Texas SBOE March 25 testifiers

Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Report below is from the official minutes of the meeting, which are posted publicly months after the event. This list shows the speakers who actually spoke during the meeting, in the order in which they actually spoke. These official minutes are followed in this post by the list that was released before the meeting. [Note: A better version of that pre-meeting list is now posted here]. I am keeping that list here, rather than discarding it, because there have been points of interest and contention over how this was carried out.

Audio files of this testimony, and of SBOE meetings later in that week, are now linked here.

Report of the State Board of Education
Committee of the Full Board
March 25, 2009

The State Board of Education Committee of the Full Board met at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, in the State Board of Education Room, #1-104, of the William B. Travis Building, 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas. All members of the committee were present, as follows:

Presiding: Don McLeroy, chair; Rick Agosto, Lawrence A. Allen, Jr., David Bradley, Barbara Cargill, Bob Craig, Cynthia Dunbar, Pat Hardy, Terri Leo, Gail Lowe, Ken Mercer, Geraldine Miller, Rene Nuñez

Absent: Mary Helen Berlanga, Mavis B. Knight

Public Testimony

This item provides an opportunity for the public to present testimony at the time the related item comes up for committee discussion or action. The procedures for registering and taking public testimony at State Board of Education committee meetings and general board meetings are provided at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=3958 or in the information section (yellow pages) of the agenda.

DISCUSSION ITEM

1. Public Hearing Regarding Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School
(Board agenda page I-87)

Public testimony was provided by the following individuals:

1. NAME: Barbara Cobaugh
AFFILIATION: Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

2. NAME: Mary Smith
AFFILIATION: Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

3. NAME: Susie McMinn
AFFILIATION: Self

4. NAME: Lee Wagstaff
AFFILIATION: Self

5. NAME: Debi Weissling
AFFILIATION: Northside ISD

CFB-03/25/2009

1
_______________________
[2nd page]

6. NAME: Patricia Rhoton
AFFILIATION: Self

7. NAME: Juli Berwald
AFFILIATION: Self

8. NAME: Cherry Moore
AFFILIATION: Self

9. NAME: Sally Wall
AFFILIATION: Self

10. NAME: Randy Linder
AFFILIATION: Integrative Biology Section, UT Austin

11. NAME: Randy Daw
AFFILIATION: Self

12. NAME: Diana Walker
AFFILIATION: Self

13. NAME: Kyle Lewallen
AFFILIATION: Self

14. NAME: Raymond Bohlin
AFFILIATION: Self

15. NAME: Sharon Mosher
AFFILIATION: Jackson School Geosciences, UT Austin

16. NAME: Deborah Koeck
AFFILIATION: Texas State University-San Marcos

17. NAME: Richard White
AFFILIATION: Self

18. NAME: Martha Griffin

AFFILIATION: Self

19. NAME: Ann Molineux
AFFILIATION: Austin Geological Society

20. NAME: Donald Ewert
AFFILIATION: Self

21. NAME: Melinda Mills
AFFILIATION: Self

CFB-03/25/2009
2
_______________________
[3rd page]

22. NAME: Bill Vinal
AFFILIATION: San Antonio ISD

23. NAME: Colin White
AFFILIATION: Self

24. NAME: Daniel Boone
AFFILIATION: Self

25. NAME: Randy Guliuzza
AFFILIATION: Self

26. NAME: Robert Rutford
AFFILIATION: Self

27. NAME: Austen Williams

AFFILIATION: Mrs. Arlington/Mrs. Texas

28. NAME: Joy Killough/Karen Hewitt
AFFILIATION: Texas Association of Biology Teachers

29. NAME: Casey Luskin
AFFILIATION: Discovery Institute

30. NAME: David Daniel
AFFILIATION: Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas

31. NAME: Heather Zeiger
AFFILIATION: Probe Ministries

32. NAME: Alison Henning
AFFILIATION: Department of Earth Science, Rice University

33. NAME: Joshua Rosenau
AFFILIATION: National Center for Science Education

34. NAME: Dean Mohlman
AFFILIATION: Self

35. NAME: Wade Warren
AFFILIATION: Self

36. NAME: Victoria Huang
AFFILIATION: Self

37. NAME: Karen Rispin
AFFILIATION: Self

CFB-03/25/2009
3
_______________________
[4th  page]

38. NAME: Travis Tunnell
AFFILIATION: Self

39. NAME: Kelly Coghlan
AFFILIATION: Self

40. NAME: Cynthia McMullen
AFFILIATION: Self

41. NAME: Gary Johnson
AFFILIATION: Self

42. NAME: Abigail Lustig
AFFILIATION: Professor, UT Austin

43. NAME: Ide Trotter for Walter Bradley
AFFILIATION: Self

44. NAME: Josephine Krouse
AFFILIATION: Self

45. NAME: James Norelius
AFFILIATION: Self

46. NAME: Cathy Stein
AFFILIATION: Self

47. NAME: Lois Harbaugh
AFFILIATION: Self

48. NAME: Eugenie Scott
AFFILIATION: National Center for Science Education

49. NAME: David Welch
AFFILIATION: Texas Pastor Council

50. NAME: Don Patton
AFFILIATION: Self

51. NAME: Franki Dockens
AFFILIATION: Self

52. NAME: Gerald Skoog
AFFILIATION: Self

53. NAME: Hiram Sasser
AFFILIATION: Liberty Legal Institute

CFB-03/25/2009
4
_______________________
[5th  page]

54. NAME: Karen Matsler
AFFILIATION: Texas Science Education Leadership Association

55. NAME: Sara Kolb Hicks
AFFILIATION: Self

56. NAME: David Shormann
AFFILIATION: Self

57. NAME: Joe Vail
AFFILIATION: Self

58. NAME: Pierre Velasquez
AFFILIATION: Self

59. NAME: James Westgate
AFFILIATION: Texas Academy of Science

60. NAME: Steven Schafersman
AFFILIATION: Texas Citizens for Science

Dr. McLeroy adjourned the meeting of the Committee of the Full Board at 6:52 p.m.

CFB-03/25/2009
5

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Thursday, March 26, 2009

A bid to restore “Strengths and Weaknesses” language to the Texas Science Standards (TEKS) has again been defeated by a 7-7 vote of the SBOE, meeting as a committee of the whole.

The final vote will be tomorrow.

Audio of Eugenie Scott’s 3/25 testimony is here. Other audio will be posted later.
==================
Note: A better version of this is now posted at https://tw-curricuwiki.wikispaces.com/TXSBOE_March25_SpeakersList .

Here is the list of registrants to speak at the hearings of the Texas State Board of Education on revision of the state’s standards for science education. (Thanks to John Kingman for adding the column at the left with the numbers.)

Predictably, the speakers’ lineup will present an impression of balance that is not warranted by the judgment of those who have expertise — or even just some understanding — of the science. For more on this problem, see my post on coverage of the hearings in November: fair, or “balanced”? (At least this time the inevitable media coverage will reflect a real balance of viewpoints on the list of those who’ve registered to speak.)

Public Testimony Registrations
State Board of Education Committee of the Full Board
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Item #1 — Public Hearing Regarding Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School *Viewpoint — Indicates whether petitioner prefers the phrase “strengths and weaknesses” to be Included in or Excluded from the TEKS

Item Number	Name	Affiliation	Registered Lobbyist	Viewpoint*
1	Sharon Mosher	Jackson School Geosciences, UT Austin	No	Exclude
2	Joshua Rosenau	National Center for Science Education	No	Include
3	Kyle Lewallen	Self	No	Other
4	Alison Henning	Department of Earth Science, Rice University	No	Exclude
5	Ann Molineux	Austin Geological Society	No	Other
6	Barbara Cobaugh	Cypress-Fairbanks ISD	No	Other
7	Mary Smith	Cypress-Fairbanks ISD	No	Other
8	John Corless	Self	No	Other
9	Susie McMinn	Self	No	Other
10	Lee Wagstaff	Self	No	Include
11	Debi Weissling	Northside ISD	No	Other
12	Patricia Rhoton	Self	No	Include
13	Juli Berwald	Self	No	Exclude
14	Cherry Moore	Self	No	Include
15	Sarah Wall	Self	No	Exclude
16	Randy Linder	Integrative Biology Section, UT Austin	No	Other
17	Randy Daw	Self	No	Include
18	Diana Walker	Self	No	Exclude
19	Deborah Koeck	Texas State University-San Marcos	No	Other
20	Raymond Bohlin	Self	No	Include
21	Martha Griffin	Self	No	Exclude
22	Richard White	Self	No	Include
23	Melinda Mells	Self	No	Exclude
24	Donald Ewert	Self	No	Include
25	Daniel Boone	Self	No	Exclude
26	Colin White	Self	No	Include
27	Joy Killough	Texas Association of Biology Teachers	No	Exclude
28	Randy Guliuzza	Self	No	Include
29	Robert Rutford	Self	No	Exclude
30	Austen Williams	Mrs. Arlington/Mrs. Texas	No	Include
31	Victoria Huang	Self	No	Exclude
32	Robert Crowther	Discovery Institute	No	Include
33	Abigail Lustig	Professor, UT Austin	No	Exclude
34	Heather Zeiger	Probe Ministries	No	Include
35	Josephine Krouse	Self	No	Exclude
36	Wade Warren	Self	No	Include
37	Joanna Boulton	Self	No	Exclude
38	Audris Zidermanis	Self	No	Include
39	Laura Rublee	Self	No	Exclude
40	Franklin Mayo	Self	No	Include

41	Dean Mohlman	Self	No	Exclude
42	Gary Johnson	Self	No	Include
43	Travis Tunnell	Self	No	Exclude
44	Walter Bradley	Self	No	Include
45	Cynthia McMullen	Self	No	Exclude
46	James Norelius	Self	No	Include
47	Cathy Stein	Self	No	Exclude
48	Lois Harbaugh	Self	No	Include
49	Floyd Jerry Lucia	Self	No	Include
50	Andy Ferrell	Self	No	Include
51	Jo Howard	Self	No	Include
52	Jeri Rodgers	Self	No	Exclude
53	Don Patton	Self	No	Include
54	Deborah Parrish	Self	No	Other
55	Chuck Hempstead	Science Teachers Association of Texas	Yes	Exclude
56	Bob Schoolfield	Self	No	Include
57	Douglas Ryan	Self	No	Other
58	David Daniels	Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas	No	Exclude
59	Don McCall	Self	No	Include
60	Steven Long	Self	No	Other
61	Pamela Shaw	Self	No	Exclude
62	Karen Rispin	Self	No	Include
63	Kathleen Green	Self	No	Exclude
64	Pierre Velasquez	Self	No	Include
65	Dan Foster	Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas	No	Exclude
66	Sara Kolb Hicks	Self	No	Include
67	Jamie Vernon	Self	No	Exclude
68	Hiram Sasser	Liberty Legal Institute	No	Include
69	Karen Matsler	Texas Science Education Leadership Association	No	Exclude
70	David Welch	Texas Pastor Council	No	Inclusion
71	James Westgate	Texas Academy of Science	No	Exclude
72	Jill Dutton	Van ISD	No	Include
73	Marsha Correira	Democracy for Texas –Bastrop City Chapter	No	Exclude
74	Kaylon Fenner	Self	No	Include
75	Karen Hewitt	Science Teachers Association of Texas		Exclude
76	Kelly Coghlan	Self	No	Include
77	Joseph Hanson	Self	No	Exclude
78	Mark Ramsey	Texans for Better Science Education	No	Include
79	Joni Ashbrook	Self	No	Exclude
80	MerryLynn Gerstenschlager	Texas Eagle Forum	No	Include
81	Pamela Willis	Self	No	Exclude
82	Casey Luskin	Discovery Institute	No	Include
83	Abril Davila	Self	No	Exclude

84	Anthony Bruner	Self	No	Include
85	David Truong	Self	No	Exclude
86	Jesse Flowers	Self	No	Include
87	Jeff Platzer	Self	No	Exclude
88	Mary Lou Bruner	Self	No	Include
89	James Davis	Self	No	Exclude
90	Jerry Cochran	Self	No	Include
91	Taylor Carr	Self	No	Exclude
92	Cedric Warren	Self	No	Include
93	Steve Takata	Self	No	Exclude
94	Karen Horn	Self	No	Include
95	David Cannatella	Self	No	Exclude
96	Allison Altman	Self	No	Include
97	Brenda Riggs	Self	No	Exclude
98	R.E. Smith	Self	No	Include
99	Tommy Walden	Self	No	Include
100	Carolyn Walden	Self	No	Include
101	Donna Zylderfuden	Self	No	Include
102	Franki Dockens	Self	No	Include
103	Rita Owens	Self	No	Include
104	David Quine	Self	No	Include
105	John Rodgers	Self	No	Include
106	Daniel Harris	Self	No	Include
107	Larry Doolen	Self	No	Include
108	Jack Ripley	Self	No	Include
109	Patrick Herndon	Self	No	Exclude
110	Steven Schafersman	Texas Citizens for Science	No	Exclude
111	David Shormann	Self	No	Include
112	Paul Murray	Texas Citizens for Science	No	Other
113	Gerald Skoog	Self	No	Exclude
114	Eugenie Scott	National Center for Science Education	No	Include
115	Lorenzo Sadun	Self	No	Other
116	Kathy Miller	Texas Freedom Network	No	Exclude
117	Ide Trotter	Texans for Better Science Education	No	Include
118	Nan Clayton	League of Women Voters of Texas	No	Exclude
119	Anita Gordon	Self	No	Exclude
120	Michael Baldwin	Science Teachers Association of Texas	No	Exclude
121	Jonathan Saenz	Free Market Foundation		Include
122	Sandra West	Self	No	Other
123	Terry Maxwell	Self	No	Exclude
124	Paul Henley	Texas State Teachers Association/ National Education Association	Yes	Other
125	Alexia Bieniek	Texas Earth Science Teachers Association		Exclude
126	Laura Ewing	Self	No	Exclude