In an article with the Houston Chronicle, candidate for CCISD Trustee, Peter Lauson claims to want to take politics out of the school board. Unfortunately we have him on video and now in ink saying the exact opposite.

Lauzon is a former member of the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC). He helped draft and voted to approve the Republican platform. The platform is what his party, and he, believes in. It outlines their goals and intentions and it is NOT in the best interest of the parents, teachers, and students of CCISD. If elected this is what you can expect from him as a Trustee. Here are just some of the high[low]lights of his platform. The entire platform can be read here.

155. Homosexuality: Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice. (How are teachers, parents, students, staff, who are gay or who have loved ones who are gay and attend CCISD suppose to interpret this statement coming from a candidate for Trustee?)

31. Prayer, Bible, and Ten Commandments in Schools: We support prayer, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments being returned to our schools, courthouses, and other government buildings. (What kind of prayer? Islam? Buddhist? or just the word of Jesus Christ their savior?)

101. School Choice: Texas families shall be empowered to choose from public, private, charter, or homeschool options for their children’s education, and the funding shall follow the student without strings attached. (ie Vouchers)

103. Parents’ Rights in Education: Parents are the primary educators and disciplinarians of their children, to which all other entities are inferior. (As if parents know better than teachers in education matters)

106. Inappropriate and/or Harmful Content: We request that the Texas Legislature pass legislation that requires Texas schools and libraries to filter inappropriate and/or harmful content, such as pornography, for minors. (This is already done but they want to ban anything that references the gay community. See 155 above)

108. Religious Freedom and Public Schools: We urge school administrators and officials not to infringe on Texas school students’ and staffs’ rights to pray and engage in religious speech, individually or in groups, on school property without government interference. (That is already done.)

112. American Identity: We favor strengthening our common American identity, which includes the contribution and assimilation of diverse racial and ethnic groups. We reject Critical Race Theory as a post-Marxist ideology that seeks to undermine the system of law and order itself and to reduce individuals to their group identity alone. We support legislation to remove this ideology from government programs, including education involving race, discrimination, and racial awareness. 

115. Bilingual Education: We encourage non-English-speaking students to transition, via best practices, to English within two years, allowing them to quickly assimilate and succeed in American society. (As opposed to learning multiple languages to compete in a global environment)

123. Withdraw from Taxpayer-Funded Lobby Groups Like TASB: Local independent school districts should sever all ties with taxpayer funded lobby groups including the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), and the Texas Association of Community Schools (TACS). 

This is who Peter Lauzon is. This is what he voted for. This is what he believes in. The only way he should come close to a school is if he bought a ticket to a school carnival.

Wow. Two Caught on Camera posts in one week!

There was a hearing for Senate Bill 175 which would gut the ability of the Texas Association of School Boards to advocate on behalf of the 1025 school boards that are members. According to their website:

The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) is a voluntary, nonprofit, statewide educational association that serves and represents local Texas school boards and was established in 1949 with two main goals in mind:

To share information through publications and training to help Texas board members serve their communities more effectively.

To speak with a unified voice to decision makers to chart the best future for Texas public schools.

Trustee Scott Bowen, identifying himself as a Trustee of CCISD and speaking as a Trustee, on behalf of less than 50% of those who voted for him, spent his “own time and own dime” to speak in support of cutting TASB advocacy and giving the State more control over a local school district.

TASB has 1025 districts as members out of 1250 districts in the entire state. They were created in 1949 and have sustained their membership for over 30 years. They do the job that Trustees, working parents, teachers, and students can’t do. They advocate for public education, informing and advising elected officials on the impacts of legislation.

If you have ever been a citizen lobbyist (I have) you know how much time it takes from work and your family to speak with staff and elected officials and to speak at hearings. Unlike the high paid lobbyists working for the homebuilders in Texas, I could only spend a week or two in Austin to advocate for consumers. The little guys (you and your family) are out gunned especially when it comes to the cost of home insurance, electricity, new homes, and other consumer issues.

And students, parents, and teachers are also out gunned especially when the State and Scott Bowen is hell bent on dismantling public education. You can watch Bowen’s 3 minutes of fame here.