After this past week of teaching and campaigning for Texas State Board of Education, I had a nightmare about a woman saying no Democrats could win in Texas. In my nightmare, I screamed that we were working as hard as we could and how could she just sit on the sidelines and be so negative. My dream’s message is clear: We need help! The next board will pick the textbooks, and it’s essential that we elect an educated, reasonable majority to implement the will of the people of Texas to give students a 21st century education. It’s going to take money to make that happen, so we're asking for your support at voterebecca.com. Here’s why . . .
The current board is a disaster that has captured the attention of thinking citizens everywhere, but the media and the public are focusing on the problem and not the solution. People in Texas are witnessing the value and reputation of their diplomas plummet with every stupid move of the current Board. Contrary to the stereotype, most Texans are reasonable people who want a good education for their children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and all the future generations who will support us in our old age. It makes economic and moral sense to have a strong educational system with 21st-century texts and a school board that focuses on the real problems in Texas: a high dropout rate, high-stakes testing, and loss of good teachers. We can rescue education in Texas by securing teachers’ freedom to teach and students’ freedom to learn. This will take financial support from everyone who sees how crucial this election is.
But why should those outside of Texas really care? Extremists would like to make Texas the template for taking over local and state school boards and imposing their own political and religious agendas on the rest of the nation. If we’re not vigilant and proactive, what has happened in Texas will spread all over the country, and the censored, dumbed-down, inaccurate textbooks from Texas can finish the job. The new board can change all of that by working with publishers to produce good books in this next round of textbook development and purchasing.
We can make a concerted effort to shape the future for the better, but we have to get people to donate. If everyone who reads this gets ten friends to donate just a small amount, $5 or $10, we can buy stickers, television spots, signs, and push cards to spread the word that there is a solution to this problem everyone has heard about. Even a few dollars from a lot of people can make a huge difference. Public education is fundamental to a sound democracy, and this money is an investment in our future. Ignorance and apathy on our part have delivered us to this place, but energy, generosity, and informed action will rescue education in Texas. Help us and yourselves out in November by visiting voterebecca.com right now. Thank you!