Star Republican Women to host education advocates at meeting

Ken Mercer, Texas Board of Education member, and Alice Linahan, education advocate, are scheduled to speak at the upcoming Star Republican Women meeting on Tuesday, April 19, at Quail Point Lodge in Horseshoe Bay.

A complimentary luncheon will be served at 12:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 1 p.m.

Mercer was elected to the State Board of Education (District 5) in 2006 and re-elected in 2010 and 2012. He is seeking re-election this year.

“Mercer has been known for his conservative views regarding the formulation of state standards in science and history,” said Mary Lou Kromer, president of the Star Republican Women.  

Representing all or a portion of 13 counties, including Llano County, Mercer is a member of the Committee on School Finance/ Permanent School Fund. Committee members oversee the Permanent School Fund, the nation's largest education endowment, as well as some funding and auditing policies. Mercer also has served as chairman of the board's Committee on School Initiatives and vice chairman of the Committee on Instruction, according to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

Linahan is a "Politically Active Texas Mom" leading a grassroots movement against Common Core curriculum in Texas schools, according to Voices Empower, a nonprofit organization Linahan founded.

In 2014, she was awarded the Upton Sinclair Award for her work as an advocate for securing the best of education policies for the next generation of American children. She speaks publicly throughout the country to educate the public on "the truth about the fundamental transformation of education in America."

Star Republican Women is a nonprofit affiliated with the Texas Federation of Republican Women (TFRW) and the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW). 

For more information about the meeting and Star Republican Women, visit www.starrw.org.