INCOMING SBOE MEMBER WILL PUSH FOR CHANGES FROM THE GET-GO

Thomas Ratliff tells constituents that he is pre-filing amendments to change SBOE operating rules as well as to revise curriculum approval process

Incoming State Board of Education member Thomas Ratliff announced on a conference call with constituents last night that he intended to pre-file three amendments at the board’s January meeting: one to address operating rules and two more to revise the approval process for curriculum.

Ratliff, who beat Don McLeroy in the Republican primary last March, will be sworn into office on Jan. 19. Late next week, he intends to file his amendments.

“I want to make sure these are pre-filed,” Ratliff said. “I’m not going to jump out of the bushes and surprise anybody with these. I want a real thoughtful discussion about these things and how they might actually translate into the real live operations of the board. I want to give everyone a fair shake at being heard.”

The election of officers and committee chairs at the January meeting will be a true show of where the power lies on the future SBOE. Conservatives, in recent years, have held the stronger hand in terms of getting their own, and their allies, appointed to powerful positions, as chairs and vice chairs of the highest profile committees.

Moderates and liberals who were not willing to vote with the conservatives, on the other hand, were shuffled off to the Committee on School Initiatives, which had precious little to do because the bulk of its work was to approve charter school applications, and only a handful of charters were available.

The number of conservatives going into January could swing between 5 and 7 on the 15-member board. Votes on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20 will tell the tale of the power of that bloc going into the New Year.

The board’s operating procedures will be the first item of discussion for the board, even before officers are elected. Ratliff wants to add clarity to a board rule that requires that a fiscal impact statement be filed on every proposed rule.

“My concern is that when a vote is taken at first and second reading, the fiscal impact statement is no longer accurate,” Ratliff said. “For instance, when the new science TEKS, I’m hearing from school districts and schools that have had to spend lots of money to buy lab equipment to comply with the science curriculum. They were looking at it from an academic perspective, instead of what it’s going to cost them in terms of money to implement the rule.”

The problem is compounded by the fact that many fiscal notes attached to votes are exceedingly vague. Often the only thing the fiscal note says is that local control makes it difficult to define how much something will cost. Some districts will have well stocked science labs; others may have neglected the area.

And, aside from that concern, the four major TEKS areas already have been adopted. In other words, the die has been cast on new district expenditures.

“At least we can put this place for the future TEKS,” Ratliff said. “School districts shouldn’t find a new surprise in their inbox that they hadn’t budgeted for.”

And Ratliff said he intended to do his part on the issue, contacting his regional service centers and school districts to find out exactly what the fiscal impact of the SBOE’s proposals might be on local school districts.

Ratliff has two additional revisions to the TEKS review process rules that he will likely propose on Friday at a meeting of the full board. One would be to provide a proper definition of “qualified expert” to review TEKS standards.

“I campaigned hard on that issue,” Ratliff said. “A handshake does not an expert make. We need to work on some concept of what rises to the level of an expert. That person should have some sort of minimum qualifications to make the cut.”

Ratliff also wants to pre-file amendments on changes to the TEKS.

“I stole that one from the legislature,” Ratliff said. “When it comes to a significant issues, like the budget, amendments always are pre-filed. When we’re dealing with something significant that will impact the next generation of kids, we’ve got to be sure we’re doing it in a well thought-out manner.”

By Kimberly Reeves