Thomas Ratliff

William McKenzie/Editorial Columnist
Dallas Morning News

Most of us in Texas are concentrated on the governor's race, which certainly is the most crucial contest in the primary both parties are holding tomorrow. But not far behind in importance is a race for the State Board of Education seat, Place 9. Incumbent board member Don McLeroy, a Bryan Republican, is being challenged by Thomas Ratliff, a Mount Pleasant Republican.

As readers of this blog know, the board is very crucial. Among other responsibilities, it shapes the standards the state uses to assess students, determines what goes in our textbooks and oversees the state fund that finances public schools. All three areas also have been in the papers lately.

The board's debates over standards for reading, social studies and science have been hotly contested. Its decisions about what goes in textbooks, like the teaching of evolution, have drawn plenty of attention. And its calls about what outside companies land contracts to manage the school fund have sparked controversy. Morning News reporter and Education Front blogger Terry Stutz did a good job describing those controversies in this piece.

The board's actions also have gotten attention nationally. Most recently, the New York Times Magazine wrote about McLeroy and the board. He's been a leader of the eight or so social and cultural conservatives, whose doubts about evolution, approaches to reading comprehension, inclusion of conservatives in textbooks and exclusion of liberals have been part of the brouhaha surrounding the 15-member panel.

For the record, I had no problem with the McLeroy faction wanting more conservatives included in the social studies standards. Nor did I think they were out of bounds in asking that students have a better idea about the religious influences on the country's evolution.

But the board's socially conservative wing has deserved most of the critique and attention it has received. Their questioning of what teachers suggested about reading comprehension, their skepticism of evolution, their exclusion of liberals in social studies standards and their decisions surrounding the hiring of school fund managers has caused even Republican members of the board to say enough.

Ratliff hopes to join the enough-is-enough faction, which includes Republicans TIncy Miller, Pat Hardy and Bob Craig. This race involves North Texas, by the way. Parts of Collin County are in the district that McLeroy holds.

I'd suggest paying attention to the contest tomorrow night because a McLeroy victory would continue business as usual. A Ratliff upset would mean that more pragmatic members gain the upper hand. Whichever way it goes, the outcome sure will affect a lot of Texans.