Written by Don Byrd
Texas Senators finally got their chance to question Board of Education Chairwoman Barbara Cargill in hearings Monday. Cargill was appointed head of the controversial body prior to the legislature’s last session, but she will need to be confirmed to maintain the post. During her tenure, Cargill has been known for divisive tactics like asking curriculum experts about their political views, and remarking that the Board had 6 “true conservative Christian” members, among the 15 members.
In her hearing, Cargill tried to assure Senators she had put such behavior behind her.
[Senator Kirk] Watson likened that to a political litmus test. “They need to be what you would label ‘a conservative?'” he asked.
“I don’t ask that question anymore,” Cargill responded. “I think that I’ve probably learned through the years, and the amount of time I’ve spend on the board now, I just look at resumes.”
She also assured the Committee that she thinks creationism should be taught in homes and houses of worship, not science classrooms. Yet she’s consistently argued for curriculum rules that would undermine the teaching of evolution.
Has she really learned some valuable lessons? To leave politics out of the curriculum review process, and religion out of the science classroom? Or will her confirmation just lead to more of the same old arguments? Stay tuned.
