Harrison County, Texas
Volunteer Voter's Guide
Texas State Board of Education
The Board of Education has 15 members, one from each district in Texas.
The member from our district (District 9) is:
You can learn more about these candidates and their agendas at vote411.
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What does the Board of Education do?
How does it affect me?
Sets policies and standards for Texas public schools including curriculum, materials, graduation requirements, teacher certification, and has final veto over charter school authorization.
Basically, they control what is in our textbooks, who can be a teacher, what the requirements for students are, and whether or not a charter school can open.
For an example of how this works, the Texas State Board of Education was in the 2012 documentary film The Revisionaries, which followed the Board debate on teaching creationism over evolution in schools. Because the State Board creates textbook standards for schools across the state they are responsible for all science, evolution, social studies, and American history content taught in Texas schools.
Board members serve 4-year terms. Every 2 years, we vote on half of the board seats. Every 10 years district lines are redrawn and all 15 seats are up for election.