Dear friends and supporters,
Happy New Year!  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year with family and friends.  Our time with family was sweet but passed by much too quickly.

We are off and running for a busy and productive 2008.  A few highlights include the final revision of the ELAR curriculum standards (TEKS) and beginning the revision of the science TEKS.  The SBOE meets again in February for a special one-day workshop to continue reviewing the revised ELAR standards.  On January 10-12, the K-8 science TEKS review committees met to begin their work.  The secondary committees meet January 31-February 2.  I nominated over twenty qualified science educators and business people, and fifteen were selected to serve.  Once again, east Texas will be well represented by fantastic people volunteering their time and talents on behalf of our schoolchildren.  This is a very exciting time for public education in Texas!

I am delighted to continue working on education issues for our children at our January State Board meetings which will be held in Austin January 17^th-18^th.

·        CAMPAIGN UPDATE:  Fortunately I will be unopposed in the Republican Primary on March 4^th!  I am very thankful that I can keep my energy and time focused on education issues.  However, in November’s General Election I will have a Libertarian opponent but no Democratic opponent.  It would be an honor to have you click this link (or copy it to your browser) to add your name to the endorsement list that appears on my website.  Many thanks to those of you who have done so already—seeing your names brings me great encouragement! www.barbaracargill.com/I.Endorse.Barbara.htm.

If you would rather not have your name listed on the website, there are other ways that you can help by clicking this link instead (or copying it to your browser):  www.barbaracargill.com/donations.htm   You do not have to register with PayPal to contribute; credit cards are accepted.

·        WE NEED YOUR HELP!  There has been a significant increase in the interest for the charter school program.  For that reason, outside readers are needed to assist in the reading and scoring of applications.  A few applications are sent to you in the mail, so it is convenient to score them at home.  Please consider volunteering your time for this worthy cause that affects many schoolchildren!  If you are interested, please e-mail me at sboecargill@sbcglobal.net.  In the past, many people from my SBOE district have responded, and I thank you!

1. Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 66, State Adoption and Distribution of Instructional Materials:  The board approved on second reading and final adoption amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 66, State Adoption and Distribution of Instructional Materials. The final rules are identical to the version passed on first reading with the addition of one amendment that clarifies how often each relevant Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills should be included in each book. The revised rule creates procedures that will be followed if a mid-cycle textbook review is conducted.
2. Report and Recommendations from the Commissioner of Education Regarding Instructional Materials Offered for Adoption under Proclamation 2005:  The board placed on the conforming list and adopted 162 textbooks, compact discs and online instructional materials dealing with elementary mathematics as part of Proclamation 2005. The new books will be available for use in Texas classrooms as of fall 2008. The board rejected the English and Spanish editions of a third-grade math book called Texas Everyday Mathematics, published by Wright Group/McGraw-Hill. Statutory authority for this action is Texas Education Code (TEC), §31.023 and §31.024.  (There has been much state and national attention given to the Board’s vote on the third grade book, Everyday Math.  I am proud of the stand that the majority of the Board took by rejecting this textbook.  The book contains an instructional method including:  using calculators extensively, not memorizing all of the multiplication facts up to 12 (only x0, x1, x2, x5, and x10), doing every lesson in small-group or partner activities, and offering the fewest practice problems of all the third grade math books submitted.  These methods are not the best way to teach math to third graders when learning foundational skills such as computing multiplication and division is critical!  This book also forces conscientious teachers to devote much time to extra lesson planning---I have heard from many of them thanking me for my vote against this book.

      The Legislature has wisely said they want rigor in the classroom.  That starts with strong votes like this that send a clear message--inferior textbooks are not acceptable in Texas.  The governor's Commission for College Ready Texas (on which I was honored to serve) has challenged our state to better prepare students for college.  That starts in kindergarten and our students deserve the best textbooks possible from day one.

      Hopefully this vote will bring about positive change in future textbooks submitted for adoption.  As a former classroom teacher I must ask, “What is the lesson learned?”  Provide Texas students and teachers with quality instructional materials that enhance learning and promote academic success in our classrooms!)

3. Approval of Proposed Process for Review/Revision of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills:  No action was taken on this item, which presented for consideration a process by which the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) will be reviewed and revised.

Here is a description of a few of the items that are on the January agenda for our two-day meeting.  To see a complete copy, go to the Texas Education Agency website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us.  The agenda is posted under “State Board of Education and Commissioner” (on the left).  After that screen appears, click on “Meeting Schedule and Agendas” (on the right).

1.      Discussion on Implementation of Absolute Return Fund of Funds:  This item provides an opportunity for the SBOE to receive an update from staff and investment counsel on the implementation of the Absolute Return Fund of Funds.

2.      College Readiness Work Session:  This item provides an opportunity for the board to be briefed on activities related to the development of the college readiness standards as required by House Bill 1, 79th Texas Legislature, Third Called Session, 2006.  (I will be quite interested in the college readiness standards that have been developed by four Vertical Teams of secondary and post-secondary educators.  Having taught science, I did send in several suggestions to strengthen those standards as well as comments for the English standards.  The social studies standards will demand our close attention and scrutiny.  I will update you in more detail in the next newsletter.)

3.      Update on Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School:  This item provides the opportunity for staff to provide an update on the process being used to review and revise 19 TAC Chapter 110, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School.  (The English Language Arts and Reading teacher panels met again recently in Austin under the guidance of facilitators.  I have visited with two of my nominees and one commented that the entire process was “hands on”.  Both teachers agreed that this session was much more productive.  The work groups were allowed to edit, revise, and change the curriculum standards (TEKS) that needed improvement.  This is very exciting news and I look forward to studying the work that the teams have produced.  Our students and teachers need clear, concise, measurable ELAR standards—the sooner the better!  You may read more comments from one of my panel members under “Other Happenings” below.  )

COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION

Members: Terri Leo, Chair; Barbara Cargill, Vice Chair; Lawrence A. Allen, Jr.; Mary Helen Berlanga; and Cynthia Noland Dunbar.

1. Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter C, Other Provisions, §74.30, Identification of Advanced Courses:  The proposed amendment would modify the definition of advanced courses and align the rule with newly amended Texas Education Code (TEC), §33.081, which narrows the number of courses that may be exempt from “No Pass, No Play” requirements.
2. Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter C, Other Provisions, §74.35, Additional Requirements for High School Health Classes:  This would require school districts and open enrollment charter schools to incorporate instruction in parenting awareness into any course meeting a requirement for a health credit, using the materials approved by the State Board of Education.
3. Approval of Proposed Parenting and Paternity Awareness Program:  This item recommends approval of the Parenting and Paternity Awareness program developed by the Office of the Attorney General to fulfill requirements of Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.002(p).