Will Hickman and Michelle Palmer will as soon as once more compete for a Board of Education position. | Photos courtesy of Will Hickman and Michelle Palmer
Two UH alumni are competing towards one another within the upcoming Nov. 8 election to characterize the Texas State Board of Education District 6.
Incumbent Will Hickman, a Republican, is up towards Democrat Michelle Palmer for the second time after the 2 confronted off within the 2020 election, with Hickman beating Palmer by 2 proportion factors.
Here is an introduction of the 2 candidates, who just lately spoke at a Student Government Association-sponsored occasion:
Stances
Hickman needs to draft a brand new course that provides center faculty college students the chance to take profession aptitude exams and work with counselors to develop their abilities.
This comes after noting how 40% of highschool graduates don’t really feel able to additional their profession or schooling as soon as they graduate, based on the College, Career and Military Readiness program.
Hickman notes his particular curiosity in profession and technical teaching programs and Texas’s abundance of programs, as he believes they’re helpful regardless of the profession one goes into.
Palmer mentioned her stances are “180 degrees” from how Hickman would vote. If elected, one of the primary issues Palmer needs to get carried out is to name for change to the state’s social research curriculum, which was just lately controversially delayed by the board, together with administering new textbooks that embrace the instructing of local weather change.
Palmer additionally needs a well being curriculum to be required to graduate that features classes on intercourse schooling, LGBTQ well being points and the instructing of consent.
“Texas has one of the highest rape instances in the country,” Palmer mentioned. “And it has been shown that states that do teach consent have a lower, at least date rape, incidents because students understand that it’s not just violent rape that’s rape.”
Reasons for operating
As a father of three kids, Hickman needs to have a mum or dad’s perspective on the board and mentioned that he has the perfect curiosity of all Texas youngsters in thoughts when making selections about their curriculum. He has additionally obtained endorsements from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and different state representatives.
“We work hand in hand with the state Legislature to get things done,” Hickman mentioned. “I think that’s important to have a good working relationship with the Capitol.”
Palmer first ran towards Hickman in 2020 when the seat was open. As a highschool historical past instructor, Palmer found factual inaccuracies within the curriculum, one thing that she hopes to vary if elected.
“It wasn’t something I went looking to do, but I saw a need and jumped in,” Palmer mentioned. “And I plan to run for it until I win it because my students deserve better than they’re getting.”
UH expertise
While first attending Texas A&M University, Hickman later went to UH and earned three of his 5 levels, most just lately incomes his Spanish B.A. Hickman additionally obtained superior levels from the UH Law Center.
“My philosophy about education is that education is preparing you to do something,” Hickman mentioned.
Palmer graduated from UH in 1994 and double-majored in political science and Russian research. During her time at UH, Palmer served as speaker of the Student Government Association Senate and labored with different political organizations.
“The knowledge that I gained through my many political science classes, obviously helped me to understand the way that the political system works and to be able to work within it and to fight against it,” Palmer mentioned.
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