Lowe runs for third SBOE term

Gail Lowe

Citing an ongoing need to strengthen the state's curriculum standards, State Board of Education member Gail Lowe (R-Lampasas) has announced her re-election bid for another term on the 15-member board.

The former Lampasas Independent School District trustee is completing her second term on the SBOE. Her district encompasses 26 counties that stretch from Wichita and Grayson counties along the Red River to Brown, Lampasas and McLennan counties in the Central Texas area.

"It is important to the parents and taxpayers of my district that they retain a conservative voice in the education policy decisions of the State Board of Education, particularly on curriculum standards, textbook adoptions and management of the multi-billiondollar Permanent School Fund," said Mrs. Lowe. "I have stood consistently for traditional, conservative values and have represented well the interests of my SBOE district's schoolchildren and their parents. I look forward to continuing that representation for another term."

College and workforce readiness of Texas' high school graduates has become a growing priority for state lawmakers, and SBOE members are re-examining the graduation requirements and curriculum standards used in Texas to ensure what is being taught in public schools sufficiently prepares students for their post-secondary pursuits, said the state official.

Curriculum requirements for the English language arts will be adopted by the State Board of Education in 2008, with science standards and Career and Technology Education requirements to follow in 2009.

"Oversight of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards is among the most important work we perform on the board, and strengthening these standards is what I look forward to doing in the ensuing term," said Mrs. Lowe.

As part of her State Board of Education duties, Mrs. Lowe serves as chairman of the Committee on School Initiatives, which oversees public charter schools and teacher certification initiatives.

A fiscal conservative, Mrs. Lowe also advocates sound investment of the Permanent School Fund and has worked to prevent the children's textbook monies from being diverted to other uses.

"I believe I have forged excellent working relationships with proven conservative Republican leaders in the Texas House and Senate to foster improved communication between the policy-making bodies as they examine academic rigor and student success," she said.

In addition to her service on the State Board of Education, Mrs. Lowe has been a longtime classroom volunteer, working primarily with elementaryage students to boost their reading and math skills. She also is a member of the Lampasas Republican Club and the non-partisan Lampasas County Conservative Club, which named her Conservative of the Year in 2005.

She and her husband, Jim, are the parents of three children. They are members of New Covenant Church and are active in church and civic activities in Lampasas.