1:56:15. It goes on for a couple of hours more after that...

TX Senate Hearing: no decision on Chairman McElroy's 2-year term, IV

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 00:03
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After the lengthy questioning, it was time to take testimony from those who'd registered to speak. In some ways, what followed was a microcosm of past Board meetings: six witnesses, including perennial testifiers Texas Freedom Network's Kathy Miller and SMU's Ronald Wetherington decrying the Board's refusal to heed scientific experts and Chairman Don's role in particular; and Board Member Ken Mercer and Free Market Foundation's Jonathan Saenz speaking long and hard to defend the Chairman.

TX Senate Hearing on Chairman McElroy's 2-year term, III

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Wed, 04/22/2009 - 23:24
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Then, Senator Kirk Watson (D-Austin) picked up where Shapleigh had left off, continually pounding the point home that whether intentional or not, McElroy had created so much controversy that he was unlikely to be an effective and believable leader, and that the Board could get "de-fanged and de-clawed" because of him. Senator Shapleigh returns at the end of this post to utter ominous threats. The lash-by-lash details of the punishment of Chairman Don follow for those who relish such intricacies...

TX Senate Hearing on Chairman McElroy's 2-year term, II

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Wed, 04/22/2009 - 22:58
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As the hours of the hearing wore steadily on, the Democrats took over the questioning, and became progressively tougher on McElroy. Leading the first charge was Elliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso), who seemed to enjoy the game of taking quotes from McElroy and asking him to explain himself...

SHAPLEIGH: Perception is that you have a point of view, and you're using this bully pulpit to promote this point of view. Reads quote from McElroy "I was totally convinced that biblical account was true, and that it could be scientifically accurate."

Flash: McElroy nomination left hanging in committee

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Wed, 04/22/2009 - 20:41
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After a brutal cross-examination by Democratic senators Elliot Shapleigh (El Paso) and Kirk Watson (Austin), a parade of 6 witnesses asked the committee to deny confirmation, followed by 2 defenders of McElroy. At this point, it was late in the evening past 7:30 CST, and the nomination was left pending as all members of the committee but the chair had left.

TX Senate Hearing on Chairman McElroy's 2-year term

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Wed, 04/22/2009 - 18:41
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In the midst of everything else, Governor Rick Perry nominated State Board of Education chairman Don McElroy for another two-year term (until February of 2011) as Chairman of the Texas Board of Education. The Nominations Committee of the Texas Senate took his case up at about 4:55 pm, first with a firm but gentle grilling of McElroy by the Republican chair, Mike Jackson (La Porte), and Republican Jane Nelson (Flower Mound). Details or the R's questions are below, and then the two D senators present took to treating McElroy like a pinata--see next posts...

TX Ed Board & social studies standards, III

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Wed, 04/22/2009 - 16:14
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Finally, the committee took testimony, primarily from members of the writing panels. Some claimed that all the fuss was a misunderstanding based on a draft that was never intended to be released in that form. Others claimed that there was a systematic liberal bias and reverse discrimination during the panels' work...

TX Ed Board & social studies standards, II

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Wed, 04/22/2009 - 13:29
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Agency staff asked Board to examine materials sent to the panels to make sure they approve of approach, and the process used. (During last meeting, the Board speculated subtly that the instructions to the panels may have been flawed, as this was intended as a minor revision and not a wholesale rewrite.) The Board members described in stirring, patriotic detail what they wanted to see, while admitting that they over-reacted in their last meeting...

TX Ed Board & social studies standards, I

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Wed, 04/22/2009 - 11:56
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A specially-convened meeting of the Board's Instruction Committee (joined by a few extra members) meets today to examine the very first draft of changes proposed by social studies panels *they* appointed. Because of the Texas Public Policy Foundation's overwrought testimony in the last meeting (see earlier post), the Board cancelled all panel work until the Board could personally direct them. But as with a loose end of yarn from a sweater, all sorts of unintended unravelling occurred first.