Election of Chair
September 15, 2011
COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION
SUMMARY: This item provides the Committee on Instruction an opportunity to elect a chair due to the resignation of the current committee chair.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §7.107.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: None.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: Because of her appointment as chair of the State Board of Education, Barbara Cargill is relinquishing her chairmanship of the Committee on Instruction. This will necessitate the election of a new chair.
The board’s operating rules provide the following guidance:
“The Committees on Instruction, School Finance/Permanent School Fund, and School Initiatives shall be composed of five members selected by the officers of the board. Each member will serve on one committee in addition to the Committee of the Full Board. The officers of the board shall receive in writing two committee choices ranked in order of preference and shall make committee assignments for terms of two years at the organizational meeting after the qualification of new members as the next order of business following election of board officers and adoption of rules. Vacancies shall be filled in a similar fashion. In addition to preference, the officers of the board may also consider seniority, ethnicity, gender balance, and relevant qualifications specific to a committee assignment in making committee assignments. Each committee shall elect a chair from among its members and the chair may appoint a vice chair.” A tie-vote occurred when the committee attempted to elect a new chair in July. This postponed a decision to the September meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Election of a chair will enable the committee to perform its statutory duties relating to public education.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: None.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Scott
Commissioner of Education
Staff Members Responsible:
Debbie Graves Ratcliffe, Director
Communications and SBOE Support
David Anderson, General Counsel
Legal Services