Meet Barbara Cargill, the SBOE's Latest Chief
As Barbara Cargill details the menagerie she keeps to teach schoolchildren about science, the new chairwoman of the State Board of Education wants to make something clear: There’s only one snake in her house.
“There are a couple of lizards, I have turtles, I have salamanders, tree frogs, I have a toad, only one snake — I don’t want to freak people out — it’s a corn snake, and bunny rabbits,” she says.
Cargill’s skills as an animal wrangler may serve her well in managing the fractious group whose ideological debates over the state’s education curricula in ...
Comments (9)
Luisa Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yawn. Another Bible-thumper dumbing down Texas kids. Why can't we get a Rice Univ. graduate instead of a mediocre Baylor grad?
Chris Payne via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It's depressingly amazing how these small-minded religious crusaders get into such positions of power.
Lisa Ahrlett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why are Christians automatically dumb crusaders? Is it not possible for them to be intelligent people who do not have motives to brainwash people or force religion on them? Why are non-religious people so afraid of Christianity? It's a little childish, and conntains zero substance. But without childish things to say I guess some people would not have anything to say at all.
Pickles Sorrell
http://www.christiansagainstcargill.blogspot.com
Sebastian St.Troy
Cargill described her allies on the board as its “six true conservative Christians.” How long is it going to take for the citizens of the United States and especially Texas before the point of out'rage becomes action? Public, tax payer funded, schools are NOT the arena for religion!!!!!! People like Cargill and her 'six Christians' should immediately be removed from the State Board of Education because their only agenda is promoting their specific religious agenda into our school system.
Having been a Southern Baptist Preacher, knowing that most people that call themselves Christian have no idea of what it is to be Christ Like, and also knowing the damaging affects of such narrow-minded, bigoted, religious zealots then it is now wonder I demanded my name be removed from the Baptist list and left the church. If they want to promote their religion, then let them do it in the private schools.
Stephen J Wright via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Lisa-why you don't the ask the "non-Christians" on the Board (who are actually Christians, Ratliff even being a Sunday School teacher) who were labeled as such when Cargill stated there were only six "true Christians" on said Board. No one said Christians were "dumb crusaders", merely that Cargill is one. :)
Caitlin Gilchrist via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Lisa: Who's saying all Christians are automatically dumb crusaders? There are several highly intelligent Christians on the school board. McLeroy, Lowe, and Cargill just aren't among them.
Erin Anderson
So a group opposing Cargill for being openly Christian is called "Christians" Against Cargill? Hmm.
I believe the most important adjective in Cargill's statement is being (purposely?) overlooked: CONSERVATIVE. She was referring to the "true conservatives" - there are plenty of liberal Christians as well, no doubt including those "Against Cargill".
d f
Geez! When will the people of Texas ever realize the folly in political appointees and elected officials running the entire Texas public education system? While this does provide "local control" over local schools, in whose hands do we give this power to influence the education of our future? Idealogues, demagogues, and fools who think the Earth is no more than 10,000 years old and believe early Man talked to snakes. When we empower simple minds to direct the educational development of our youth, it is no wonder our "leaders of tomorrow" are so insufficiently prepared. There is a reason why the graduates of engineering schools across the U.S. come from overseas. U.S. students cannot handle the rigorous discipline of scientific, empirical reasoning. And, of course, because all that math is just too hard. Religious fairy tales provide no substance for an education.