How the Political Climate in Texas Is Affecting Our Schools: Is it Hot or Cold?
By staff. Filed in Equity Center, Equity Center Radio, Ken McCraw, News & Talk Radio, Opinion, Podcast, Ray Freeman, Texas Association of Community Schools, Texas Government, Texas Legislature, elections, politics |Tags: Equity Center Radio, legislature, Lobbying, Opinion, Podcast, politics, Ray Freeman
Equity Center Radio | March 05, 2010 | A Discussion with Ken McCraw About the Political Climate in Texas and How Public Schools will be Affected
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Today, our host, the Equity Center’s Deputy Executive Director, Ray Freeman, interviews Ken McCraw, the Executive Director of the Texas Association of Community Schools (TACS), 1011 San Jacinto Blvd., Ste. 204, Austin, Texas 78701-2431. Ken can be reached at 512.440.8227.
Today’s guest is Ken McCraw, currently the Executive Director of the Texas Association of Community Schools (TACS). TACS is an organization that has been active in Texas since 1951. For the first 25 years it was known as the Texas Association of Small Schools and housed in the Texas Education Agency building. In 1976 the association changed its name to the Texas Association of Community Schools and became independent.
TACS represents school districts with no more than one high school; which means its membership comprises the small, mid-sized and rural school districts in Texas. There are 986 school districts eligible for membership.
TACS is the legislative voice of the single high school community in Texas and Ken is the voice of TACS. Ken started his career as a math teacher in Lamesa ISD in 1971 and worked his way up to Superintendent, taking over that position in 1994, where he stayed until 2004 when he joined TACS as its Executive Director.
While Superintendent of Lamesa, Ken was one of the driving forces that created the Texas Association of Midsize Schools (TAMS), and lobbied hard for the mid-size adjustment. It was during these years that Ken became one of the pioneer school personnel involved with school finance lobbying and learned the ins-and-outs of the legislative political processes. Now, Ken is considered by many as an icon in the area of Texas public school politics, having spent those numerous hours in the halls of the legislature working on behalf of, first, mid-sized schools, then, second, the small, predominately rural schools.
Now, when someone needs to know information about how the political environment is going to affect school districts, one of the first individuals they turn to is Ken.
Equity Center radio is happy to have Ken talk about the political environment in Texas and how it has an impact upon our public schools. With the primaries over with (excepting run-offs), and attention now turning to the general election, Ken’s interview, hosted by the Equity Center’s Deputy Director, Ray Freeman, is both timely and informative.
Ken McCraw
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