TX Board of Educ. Parts Ways with Nat'l Assoc. Over 'Liberal' Leanings

by Jim Brown and Jody Brown
November 23, 2005

(AgapePress) - - The Texas State Board of Education has severed ties with the National Association of State School Boards whose policies, says the Texas group, "continue to gravitate to liberal left."

Last week, the Texas State Board of Education voted 10-5 to remove itself from membership in the National Association of State School Boards, or NASBE. The motion was put forth by board member Terri Leo of Spring, Texas. She believes many of NASBE's policies are out of touch with mainstream America.

For example, says Leo, NASBE holds to the notion that the phrase "separation of church and state" accurately summarizes the Bill of Rights -- even though the phrase does not appear in any founding American document and was used by Thomas Jefferson 11 years after the Bill of Rights was passed. Leo says the Texas Board of Education voted not be associated with an organization that chooses to perpetuate a myth. She says she disagrees with NASBE's continued promotion of "misinformation" and its lack of concern with the actual language found in the Bill of Rights and other First Amendment rights.

The state board member asks: "Why should we entrust NASBE with developing and funding a national curriculum on civics education when the editors of NASBE publication think that 'separation of church and state' is a proper condensation of what the Bill of Rights says?"

In addition, Leo says she and her nine Republican colleagues oppose NASBE's effort to encourage state boards to implement a bullying policy that has a special victim category for homosexuals.

"The October National Association of School Boards symposium ... reference[s] these policies, which are really no more than vehicles for social engineering that are promoted by the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered/Questioning lobby," says the Houston-area board member. "My position is that bullying is wrong, period -- and that all bullies should be punished equally, and all victims should be dealt with compassionately."

She contends NASBE's position violates the concept of equal protection under the law. "Elevating homosexuals by giving them special rights has been used to silence freedom of speech from teachers and students who respectfully disagree with homosexuality," she states.

Citing a third policy area of disagreement, Leo notes that NASBE supports comprehensive sex education -- while state law in Texas advocates abstinence-only sex education. On top of that, she says, "the Republicans on this board and the majority of Texans support" that law.

Leo says it makes no sense for the Texas board to continue shelling out more than $40,000 in annual NASBE dues and travel expenses to attend meetings "which promote positions with which we do not agree." Continuing to do that, she adds, "is not wise stewardship."

Leo was first elected to the Texas State Board of Education in 2002. She is now serving her second term.