SBOE MEMBER THOMAS RATLIFF WHINES AGAIN:
Thomas Ratliff, long-time lobbyist for Microsoft, is at it again. While Donna Garner sticks to the high road, I just think he's a jerk. Donna Garner pins him to the wall:
“Past Time To Impeach Thomas Ratliff”
by Donna Garner
9.24.14
http://www.educationviews.org/time-impeach-thomas-ratliff/
Posted at the bottom of this e-mail is a letter sent out by Thomas Ratliff today to all of the Texas State Board of Education members. He is miffed because his efforts to keep the AP U. S. History (APUSH) Resolution from being passed were thwarted, and Ratliff’s ego is hurt:
9.22.14 -- “Momentous SBOE Votes – Patriotism Protected for America’s Students” -- by Donna Garner -- http://www.educationviews.org/momentous-sboe-votes-patriotism-protected-americas-students/
Thomas Ratliff loves to think that he is so powerful that he can convince anyone of anything. After all, as a registered lobbyist for Microsoft for well over 13 years, Ratliff works for one of the most powerful men in the world – Bill Gates. Of course, it is Bill Gates who has pushed Common Core and, hence, the new APUSH Framework which is under the authority of David Coleman, president of the College Board. David Coleman is the architect of the Common Core Standards. Bill Gates stands to make billions from the Common Core and associated education materials because they require new technology infrastructure to support the Common Core Initiative.
In today’s letter to the SBOE, Thomas Ratliff is trying to make the Board feel ashamed of having passed the Resolution by an 8 to 4 majority (with Ratliff abstaining and 2 absent). In reality, the SBOE members have restored the public’s faith in their service! “Give the SBOE a big pat on the back.”
What Ratliff is worried about is that enough of the Texas House members might get their courage together and begin impeachment proceedings against him. In his letter, Ratliff is trying to redirect the attention away from potential impeachment problems for himself. He is a registered lobbyist for Microsoft that does thousands of dollars of business with the SBOE and the TEA – a direct conflict of interest for which the Texas Attorney General has said there is no “cure.”
Ratliff states in his letter, “If we ever hope to regain some of our previous jurisdiction, we need to put politics aside and put our focus back on real issues facing the classroom.” This is code for, “What we really need to do is to make sure we shut out the grassroots citizens of this state so that they cannot make their voices heard the way they did in this last SBOE meeting where they pressured the Board to vote against the new APUSH Framework.”
Needless to say, the digitized products surrounding Common Core, CSCOPE, the TEKS Resource System, and the APUSH Framework were made possible by the passage of SB 6 in 2011 by the Texas Legislature. SB 6 opened the door for Microsoft and other companies to inundate Texas public schools with curriculum materials that have not passed through the careful public scrutiny of the elected members of the SBOE. Thomas Ratliff testified in favor of SB 6 and said he “loooved it.” Of course he “loooved it” because he knew SB 6 would enrich his pocketbook, which it did.
Below is the documentation to prove that Thomas Ratliff is a menace to the SBOE and the school children of our state because of his devious methods. The reason grassroots parents have risen up against Common Core, APUSH, CSCOPE, the TEKS Resource System, etc. is all about “the classroom” and the future of their precious children!
Hopefully the members of the SBOE will completely ignore Thomas Ratliff and his letter that he sent out today. What we in the public need to do is to renew our commitment to pressure the Texas House to start impeachment proceedings against Thomas Ratliff, driving him off the SBOE because of his conflict of interests.
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Link to transcript of Thomas Ratliff’s testimony – by Peyton Wolcott -- Senate Education Committee (Part II) – March 29, 2011 -- www.peytonwolcott.com/MicrosoftPaidTXLobbyistThosRatliff_SenateTestimonySB6_032911.html
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Texas Senate Audio/Video Archive -- 2011
Link to March 29, 2011 – Senate Committee on Education (Part II) (03h:04m) – Discussion of passage of SB 6 – http://www.senate.state.tx.us/avarchive/?yr=2011
Link to testimonies and discussion of SB 6 -- http://tlcsenate.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=12&clip_id=1779
*Thomas Ratliff began his testimony at marker 1:28:18 through 1:34:26. He introduced himself as a member of the Texas State Board of Education as if he is were representing the SBOE instead of stating that he was a registered lobbyist for Microsoft and was speaking for himself.
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ARTICLES ABOUT THOMAS RATLIFF
12.26.13 – “SBOE/Microsoft Lobbyist Thomas Ratliff’s TEC Complaint Against Linahan Once Again Rejected!” – by Alice Linahan, Voices Empower -- http://www.voicesempower.com/sboe-microsoft-lobbyist-thomas-ratliff-tec-complaint-against-alice-linahan-is-once-again-rejected/
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11.20.13 – “Irony of Ironies: Thomas Ratliff Accusing Others of Being Unethical” – by Donna Garner - http://www.educationviews.org/irony-of-ironies-thomas-ratliff-accusing-others-of-being-unethical/
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To sign the petition to impeach Thomas Ratliff, please go to: www.ImpeachRatliff.com
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To read the most recent rules on lobbying published by the Texas Ethics Commission, please go to: http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/guides/LOBBY_guide.htm
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To read the Texas Ethics Commission’s rejection of Thomas Ratliff’s bogus ethics complaint against Alice Linahan dated 11.14.13, please go to: http://www.voicesempower.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Ethics-commission-Response.pdf
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8.22.13 – “Another Microsoft Product Bought by TEA” -- https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/friendsttprw/dMQ1PXwGOsw/syoHcaKecgcJ
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8.20.13 -- “Record of Thomas Ratliff’s Recusal Votes on Texas State Bd. of Education” -- Originally posted by Donna Garner on 8.20.13 and reposted on 11.20.13 --
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8.19.13 – “Thomas Ratliff – Big Bucks from Microsoft – Lobbied for SB 6 and CSCOPE” -- http://educationviews.org/thomas-ratliff-big-bucks-from-microsoft-lobbied-for-sb-6-and-cscope/
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8.13.13 – “Ratliff’s SBOE Squatter Status: Microsoft Ties Add to Impropriety, Ineligibility” – by LouAnn Anderson -- http://watchdogwire.com/texas/2013/08/13/is-ratliffs-sboe-squatter-status-cscope-advocacy-serving-lobbyist-clients-or-public-interests/
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8.10.11 -- “Latest Outrage Committed by Thomas Ratliff” -- by Donna Garner -- http://archives.voicesempower.com/latest-outrage-committed-by-thomas-ratliff/
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4.3.11 -- “Thomas Ratliff’s Brazen Gall” by Donna Garner --
http://www.educationnews.org/political/153052.html
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3.15.11 -- “Thomas Ratliff’s False Sense of Security” by Donna Garner
http://www.educationnews.org/commentaries/opinions_on_education/151147.html
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Sent by Thomas Ratliff to Members of the Texas State Board of Education – 9.24.14
Thomas Ratliff
P.O. Box 232 State Board of Education tel: (903) 717-1190
Mt. Pleasant, TX 75456 Vice-Chairman www.thomasratliff.com
September 23, 2014
MEMORANDUM
TO: Members of the SBOE
FROM: Thomas Ratliff
SUBJECT: Self-Inflicted Wounds
It seems like every meeting of the State Board of Education features one or more of us lamenting about things the legislature has either done to us or taken away from us. Beginning in 1995 and continuing through this last legislative session, the legislature has nibbled away at the jurisdiction of the SBOE. I do not believe I can stay silent any longer. It is time for some tough love.
The legislature takes authority from us because we do things like we did last week.
We spent HOURS listening to public testimony and debating amendments to a non-binding, unenforceable, politically motivated resolution. In fact, we spent more time on this issue than any other issue before us last week, including the adoption of Social Studies, Math and Fine Arts instructional materials, adopting a payout rate from the $30 billion Permanent School Fund to pay for those materials, and the GPA requirements for teacher certification programs. I don’t know about you, but I would think those issues would justify more time and deliberation than a non-binding resolution.
If we ever hope to regain some of our previous jurisdiction, we need to put politics aside and put our focus back on real issues facing the classroom. We have one more formal meeting in November before the beginning of the 2015 legislative session. At this meeting, we will make recommendations to the legislature for items we would like them to consider. I can only hope we will keep our eye on the ball and not let distractions or political pandering rule the day…..again.
On the flip side, I believe our deliberations and conduct during the rule-making for implementing House Bill 5 were some of the best moments in the history of the SBOE. We grappled with complex and meaningful policy decisions that will affect millions of kids for decades to come. While it wasn’t perfect from anyone’s perspective, it was a very, very good process and end result.
I hope the legislature, when considering legislation next year will remember our efforts on HB 5 and consider trusting us to do the right thing again.
Donna Garner