Senate Committee On Nominations Hearings On McLeroy Confirmation

The Texas Senate Nominations Committee is presently holding hearings on the nomination of Dr. Don McLeroy (R-Bryan) as Chair of the State Board of Education. Perry appointed McLeroy in July 2007 and his appointment is subject to confirmation.

Liveblog after the jump.

7:08 p.m.: Kathy Miller of the Texas Freedom Network is testifying right now.

7:09 p.m.: Miller addressing SBOE’s failure to meet legislative intent on bible curriculum, an effort on which McLeroy “led the board away from statute and legislative intent.”

7:11 p.m. “The Chairman has led the board away from listening to experts,” Miller says.

7:12 p.m. Miller urges them to reject the nomination. Mike Jackson says, “so he’s a good guy other than that.” Moron.

7:13 p.m. Laura Ewing now testifying. She is from Sen. Jackson’s district. Ewing spent 24 years teaching social studies/political science. Also spent 10 years working as a social studies curriculum director. Says that social studies will show the same mess as language arts and science. “They have already siderailed the process,” Ewing says.

7:15  p.m.: Because of skewed appointments on social studies committee, 50 percent of Texas students have NO REPRESENTATION ON THE SOCIAL STUDIES REVIEW COMMITTEE (TEKS Refinement committee). Says process of TEKS refinement committees was hijacked in March committee.

7:16: Ewing says that SBOE wants out-of-state experts even BEFORE refinement committe on social studies finishes its work.

7:19 Reading Comprehension left out of English-Language Arts standards, Ewing notes.

7:21 p.m. SBOE Member Ken Mercer (a rightwing religious right nut) is testifying. “I always thought dentistry was a science” he notes. Oh, Jesus, this is going to be fun.

7:22 p.m. Mercer calls multiplication tables “times tables.” Is he seriously qualified to be on the state board of education?

7:30 Mercer claims a student was denied their PhD for testifying before the SBOE. Someone could write a book fact-checking his testimony.

7:31 p.m. Jonathan Sanez with Free Market Foundation testifying

7:33 Says he can see McLeroy being fair on anything before him. THAT’S A LAUGH.

7:34 FLASH: Witness tells committee Charles Darwin was not from Texas. Wow. Who knew.

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