State Board of Education Chairman Don McLeroy took the hot seat before the Senate Nominations Committee this afternoon, to defend the job he's done in the past year and half as chair of the panel. McLeroy is a social conservative with a powerful job; the board sets Texas curriculum standards and chooses textbooks for public school students. Last month, he backed teaching "weaknesses" of evolution.

McLeroy facing questions

McLeroy spent the beginning of his testimony defending the board over concerns its become overly political and needs its power stripped. (Lawmakers are considering a number of bills to take various responsibilities away from the Board because it's been such a source of questionable national attention and apparent meltdowns.)

"We have much better textbooks because of the process we go through on the Board of Education. I just can't see taking that away. The process keeps getting better and better," said McLeroy.

"The science adoption we just completed, it was phenomenal," McLeroy said. "When we got around to the votes, it was compromise."

More to come.

1 Comments

Robert Baumgardner said:

McLeroy has rejected the consensus of major scientific organizations in this country and the expert testimony of SBOE-appointed scientists and, instead, promoted his own personal anti-science opinions, many of which are taken word-for-word from religious websites that oppose evolution. He is not a scientist, but he tries to pretend that he is one. He is a highly partisan ideologue who has no place serving on the board that determines the content of schoolbooks and classroom instruction for every public school student in Texas. He should be removed as soon as possible.

April 23, 2009 2:30 PM

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