The Day After: Reaction to Forum

Picture from Dallas Morning News. 
Our forum last night at the Richardson ISD School Board Auditorium.
 

Last night, I participated in what will be the closest thing we will have to a debate between us- Tincy and I, as you can see from this story by the Dallas Morning News.  However, I admit at times it hardly felt like a neutral athmosphere.  I don't want to be critical at the League of Women Voters who organized the event, they did their best to promote a fair democratic process by NOT allowing campaign material to be openly distributed in the auditorium. Yet I do think quite a few supporters for Miller were present in what was supposed to be a community event focused on informing undecided voters.  In fact, at one point in the forum even Mrs. Miller freely admitted to one of her longtime supporters being present and available after the debate to help explain her positions on writing the History curriculum! 

There was one question I thought was both bizarre and clearly put out by a Miller supporter designed to her explain her specific positions on technology in the past and to put a positive spin on them.  That question regarded the topic of funding for computer hardware.  Miller has had a mixed record at best embracing technology.  She has not been honest in the past and was not honest at all last night on her lack of support promoting the use of modern-day technology.  She should and does know as much as anyone that the State Board of Education does not govern the funding at all on computer hardware.

As I tried to explain last night, school districts in Texas have acquired much of their funding from Federal, not State funds such as Title I to bring modern technology onto their campuses.  On occasion some school districts have been able to get private donations from individuals and non-profits to address this issue.  The Texas State Legislature has just recently passed into law that barely addresses this issue- the need for all students within Texas public schools to have access to modern day, 21st century technology such as e-books or I-Pads. It was called Senate Bill 6, which I will describe in another blog.