Texas Freedom Network Launches Bid To Expel David Bradley From State Board Of Education

The Texas Freedom Network’s 21st Century Education PAC has launched an effort to encourage voters to “expel” David Bradley from the State Board of Education, citing his shameful 12-year record of
censoring textbooks, bullying teachers and fellow board members and promoting his own extremist politics over the interests of public school students, a spokesperson for a the new PAC said today.

“With so much attention focused on the presidential campaigns, it’s critical that voters not forget about a race that is so important to the future of Texas schoolchildren,” said Kathy Miller of the TFN 21st Century Education PAC, who also noted that Bradley fails to live inside the board district he represents. “David Bradley has been the state board’s ringleader for extremism and textbook censorship for 12 years. It’s time to send him home for good, wherever that is.”

Miller said TFN 21st Century Education PAC has endorsed Bradley’s incumbent, longtime educator Laura Ewing of Friendswood. Ewing has also been endorsed by the Houston Chronicle, the Beaumont Enterprise and Texas Parent PAC.

Miller said the lack of attention to Bradley’s dismal record required the TFN 21st Century Education PAC to communicate directly with voters through mail and phone calls. For the first time, many voters are learning the real facts about Bradley.

Here are some facts about Bradley you might not know:

•Bradley was indicted for breaking the state’s law on open meetings. The charges were later dropped in exchange for Bradley taking a seminar on open government and not violating any law above a traffic violation for a year. (”Case closed in education board inquiry,” Austin American-Statesman, July 2, 2004)

•Bradley’s own “hometown” newspaper, the Beaumont Enterprise, has refused to endorse him in part because he lives outside his state board district. More here.

•Bradley’s failure to pay his taxes led to the closure of one of his businesses. (Secretary of State records)

•Bradley threatened a fellow state board member, forcing that member’s husband to demand armed security at board meetings. (”State Board of Education race heating up in District 7,” The Examiner, Oct. 16, 2008)

•In 2004 Bradley voted to adopt new high school health textbooks that failed to include a shred of information on responsible pregnancy and disease prevention. That same year Texas became the state with the nation’s highest teen birth rate. (”Texts approved after revisions,” Dallas Morning News, November 6, 2008)

•Bradley has so much contempt for public schools that he home-schooled his own children and has called for the abolition of the Texas Education Agency. (”School of naught; No State Board of Education member has a child in a public school.” Houston Chronicle, March 31, 2002; “Bradley seeks third term at the State Board of Education,” Kingwood Observer, March 6, 2002)

•This year Bradley led successful efforts to discard three years of efforts by teacher work groups to revise the state’s language arts curriculum standards. Hours before a vote, Bradley proposed and succeeded in passing a new curriculum document that had been patched together overnight despite the vigorous objections of teachers and curriculum experts. Bradley later bragged that he had “spanked” the teachers. (”Board OKs last-minute revision of curriculum,” Austin American-Statesman, May 24, 2008; “Debate over biology is brewing,” San Antonio Express-News, May 31, 2008)

Tweet This Post   Ping This Post

Bookmark It