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Barbara Cargill, District 8
Chair, State Board of Education

Barbara:

	Was appointed by Governor Perry to serve as Chair of the Board in July 2011.
	Was elected twice by fellow Board members to serve as Chair of the Committee on Instruction.
	Has worked tirelessly to develop state curriculum standards that are concise, measurable and rigorous.
	Voted for textbooks which provide teachers and students with error-free, academically sound instructional materials.
	Served on the Governor-appointed Commission for College Ready Texas to improve students’ college readiness.

Barbara has consistently championed and voted for conservative issues such as:

	Standards that emphasize grammar, phonics, handwriting, spelling, and composition skills as well as a focus on serious literature in English classes.
	A curriculum that teaches the fundamental skills of mathematics like memorizing the multiplication/division tables. and discouraging the use of calculators in elementary school
	History curriculum standards that emphasize patriotism, the free enterprise system, our Founding Fathers, founding documents like the U.S. Constitution, and American exceptionalism.
	Health textbooks that uphold traditional definitions of marriage and family and abstinence-based sex education.
	Science textbooks that encourage students to think, ask, and predict, have increased lab time, and that present evolution as a theory, not as fact.

Texas Governor Rick Perry Congratulating Barbara Cargill as SBOE Chair! "We are truly blessed to have her at the helm."

Texas' Governor Rick Perry and SBOE Chair Barbara Cargill

Barbara Cargill chairs her first SBOE session in July, 2011!
(conferring here with parliamentarian Kirk Overby)

THE CARGILL CONNECTION, OCTOBER 2011

Dear friends and supporters,

I have now led two board meetings and want to thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. The celebration/fundraising event here in The Woodlands made us feel supported and appreciated – just what I, my husband, and our boys needed! In honor of my appointment as Chair, Governor Perry graciously recorded a message that you can view on this link. Please take a minute to enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qONMp2Eo6xc

With campaign season upon us, I am in full fundraising mode. Please visit www.barbaracargill.com to make a donation to my campaign. Donations whether large or small are needed and appreciated as I continue serving our children as a conservative voice in Austin! Thank you for allowing me that privilege.

RECAP OF THE SEPTEMBER SBOE MEETING:

Here are highlights of actions taken by the State Board of Education at its September 15 -16 meeting. A complete listing of all actions is posted at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=5161.

· The board approved eight new charters, leaving six slots available for charters in the future. The approved charter school applicants, which are expected to open during the 2012-2013 school year are:

Applicant	Location	Approved Grades	Maximum Enrollment
UME Preparatory Academy	Grand Prairie	K-12	540
Austin Achieve Public Schools	Austin	6-12	1,050
Fallbrook College Preparatory Academy	Houston	K-12	1,280
Legacy Preparatory	Dallas, Garland, Irving, Mesquite	K-12	2,600
Prime Prep Academy	Dallas, Fort Worth	K-12	2,000
Hope Global Learning Village K-12	Houston	K-12	500
Excellence in Leadership Academy	Mission	pre-k4-12	600
The Pro-Vision Academy	Houston	3-12	500

·         The board heard from five math experts as it begins revisions on the math TEKS. It also heard testimony from eight TEKS review committee members on Thursday. This is a discussion item. TEKS review teams will meet again in October.

·         The board received an update on the implementation of the Instructional Materials Allotment (IMA) and other changes included in House Bill 6. To date, $258 million worth of instructional material have been ordered. So far, virtually all the ordered material is instructional material adopted by the board. About $6 million worth of non-adopted material has been ordered. This includes AP textbooks, novels for English classes, and supplemental materials from traditional publishers.

Note: Under the guidelines for HB 6, districts may use their IMA for instructional materials on the SBOE-approved list and for instructional materials not on the SBOE-approved list. This is a cause of concern because I feel strongly that the board’s rigorous textbook adoption process ensures quality content for our schoolchildren. There is a requirement in the bill that districts must certify that IMA funds are used only for authorized purposes and that for each subject and grade level, the district must provide each student with instructional materials that cover all the elements of the TEKS adopted by the SBOE for that subject and grade level. I have been assured by various legislators that this requirement will serve as an encouragement for districts to only adopt SBOE-approved instructional materials. We will only know after reviewing the orders placed by school districts.

·         The board set the per capita apportionment rate at $247.47. While this is a drop from the current level of $466, it returns the rate to pre-stimulus levels.

·         The board placed one of its absolute return portfolio managers, GAM USA, on a watch list due to recent personnel turnover.

The board honored 15 school volunteers as Heroes for Children. Here is information about the volunteers http://www.tea.state.tx.us/news_release.aspx?id=2147503066

UPDATE ON SBOE ISSUES:

Math: K-12 math curriculum standards (TEKS) continue going through the board’s thorough revision process. Work panels have met once to review math for K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Algebra I and II, Geometry, Precalculus, Math Models, and other high school math courses. The math panels will meet again October 6-8 in Austin. I will be in attendance at the work sessions.

Be sure to check this link over the next few months to see a copy of the revisions and to see information about public comment periods. Go to the link listed here and click on “Mathematics TEKS review.”

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148&menu_id=720&menu_id2=785

To join a subject specific listserv and receive information and updates related to TEKS activities please visit: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/list/

If you are interested in having me speak to a group in your area, please contact me at sboecargill@sbcglobal.net. I have enjoyed recent visits to Conroe and Orangefield.

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For our children,
Barbara Cargill
Chair, State Board of Education

	Contact Information
	State Board of Education Secretary: sboesupport@tea.state.tx.us
	[ Home ] [ About Barbara ] [ Endorse ] [ Donations ] [ News ] Contributions are not tax deductible for Federal Income Tax purposes. Corporate contributions cannot be accepted. Checks should be made payable to: "Cargill for SBOE District 8"
	Copyright 2011 -- All Rights Reserved -- Last modified: January 03, 2012

THE CARGILL CONNECTION, OCTOBER 2011

Contact Information