The New Board of Education Chair is a Homeschooling Advocate

Lauren McGaughy of the Houston Chronicle talks to the Texas Standard about what we should expect from the appointment of Donna Bahorich.

By Luke QuintonJune 24, 2015 9:02 am

If there’s one thing you’d expect the Board of Education Chair to support its public education – but that may no longer be the case.

This week Greg Abbott appointed Donna Bahorich, a social conservative and former Dan Patrick staffer, to the post. Bahorich is an advocate for home school. She’s kept her own three kids out of public education, through home and private school. Lauren McGaughy covers the Capitol for the Houston Chronicle and answered a few of our questions about the newest appointment.

Perhaps the biggest question on everyone’s minds was whether or not being an advocate for homeschooling should disqualify Bahorich from running the Board of Education. “Some of her fellow State Board of Education members don’t say it should disqualify her,” says McGaughy, “but they say that is concerning that a person in that position of leadership should at least have personal experience with their own children going through Texas public schools.”

As the Board of Education Chair, some may say that Bahorich oversees all education – public and private. McGaughy says that there is still a responsibility to keep private education in mind, but that it doesn’t have as much oversight as public education does. In that case, there are board members that are frustrated by the appointment, because of Bahorich’s lack of personal experience with the public education system.