Gov. Abbott Criticized for Choice of Homeschooler as Chairperson to the State Board of Education

Gov. Abbott's appointment of Donna Bahorich to the chair of the State Board of Education has come under fire after it was revealed that Bahorich homeschooled her children.

Bahorich, a former communications director for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, homeschooled both of her sons before sending them to private high schools.  Bahorich's appointment has been met with criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.  Republican State Board member Thomas Ratliff disagreed with the appointment, suggesting that Bahorich's lack of experience with the public school system should have disqualified her from consideration,

Public school isn’t for everybody, but when 94 percent of our students in Texas attend public schools I think it ought to be a baseline requirement that the chair of the State Board of Education have at least some experience in that realm, as a parent, teacher, something.

Watchdog group The Texas Freedom Network expressed concern over Bahorich's history and Abbott's believed favoring of homeschooling, saying they are worried Barhorich will make education decisions based on cultural and political agendas and not what is in the best interest of the students.  According to Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller,

If Gov. Abbott wanted to demonstrate that he won’t continue his predecessor’s efforts to politicize and undermine our state’s public schools, this appointment falls far short.  The governor has appointed as board chair an ideologue who voted to adopt new textbooks that scholars sharply criticized as distorting American history, who rejected public education for her own family and who supports shifting tax dollars from neighborhood public schools to private and religious schools through vouchers.

via Raw Story