Dr. Dakota Carter is running for a spot on the Texas Board of Education from District 6 in western Harris County.
This is the third of a series of diaries I am posting about Democratic nominees in Harris County.
The Texas Board of Education has 15 members who are elected from single-member districts for 4-year terms. It supervises the Texas Education Agency which sets standards and policies for the state’s public schools. It also recommends textbooks although school districts may choose their own. Most school districts follow the TEA recommendations. There are national ramifications because Texas is a large market that publishers are pressed to follow.
Turning Texas blue is linked with our having more influence in public education.
Dakota Carter grew up on a small ranch N of Shamrock in the Texas Panhandle. He was the first in his family to attend college. He got a BA in political science at the University of North Texas (in Denton) and was student body president there. Then he earned a MD at UTHealth. He is also doing his residency at UTHealth. His specialty is child psychiatry. He is the youngest and first openly gay candidate to run for the position he seeks. He is willing to take a risk.
The Right Wing always seeks to control education. William F. Buckley wrote a book entitled ‘God and Man at Yale.’ The right believes it has been cheated in education and seeks to bias education in its favor. In Texas it has had quite a bit of success. Let’s regain ground in Texas education.
Carter is a critic of the prevalence of standardized testing in today’s education. Let’s elect someone who is not obligated to the testing industry.
He offers to demand textbooks based on facts rather than biases, accurate presentation of history, social studies, and sciences.
I have talked with him a few times and I am well impressed. Once we discussed an aspect of evolution. Yes, he would give it good place in the curriculum.
It costs money to run for any office. Your donations would be most appreciated. When you have donated you can plant links on Facebook and Twitter to ask others to donate also. Click ‘share’ to post onto Facebook.
You can vote for him if you are registered to vote in District 6 in western Harris County. Early voting will start in the middle of October. Always wise to vote early so you have time to rectify problems. You must be registered, however, at least 30 days prior to Nov. 8.