Tx Bd of Ed: What Did Social Studies Mean?

Sure, FOX News will tell you this was a brilliant triumph for The Faction. The other news outlets will all agree. But I maintain there's a number of missing (and larger) stories here, that should provide a glimmer of hope to those who feel grumpy about last week...

First of all, all the news outlets reported that "because Texas is the biggest buyer of textbooks, their standards drive the market." Sure, except that the other less-reported development from last week is that this same board INDEFINITELY postponed buying science replacement materials (and social studies is in line after that). He who pays the piper may call the tune, but only as long as he's got the money to do so...

In addition, one result of all of this coverage is that other states' citizens and educators have made it clear they want no part of these standards or of books tailored to fit them. Conveniently, this happens at the same time that nearly all of the other 50 states--except Texas, by the way--have signed on to co-develop a national set of core content standards. If anything, this week's moves have put the final nail into the coffin of Texas' ability to drive national curriculum. ("Long live the new king, Florida?")

All the national news is also a sign that the political game has changed as well. Texas voters used to plead ignorance when they pulled the lever in the voting booth. This Fall (and next election cycle, which will conveniently place most seats open, thanks to redistricting), not only will everybody know about this, there will be a LOT of anti-incumbent fervor against The Faction. (I'm on record saying these races will continue to be so newsworthy and high-profile as to rival even the race for governor.)

No reporting I've seen has acknowledged that a huge amount of this is election-year politics. All sides of this struggle are pumping up the volume to motivate their base. And The Faction has the most to lose--they're already behind on the count, and their opposition can smell the blood in the water. (In addition, you can count on this being an issue in the governor's race.)

Already, one of The Faction's key leaders (former chair Don McLeroy) is a lame duck. Another spear-carrier/lightning rod, Cynthia Dunbar, has declined to run again, and her hand-picked successor lost in a primary run-off. Even then, the seat could swing to Democratic challenger Judy Jennings in November. The Faction's favorite swing vote (allegedly Democratic Rick Agosto of San Antonio, who finally set himself in direct opposition to the Faction last week) is also declining to run again, to be replaced by a solid Democrat who won't be voting with The Faction. And Faction member Ken Mercer (R-San Antonio) is facing a tough fight in November from Rebecca Bell-Meterau, a well-organized Democratic challenger.

After a struggle that took more than a decade, The Faction had slowly built up to a solid 7 plus 1 swing vote getting them to a majority. Now, The Faction is down to a solid 5 (with one of those in jeopardy in November), AND they've lost their favorite swing vote. In addition, the one man who funded many of their races in the late 1990s and early 2000s has declined to continue funding them.

There will still be a Republican majority, but now there will be at least four R's who've signaled that they do not believe in these ideological battles, instead of the lonely two there are now (Pat Hardy of Weatherford near Ft. Worth, and Bob Craig of Lubbock).

So no matter how you slice it, rather than a sign of things to come, the whole thing is a high-water-mark and a swan song for The Faction and their ability to easily get what they want while nobody's watching.