of Education Candidates

Help stop the religious right from taking over the State Board of Education. Go to a public forum where the candidates will appear or invite the candidates to come talk to your group, no matter how small. Then ask them these questions! Give a copy to your local newspaper or a group issuing endorsements and suggest that they ask these questions when interviewing candidates. Share the list and what you find out with others concerned about improving public education and encourage them to do the same.

• What experience do you have in public education?

• Have you done volunteer work with the public schools in your district?

• Do you have school-age children? If so, have they ever attended a private school?

• What professional, community, &/or religious organizations that are active in education do you belong to?

• Do you belong to or support the agenda of Citizens for Excellence in Education (a group wanting Christian control of public schools) or are you a member or supporter of any other education organizations?

• What endorsements or support from any public or private institutions or groups have you received? Have you requested others?

• How & from whom are you raising your campaign funds? How are you meeting your campaign expenses?

• How many meetings of the State Board of Education have you attended in the last year?

• What qualifications would you bring to the State Board of Education if elected?

• Do you have any specific objectives to accomplish if elected? If so, what are your top five?

• What is your view of the purpose of public education?

• What is your view of the respective roles of the State Board of Education, the local school board, the superintendent, and teachers in the development and selection of classroom curricula, textbooks, and materials?

• Do you want to make any changes in the curricula required in Texas? If so, what and why?

• What is your position on the following curricula: AIDS prevention education, sexuality education, drug abuse prevention education, critical thinking skills, environmental education, multicultural courses?

• What do you think of programs to build students' self-esteem?

• What is your position on federal educational programs, such as Goals 2000 and Head Start?

• Do you believe that books such as Of Mice and Men, Huckleberry Finn, and A Wrinkle in Time should be available in our public school libraries?

• How would you respond to a parent who wants the district to remove books from a public school library or to limit student access to those books?

• What are your views on the role of religion in the public schools? How do you feel about -- organized prayer at the beginning of the school day, a moment of silence, prayer at extracurricular school events, teaching religion, teaching creationism?

• How should public schools respond to the issues of teenage sexuality, student pregnancy, and the need for child care for children of students?

• Do you support school-based health clinics? Why or why not?

• How would you develop or generate respect for the cultural and racial diversity within our state?

• Do you support the use of public tax money through vouchers for private or home schooling or charter schools?

Mail:

Let Freedom Ring

P.O. Box 55084

Houston, TX 77255-5084

Phone:

713-461-3686

Fax:

713-461-4438