Issue Position: In-State vs. Out-Of-State Experts

Issue Position

It seems like every time the SBOE assembles a panel of experts to review curriculum standards, there are always people chosen from all around the country. Doesn't Texas have experts? Don't universities like The University of Texas, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, as well as other Texas colleges and universities, have experts qualified to assist the SBOE? If we want our children in K-12 to be prepared to attend college, shouldn't we be talking to those colleges about our curriculum to ensure we are headed in the right direction to prepare our children?

Unfortunately, I think the reason we have experts from around the country coming to Texas can be summed up in one word: politics. Some of the SBOE members search far and wide to find "experts" that also support their political agendas. But we need to ask, "Are these the best people to help Texas' public school children?"

I think we need to spend more time utilizing Texas' higher education experts and less time trying to find that "expert" out there that also fits a particular political profile.

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