Will Someone Please Take the Mike Away from Daniel Scott Goeb?

As I age and reflect on Texas politics, especially those laws and policies related to public education, I never cease to be amazed at the elected officials we choose to allow to shape the future of so many children. There should not be a more important committee assignment than the education committee of both the House and the Senate. But alas, politics being what they are, folks get assigned to these committees as a result of their bias, their party and their opinions, not their knowledge or experience or background. Hence, we are always at risk of policy via demagoguery. We are in such a risky place right now.


You may not know Mr. Goeb. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1950 where he grew up in a blue collar neighborhood. He was an only child of a man who worked for the Baltimore Sun for 31 years. I do not know where he went to high school, but I would bet he went to a public school. After high school he went to the University of Maryland where he achieved a degree in English, and was the first member of his family to earn a college degree. He was married, then divorced, then married his current wife in 1976. First job on record was in 1977, which says to me either college or high school took longer than usual, or he was working his way through school, or his early employment is unknown. That job was working in Scranton, Pennsylvania as a TV broadcaster. He did the same gig in Washington DC, and then moved to Houston as a sports broadcaster. At about that time he officially changed his name.

Mr. Goeb loves the mike and the camera, and has made a small fortune as a result of that romance. He bought his own radio station and started his own talk show. It is for that talk show that most Texans first knew him. The talk show was very conservative, which is bizarre considering his background of blue collar neighborhoods, divorce, name changes, etc. But, he is a conservative. Very much so. He founded the TEA party caucus in the Texas Senate. The really nice thing about being a talk show host is that you really do not have to know anything; you must just be glib with your opinions on everything. Meet Mr. Goeb.

Mr. Goeb is now chair of the education committee in the Texas Senate. He is pro-charter schools, pro-vouchers, pro all conservative causes. He has absolutely no background in any of these areas. His entire resume prior to the Senate is in front of camera or just a microphone. He is now shaping Texas Education policy from a position of belief, not fact or reason. He is articulate, the camera loves him and his ability to posture before an audience is truly gifted. But his arguments are shallow and not at all in favor of public education, though he seeks every microphone he can find to espouse his opinions.  Asking Mr. Goeb to draft educational policy is akin to asking an atheist to pick the next Pope.

Will someone please take the microphone away from Mr. Goeb? He is dangerous when it comes to education.

He is now known as Senator Dan Patrick.