Michael Williams to Head Texas Education Agency
Gov. Rick Perry named Michael Williams the new commissioner of the Texas Education Agency Monday.
A fixture of Texas Republican politics — and a former general counsel to the Republican Party of Texas — Williams resigned from the Texas Railroad Commission in 2011 after serving more than a decade on the regulatory body that oversees the state's oil and natural gas industry.
His appointment comes at a trying time for the agency, which lost a third of its workforce after budget cuts last year. Amid anxiety from parents, educators and administrators — and backlash from lawmakers — over its transition to a rigorous ...
Comments (24)
Pamela Baggett-Wallis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Because he has so much experience in the field of education. NOT!
Rick Scott McGuckin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Horrible, terrible corrupt idea. Welcome to Texas politics.
Carlos A. Martinez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ohhh shit. Its about to get hella right wing in schools. DISASTER AHEAD!
Patsy Painter Hull via Texas Tribune on Facebook
How is he qualified for this position?
David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook
How do I apply to be a "Pal of Perry" so I too, can get cushy government jobs?
John Carhart via Texas Tribune on Facebook
More Perry cronyism, old boy network, etc. Since when have real substantive qualifications really mattered in the Perry regime? It's all about one thing; IDEOLOGY!
Pamela Baggett-Wallis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Patsy, he is qualified because he is one of Goodhair's lackeys.
Pamela Baggett-Wallis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I would "like" many of the comments above, but there's nothing likable about this entire situation. Perry owns the head of every state agency now and almost all the public information people.
Glenda Hawthorne via Texas Tribune on Facebook
...and so what, exactly, does he know about education?
Justin W. Williamson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Y'all do know he once worked for the U.S. Department of Education, right?
Glenda Hawthorne via Texas Tribune on Facebook
...and that means what?
Will Franklin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What a cesspool of comments.
Mikael Garcia via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It's not necessarily a good thing that he worked for the Education Department, and I'm not even sure how I feel about Williams (I don't like how he switched from Senate to Congress, from district to district, and now this), but one thing is for sure... Tribune readers are a hateful bunch.
Anya Khan
Justin, Will,Mikael thank you for not going the drain with the other comemts.
Leigh Williams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well, you're right about that, Mikael. We purely hate how Goodhair has crony-capitaled every agency, gutted education, gutted women's health care, and ruined the state for several decades to come. Fixing all the evil he's done is going to be a Herculean task. Cleaning the stable doesn't even come close.
Steven Schafersman
This is very bad. Michael Williams is from Midland, a city that prides itself on giving George W. Bush his lifelong values. Williams has these same values. He graduated from a Midland high school and has a law degree. He worked in both Bush Administrations and was appointed to the Texas Railroad Commission (= Texas Energy Commission) by Rick Perry. He only supported the petroleum industry while there. He resigned to run for U.S. Congress but came in fifth. He is a very ignorant person and has zero academic experience except for his student days. I have heard him speak several times. He is always an enthusiastic booster promoting ultra-right wing Republican values and issues but never spoke about anything with substance, just boosterism. His learning curve at the TEA will be monumental. He will be much worse than the previous commissioner who at least valued science somewhat. Williams rejects anthropogenic climate change (see <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3DjYxP4s4c>; note: the video at <https://www.texastribune.org/texas-representatives-in-congress/us-congress/michael-williams-on-climate-change/> has been disabled!). I'm sure he also rejects evolution and many other scientific topics. He reflects current Texas Tea Party values. I consider this appointment to be disgraceful and a rebuke to public education in Texas. Michael Williams was appointed to continue the Republican's War on Public Education in Texas and will surely do his best to damage curriculum standards and instructional materials as the Radical Religious Right Republicans have been doing for the past ten years.
Matt Prewett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I don't know about the readers, but the comments over here are rough!
Tracy Koppell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Such hate and name calling.
Judy Burns via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Just great. Now we will have the children of Texas learning Creationism at a private school paid for with a voucher funded by my tax dollars.
Texas Parents Opt Out of State Tests via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The comments posted here are not nearly as hateful as the governor's actions against women and children.
Texas Supe
Stick a fork in me.
Matt Robinson
Rita Haecker, President of the Texas State Teachers Association was spot on in her assessment of the Williams appointment to head the TEA. Is the Legislature going to listen to political appointees like Williams and anti-Public school Republicans like Dan Patrick, or the real education professionals -- teachers, Superintendents and school board members?
The Republican leaders in the Legislature are about to seriously overplay their hand in the next session if they think victories by people like Donna Campbell & Ted Cruz will justify fleecing Public schools in favor of Private schools & home-schooling. The overwhelming majority of Texas parents send their kids to Public schools and their voice will be heard, if not this coming spring -- then in the elections of 2014.
Pamela Baggett-Wallis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Tracy, I don't detect any hate toward Mr. Williams. I don't even hate Goodhair. But I do abhor everything he stands for. Judy Burns has it right.
Michael Hull
@ Tracy:
Defend the appointment. I don't think you can, but give it a try....