Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 06:30:20 -0800 (PST)
From: jessea@uclink2.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman)
Subject: followup on AIDS education in  TEXAS schools

a followup to our earlier alert, Dec. 9, 1995, in which we reported that
Texas education commissioner Mike Moses rejected $1.85 million in CDC
grants earmarked for AIDS prevention seminars and the state's health
curriculum because he doesn't want mandates on how local schools teach sex
education and this  money came with too many strings attached.

UPDATE: Moses is now saying that he "might" take the money IF
Texas can still teach "abstinence-only"  sex education.  "Abstinence-only"
sex education is a morally and pragmatically bankrupt
program promoted by fundamentalists.   "Abstinence-only" programs
take a head-in-the-sand approach to modern youth sexuality.

Michael A. (Mike) Moses became Texas' Commissioner of Education in March
1995.  The Commissioner of Education is nominated by the State Board of
Education, appointed to the post by the Governor and confirmed by the Texas
Senate.  Gov. Bush had campaigned on a platform proposing to eliminate the
TEA, so what happens next bears close watching.  Will Moses dismantle the
TEA or gut it?

Texas' public education system  consists of 1,046 school districts, 6,343
campuses, 435,000 employees, and  3.6 million schoolchildren.  The system
spends more than $17 billion annually  in state, local and federal funds on
educational programs and services that  serve individuals ranging in age
from 3 years old through adulthood.
IT IS THE SECOND LARGEST STATE SYSTEM IN THE NATION TO UTILIZE
STATEWIDE TEXTBOOK ADOPTION, meaning the state centrally mandates
the texts used by all public districts throughout Texas.  Influencing
central state education agency officials is KEY to obtaining LGBT-inclusive,
fair and accurate curricula and texts for millions of school children.

The Commissioner of Education serves as executive officer of the State
Board of Education, which adopts  measures designed to implement the
requirements of education legislation and  formulates education policy for
the state.  S/he also is head of the Texas  Education Agency, the state's
department of education, organizing and  directing the Agency in the
implementation of Board policies, rules and  resolutions necessary to
promote educational progress.  His/her duties involve  establishing
policies and rules; appointing advisory committees; adopting  various plans
and budgets; requesting appropriations; reporting to the  governor and
Texas Legislature and recommending changes in state education legislation;
and general educational leadership and direction.

Moses can be reached at the Texas Education Agency, 1701 N. Congress Ave.,
Austin TX 78701-1494.
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Jessea Greenman <jessea@uclink2.berkeley.edu>
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94609-1245
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