Every once in a while, an alleged conspiracy appears out of nowhere and the right wing goes crazy. The latest example is the hysteria over Common Core, a widely used national curriculum (though not in Texas). One of Common Core’s biggest champions is Sara Martinez Tucker, a distinguished scholar and former under secretary of education whom Governor Abbott has named to the UT Board of Regents. I have generally agreed with the governor on most things that he has done since taking office, including his choices for UT regents, but it is interesting that he selected the Laredo native given his long-standing objections to Common Core.
Treating the program as a menace to education in Texas seems beyond the pale, but the question now is whether conservatives on the Senate nominations committee will block her appointment in a fit of ideological frenzy. I trust that most readers are aware that it is common courtesy for lawmakers to allow governors to name their appointees and allow them to be confirmed. Striking down gubernatorial appointments just isn’t done.
