SBOE Waits for Right-Wing Reinforcements

It looks like the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) is going to kick the can down the road, deciding to wait until next term to rewrite the Texas social studies curriculum (what we know as the TEKS). Why? It appears that the SBOE caved to pressure from right-wing Republican lawmakers who objected to the standards coming out of the curriculum committee. When the SBOE decided to delay, Republican lawmakers celebrated on Twitter, "The board voted to scrap the wokeified proposed changes to the TEKS." The likely explanation for delay is that right-wing Republicans hope that they can increase their majority on the SBOE next term and get proposals more in line with their politics.

Random Thoughts: "Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining."

Tweets from August, 2022:

• 2022-08-01: Richardson moved forward with the taking of park land for construction of a 5 million gallon water tank. The City Manager describes this loss of park land as a "win-win" situation. As the old saying goes, "Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining."
• 2022-08-01: The applicant, anticipating another rejection, withdrew the application for student housing near UT-Dallas. I hate telling UT-Dallas students to hang on a little longer. It's obvious that housing for students is not a priority of this City Council.
• 2022-08-01: Irony. Kentucky Noah's Ark sues insurance company over damage caused by heavy rains - CBS News.

After the jump, more random thoughts.

POTD: Sunset on the Mississippi River Delta

From 2020 01 31 New Orleans

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Mississippi River south of New Orleans. It's just wetlands and occasional oil equipment all the way from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Anatomy of a Scandal (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Anatomy of a Scandal (TV 2022): British parliamentary leader is caught in a sex scandal whose stakes ratchet upwards until his wife, the PM, even the government prosecutor all get drawn in. Decent acting and compelling story even if the biggest reveal is highly implausible. B-

(New) School Board Comments on EDI

Richardson ISD is the fifth most diverse school district in Texas, and the largest in north Texas. RISD has recognized that fact for years and, in response, in 2019 adopted an "Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Policy" (EDI).

"June 10, 2019, is a big day," Superintendent Jeannie Stone said. "It's a big, big day." It was the day that the Richardson ISD Board of Trustees adopted the RISD Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) Policy in a unanimous 7-0 vote. "Once approved, trustees and members of the public delivered a standing ovation."

Source: Community Impact.

That was then. This is now. We all know what's happened in between, to Superintendent Stone and to RISD's unity. The three most contentious issues in 2021 were COVID-19 mitigation policies, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and, of course, EDI. It's time to check in on the (new) Board of Trustees and see where they stand on EDI.