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Transforming Texas’
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
From Abilene to Zavala, educators can cast the deciding vote
By Mandy Murray and Ethan Herr
Every so often, a new year dawns and brings with it the possibility of big change. 2010 is one of those years, with the offices of governor and lieutenant governor as well as all 32 U.S. representatives, 16 state senators, all 150 state representatives and eight State Board of Education (SBOE) seats up for grabs.
You’ve heard it before: Voting is the best way for educators to effect change in their profession. The reason this statement is repeated so often is because it’s the truth. Elected officials play a key role in determining major aspects of the education profession, from compensation to school funding. That’s why educators simply can’t afford not to be politically active.
Whether you have five minutes or five hours to devote to advocacy, ATPE has a way for you to get involved.
Supporting pro-public education candidates
Do your research
Before you head to the polls, make sure you know where the candidates stand on public education issues. During each election cycle, ATPE sends all gubernatorial, legislative and SBOE candidates a questionnaire on education issues. Their questionnaire answers, along with voting records and other public information, are compiled into side-by-side comparison fliers of candidates in contested races. These fliers are mailed to ATPE members in targeted areas in February and posted online for all members to view. Other helpful resources for learning about candidates include voters’ guides published by the League of Women Voters, newspaper editorials written by candidates, and town hall meetings and candidate forums.
Rely on ATPE
Along with the candidate fliers, ATPE offers a variety of resources that help members participate in the political process. These resources include:
The Legislative Alert Network
ATPE’s Legislative Alert Network (LAN) is a free e-mail service that keeps members up-to-date on the latest legislative news. There are two types of LAN messages: issues updates with news from the Capitol and Washington, D.C., and action alerts, which let you know when and how to contact your elected officials to influence important votes and decisions. The LAN also makes it easy for you to contact your elected officials with thoughts and concerns.
atpe.org
The Advocacy section of atpe.org features the Legislative Update, a listing of the most recent political news; information on issues such as Social Security, teacher quality and school finance; and the ATPE Legislative Program. The Election Resources section offers information on becoming involved with your political party, how to host a candidate forum, how to register to vote and more.
ATPE-PAC
The ATPE Political Action Committee (ATPE-PAC) accepts voluntary donations from ATPE members and makes financial contributions on a nonpartisan basis to officeholders and candidates who support public education and ATPE’s philosophies.
Get to the polls
Even if you don’t have the time to become fully invested in the advocacy process, the most important thing you can do is vote. Make sure to remind others of this fact by conducting a voter registration drive, organizing a carpool to the polls for the March 2 primary elections or the Nov. 2 general election, or simply passing this issue of ATPE News on once you’re finished reading. (Remember: To be eligible to vote in an election, you need to have registered at least 30 days in advance. Find a voter registration form at https://webservices.sos.state.tx.us/forms/vr17.pdf.)
Races to watch
The March 2 primary elections will determine which candidates are on the ballot in November. The following is a breakdown of the early action.
Republicans for governor
Rick Perry has been Texas’ governor since George W. Bush vacated the office in 2000. Since then, Perry has had a hot-and-cold relationship with public educators. On one hand, the state created its first-ever health insurance program for public school employees under Perry’s watch. On the other, during the last several sessions, Perry has repeatedly called for major budget cuts that have led to the elimination of valuable funding and programs for schools and educators. In 2006, Perry called a special session to address problems with the school finance system. Although the measures taken as a result did provide relief to school districts with budget constraints, the solution ultimately proved to be temporary; further action will likely be needed in the near future to keep the public school system sound.
Perry had little trouble winning re-election in 2002 and 2006, but he has yet to face a serious challenge from within his own party. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who has maintained consistent popularity since she first took her Senate seat in 1993, is opposing Perry in the 2010 Republican primary. Her education platform calls for:
- Developing an “e-learning” curriculum that allows schools to incorporate innovation in technology into teaching.
- Granting schools more flexibility in attracting and retaining high-quality educators.
- Supporting the development of dropout prevention programs.
Debra Medina, a businesswoman, registered nurse and chairwoman of the Republican Party of Wharton County, is also running.
Learn more about Perry at www.rickperry.org, Hutchison at www.texans.forkay.com and Medina at www.medinafortexas.com.
Democrats for governor
Seven Democratic candidates are vying for a place on the November ballot:
- Alma Ludvina Aguado, a physician from San Antonio.
- Felix Alvarado, an educator from San Antonio (www.felixalvarado.com).
- Bill Dear, a private investigator from Mount Calm.
- Clement E. Glenn, a Prairie View A&M University associate professor from Navasota.
- Star Locke, a builder and rancher from Port Aransas.
- Farouk Shami, Farouk Systems Inc. founder and chairman from Houston (www.faroukforgovernor.com).
- Bill White, the former mayor of Houston (www.billwhitefortexas.com).
Independents for governor
Five independent candidates have also filed letters of intent to run with the Secretary of State. Find information about those candidates at www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/2010ind.shtml.
State Board of Education places 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 12 and 15
Repeated controversy surrounding matters related to the State Board of Education (SBOE) has led to the most challengers to sitting board members in recent history. Among the board’s responsibilities are developing the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skill (TEKS), selecting textbooks and determining the passing scores for state-mandated tests. The board also oversees the investment of the Permanent School Fund and approves the creation of charter schools. Contested races for nearly half of the seats could mean a big shake-up in the board’s makeup and operations. Information about the candidates in these contested races is available to ATPE members online at atpe.org.
Texas House and Senate
All 150 Texas House seats and half of the Texas Senate seats are up for grabs in 2010. Although there might be independent or third-party candidates running in some races during the general election, the winners of some contested primary races will likely win in November due to the fact that major party candidates historically prevail at the polls. Included in these races are those of House Public Education Committee Chairman Rep. Rob Eissler (R–The Woodlands) and committee member Rep. Dora Olivo (D–Missouri City), as well as Senate Education Committee member Sen. Kip Averitt (R–Waco).
The following is a list of other legislative seats that will likely be decided during the primary elections. If you live in one of these districts, the primary elections are especially important.
- House District (HD) 7—Tommy Merritt (R–Longview), incumbent (I)
- HD 14—Fred Brown (R–Bryan), I
- HD 20—Open seat
- HD 36—Open seat
- HD 39—Armando Martinez (D–Weslaco), I
- HD 43—Tara Rios Ybarra (D–South Padre Island), I
- HD 44—Edmund Kuempel (R–Seguin), I
- HD 59—Sid Miller (R–Stephenville), I
- HD 64—Myra Crownover (R–Lake Dallas), I
- HD 65—Burt Solomons (R–Carrollton), I
- HD 66—Open seat
- HD 76—Norma Chávez (D–El Paso), I
- HD 83—Delwin Jones (R–Lubbock), I
- HD 91—Kelly Hancock (R–North Richland Hills), I
- HD 98—Vicki Truitt (R–Southlake), I
- HD 99—Charlie Geren (R–River Oaks)
- HD 129—John Davis (R–Houston)
- HD 146—Al Edwards (D–Houston)
For more information on all of the candidates running in the 2010 primary elections, visit www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/whatisontheballot.shtml.
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