Texas State Board of Education removes itself from National Association of State School Boards

E-mailed to me earlier today...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2005

Contact: Terri Leo
Texas State Board of Education Member
District #6
1701 N. Congress
Austin, Texas 78701-1402
http://www.terrileo.com/

State Board of Education Votes 10-5 To Nix National Dues

In a bold move on Friday, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) in a 10-5 vote, which split down party lines, decided to remove itself from membership in the National Association of State School Boards (NASBE). The motion was put forth by member Terri Leo who said that many of NASBE's policies are out of touch with mainstream America and that NASBE has taken positions with which the majority of the SBOE disagrees.

Stating that NASBE's policies continue to gravitate to liberal left, Leo cited three current policy decisions which she feels do not reflect a proper balance. Leo questioned the NASBE October 2004 publication on citizenship education. "Under the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, the publication listed only the words 'Separation of Church and State,' a phrase that does not even appear in the Bill of Rights. Thomas Jefferson used the phrase 'separation of church and state' eleven years after the Bill of Rights was passed; he was writing to allay the fears of the Danbury Baptists who had heard a rumor that a national religion was going to be established. NASBE should promote correct information and not misinformation. Why didn't NASBE mention the rights guaranteed in the First Amendment for peaceable assembly, freedom of the press, and the petition of the government for redress of grievances? Are these no longer important for students to learn?"

Leo continued by saying, "Why should we entrust NASBE with developing and funding a national curriculum on civics education when the editors of the NASBE publication think that 'separation of church and state' is a proper condensation of what the Bill of Rights says?"

Leo also mentioned that NASBE's policy statements support comprehensive sex education, an approach which the majority of Texas voters do not support. "Texas has a law that requires abstinence-only education, a law which the Republicans on this board and the majority of Texans support; yet the SBOE is paying more than $40,000 in NASBE dues and travel expenses to attend NASBE meetings which promote positions with which we do not agree."

A third point of contention Leo brought out was that NASBE is continuing to push State Boards of Education to implement policies on bullying that have a special victim category for those who are homosexual. At the October 2005 NASBE symposium, the organization constantly referenced state bullying policies which are actually vehicles for social engineering promoted by the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender/Questioning (GLBTQ) lobby. "Bullying is wrong -- period," Leo said. "All bullies should be punished equally and all victims dealt with compassionately. I don't want a homosexual student bullied any more than I want a short chubby child bullied," Leo said emphatically. "Elevating homosexuals by giving them special rights has been used to silence freedom of speech from teachers and students who respectfully disagree with homosexuality. The NASBE position violates the concept of equal protection under the law." Leo stated that the NASBE bullying policy introduces the concept of "thought crimes" in which someone's actions are "more" illegal based on their thoughts or beliefs. Leo stated, "I know very few people who want to deny gays and lesbians the basic civil rights that the rest of society enjoys, but many people have a big problem with public schools forcing the gay agenda upon teachers and students."

Texas pays the highest NASBE dues ($40,600 per year) along with California and New York because NASBE bases its annual dues on student population. "It's not right that Texas is footing a large proportion of the bill, but Texas has really no more representation or say-so in policy decisions than the states which pay a much smaller amount. NASBE only pays half the cost for one member of each state to attend its annual convention. It seems to me that NASBE needs Texas more than Texas needs NASBE, so why are we paying them over $40,000? That is not wise stewardship on the part of the SBOE."

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