The Texas State Board of Education decides what gets taught in Texas public schools. The Republican-majority board has given into pressure from far-right groups who want any mention of LGBTQIA+ people stricken from health curriculum, they've introduced Bible-infused curriculum with thousands of errors that had to be corrected, and they are currently considering changes to social studies curriculum that prioritize the input of far-right 'advisors' over the opinions of actual Texas teachers. The board also approves charter school applications and decides how to spend the $60 billion+ Texas Permanent School Fund.

Since writing my initial primary guide, I've talked to more public education advocates and learned that Stephanie is the candidate that charter school proponents are pushing for. Charter schools might not be 100% bad all the time, but the consensus among public education advocates is that they drain limited resources from our struggling public schools. Since the SBOE approves charter schools, I definitely lean toward having a board member represent me who is more skeptical of charters. And as I mentioned in my initial primary guide: Whoever wins this safe Democrat seat will have to work closely with the board's Republican members to accomplish anything, so style is going to count for a lot. In watching candidate forums, veteran educator Allison Bush had a style and demeanor that felt as though her own report card might read 'works well with others.'

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