Home | Resources | ATPE News | Winter 2009 | Capitol Comment
Capitol Comment
by Monty Exter, ATPE lobbyist
State Board of Extreme Importance
SBOE flies under the radar at election time, but educators can change that
The headlines generated by State Board of Education (SBOE) meetings are almost always attention-grabbing:
- “Flap over social studies heats up again,” Austin American-Statesman, Sept. 16.
- “State board vows to save Christmas, Chavez,” Austin American-Statesman, Sept. 17.
- “Relevance and religion top social studies debate,” News 8 Austin, Sept. 18.
The elections for SBOE positions, however, don’t seem to be as attention-grabbing for many voters, even for voters who are also Texas educators, a group whose profession is directly affected by the board’s work. This is unfortunate. As local education experts, educators should be the driving force in SBOE elections and thus the 
driving force in determining the board’s makeup.
Why does SBOE matter?
If SBOE is “outta sight, outta mind” for so many, then why should educators devote their energy to following and shaping the board’s decision making? The answer is that the board oversees huge sums of money and controls major policy decisions. The board is constitutionally charged with investing and spending the $20 billion Permanent School Fund (PSF), which supports public education and provides students with free textbooks. In existence for more than 150 years, the PSF is the third-largest public fund in the state, behind the Teacher Retirement System and Employees Retirement System funds.
In addition to managing the PSF, the board sets, in whole or in part, major education policies. SBOE establishes the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), determines state graduation requirements, selects which classes will fulfill those requirements and approves the textbooks students use. The decisions made by this 15-member board in a downtown Austin boardroom play out in classrooms from Canutillo to Conroe every day.
Where do board members come from?
Like state senators, SBOE members serve staggered four-year terms, and half of the board is up for re-election every two years. SBOE members represent the largest districts of any elected official except statewide officials. Additionally, SBOE elections are partisan races, so each candidate runs as a Democrat, a Republican, a third-party candidate or an independent.
The size of SBOE districts and the partisan nature of SBOE races are significant. SBOE membership is an unpaid position; therefore, SBOE candidates tend to spend very little on their races compared with other elected officials. Poor funding plus the geographic size of most SBOE districts make it extremely difficult for candidates to connect with the majority of voters.
Adding to the difficulties is the fact that many voters vote a straight ticket or a party-line vote, usually based on the party affiliation of a presidential, gubernatorial or legislative candidate. The result is a great many votes being cast for SBOE candidates by voters who have little to no knowledge of the candidates or don’t even realize there is an SBOE race lower on the ballot.
State Rep. Donna Howard (D–Austin) attempted to address the lack of attention received by SBOE races by filing House Bill (HB) 420 during the 81st legislative session. The bill did not pass, but its intent is worth discussing. It would have converted SBOE into a nonpartisan board and in effect required all candidates to run as independents. The bill would have prevented SBOE candidates from receiving votes from straight-ticket voting. The conventional wisdom is that although nonpartisan “down-ballot” races receive fewer votes, the votes cast are from a more informed electorate. That’s because every vote in a nonpartisan race must be cast for that race individually and for a specific candidate, not as part of a straight-ticket or party-line vote.
Barring the future passage of legislation similar to HB 420, which is unlikely, it is important to seek other opportunities to inform the electorate about pro-education SBOE candidates. Educators themselves have that opportunity. Not only does Texas have a large number of educators, but those educators are also spread throughout every region of the state. Additionally, many educators are community leaders who possess both the skills and networks to effectively disseminate vital information about pro-education candidates.
Let’s put SBOE on the radar
The first step in getting involved is to learn about the candidates. Eight incumbents are up for re-election during the next election cycle; most will face one or more challengers in either the primary or general election. Find out which SBOE member represents you at www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us.
Once you know who represents you, find out if the board member supports public education and the positions in ATPE’s member-written-and-approved legislative program. Do this by using tools like the ATPE candidate surveys available at election time, visiting candidate Web sites, reading news articles, and working with the ATPE Governmental Relations team and your local unit to hold a candidate forum.
After you learn about your local SBOE race, take your involvement to the next level by talking to other educators and voters about the importance and power of the board and the candidates in your district. Those of you who really want to go the extra mile can volunteer for the candidate you feel will best represent public education and your interests as an educator.
Of course, the most important way to be involved is to vote and encourage others to vote in both the primary and the general election. Let’s get out there and put education back in the State Board of Education for the benefit of all Texas students and educators.
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