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| 7/6/2009 12:17:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article | Teacher to run for state education board
LAURI ZACHRY
Education Reporter
McNeil High School teacher Rebecca Osborne says it's time to put an educator on the State Board of Education.
Osborne, an announced Republican candidate for District 10, said she is one of the only professional educators running for the position. Those living in District 10 will choose between Osborne and other candidates March 2, 2010 as part of a Republican primary also expected to feature a gubernatorial race betweeen Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Osborne has served as a teacher at McNeil High School for 11years, teaching classes such as art history and working with at-risk programs at the school such as its credit recovery program for students who are behind in earning high school credits.
Previously, Osborne taught in Taylor ISD and Angleton ISD, in Brazoria County.
Currently, Osborne is the only Austin and Round Rock area candidate running for a board of education seat.
"We're really lucky to live in a community with great schools and kids that have that great compass on life and know where they are heading," Osborne said. "But I'm concerned for the kids who might be falling through the cracks. I care a lot about these kids and we need people on the board of education to see what kids we aren't serving. I want to be an educator's voice for all children. I want to try to find ways to help all kids."
For example, she said, McNeil has a coveted agriculture program for its students and an ag farm located right on campus. One way to get students more interested in a core subject, such as science, would be to have an agriculture science class count as a core science subject.
One of the issues important to Osborne is the board's 4X4 requirements which require Texas high school students to graduate with four years of English, social studies, math and science.
State Board of Education Members determine the content for kindergarten through 12th grade courses, graduation requirements and student assessments. They also make decisions regarding textbooks.
The State Board of Education's District 10 represents 13 full counties and parts of three other counties.
District 10 also covers six state Senate districts.
The counties represented in District 10 are as follows:
Williamson, Milam, Washington, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Waller, De Witt, Gonzales, Lavaca, Colorado, Fayette, Bastrop, Lee and Austin.
In recent years, Osborne said, there has been a disconnect in communication between the state board of education and what goes on in classrooms throughout Texas.
Osborne said she wants to help reconnect the state board of education to public school classrooms.
"What is best for the public school children of Texas will guide my decision making," she said.
Osborne and her family moved to Round Rock in the 1960s, as one of the first IBM families brought in for what was then Austin's brand-new facility.
Osborne graduated from Round Rock High School, where she was active in theatre.
She then received a bachelor of fine arts degree in theater - well as her as teacher certification - from Southwestern University in Georgetown, a master's degree in speech from Kent State University in Ohio and a doctorate in education administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
Osborne is also the creator of a Web site connecting people who have grown up in Williamson County with their ancestors, three-legged-willie.com.
Osborne said she receives about 50 hits a day at the Web site.
She also operates a Web site - which contains campaign information - at rebeccaosborne.com.
Osborne has created a function on her Web site which allows people to share their ideas.
To use this function click on "Take Action", click on "Share Idea" and then type a suggestion.
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