Texas Insider

The State Board of Education has become an awfully political animal. Too often, culture-war clashes dominate the board’s discussions and drown out legitimate questions about how best to educate kids.

To her credit, Geraldine “Tincy” Miller generally tries to steer clear of this fray. Miller, a longtime board member and a Republican, regularly breaks from the social-conservative voting bloc on the board and offers a more moderate view.

For example, she was a key swing vote in skirmishes about science standards, rejecting proposals that would have required students to study the “weaknesses” in the theory of evolution. Miller, 74, also has cautioned against overkill when injecting religious topics into the classroom.

Admittedly, Miller occasionally lurches right. But her focus on academics and her efforts to find a reasonable middle ground make Miller deserving of another term.

In the March 2 GOP primary, Miller faces George Clayton, an academic coordinator at North Dallas High School. He’s been on the front lines and says he feels abandoned by the Board of Education and the Legislature. But Clayton’s passion and anger haven’t translated into workable ideas for the post he’s seeking. And Clayton, 60, seems to have a tenuous grasp on the board’s role.

With no opposition in the fall, Miller is the better option for voters in District 12.

Elections 2010

• Last day to register to vote:  Feb. 1
• Early voting:  Feb. 16-26
• Primary election Day:  March 2

Our Dallas Morning News Recommendations: For selected Republican and Democratic primaries