Bell-Metereau best for SBOE — by far
Democrats have long sought to flip the seat for State Board of Education District 5, and this could be the year it happens.
For years, the seat, which covers much of San Antonio, has been held by Republican Ken Mercer, but his decision not to seek re-election opens the door for welcome change. We believe that change should come with Rebecca Bell-Metereau, a film professor at Texas State University.
This marks Bell-Metereau’s fourth bid for this office, and we like her ideas about curriculum development, particularly incorporating financial literacy. Bell-Metereau, 70, also supports age-appropriate sex education to help reduce teen pregnancies and promote a better understanding of gender identity. She also described the State Board of Education’s recent approval of an elective African American Studies course as an important step, but said she wants traditional history courses to be much more diverse and inclusive.
If elected, she would advocate for changes to highstakes testing and addressing the digital divide. Bell-Metereau faces Republican Lani Popp, a speech pathologist. Popp did not respond to our interview requests, but when we met earlier this year, she told us slavery was not the primary cause of the Civil War, saying, “so I think maybe that’s part of the secession.”
She also said, “There’s some flaws in evolution,” and she expressed concerns about sex education in schools.
This should be an easy choice for voters. Bell-Metereau all the way.