Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions, an archivist must review these records before they can be accessed for research. The records may be requested for research under the provisions of the Public Information Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 552). The researcher may request an interview with an archivist or submit a request by mail, fax, or e-mail including enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information requested. If our review reveals information that may be excepted by the Public Information Act, we are obligated to seek an open records decision from the Attorney General on whether the records can be released. The Public Information Act allows the Archives ten working days after receiving a request to make this determination. The Attorney General has 45 working days to render a decision. Alternately, the Archives can inform you of the nature of the potentially excepted information and if you agree, that information can be redacted or removed and you can access the remainder of the records.
Records series described in this finding aid have access restrictions specific to each of them. The terms of access are found following the series' descriptions.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Researchers wishing to access audiotapes or videocassettes must contact the Archives Preservation Officer to obtain the necessary equipment.
The governor of Texas is the chief executive officer of the state, elected by the citizens every four years. The duties and responsibilities of the governor include serving as commander-in-chief of the state's military forces; convening special sessions of the legislature for specific purposes; delivering to the legislature at the beginning of each regular session a report on the condition of the state, an accounting of all public money under the governor's control, a recommended biennial budget, an estimate of the amounts of money required to be raised by taxation, and any recommendations he deems necessary; signing or vetoing bills passed by the legislature; and executing the laws of the state. The governor can grant reprieves and commutations of punishment and pardons, upon the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, and revoke conditional pardons. He appoints numerous state officials (with the consent of the Senate), fills vacancies in state and district offices (except vacancies in the legislature), calls special elections to fill vacancies in the legislature, fills vacancies in the United States Senate until an election can be held, and serves as ex officio member of several state boards.
The office of governor was first established by the Constitution of 1845 and superseded the office of president of the Republic of Texas. The position now exists under authority of Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution of 1876 and Texas Government Code, Chapter 401. To be elected governor, a person must be at least thirty years old, a United States citizen, and a resident of Texas for at least five years preceding the election. In 1972, the term of office was extended from two to four years, effective in 1975. Since 1856 the governor has had the use of the Governor's Mansion.
In 1999 there were 198 full time equivalent employees in the Office of the Governor. Thirteen divisions outside of the Executive Office assist the governor in carrying out his functions: Administration, Appointments, Budget & Planning, Communications, General Counsel, Legislative, Policy, Scheduling, Criminal Justice Division, Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, Office of Film, Music, Television and Multimedia Industries, Women's Commission, and Texas Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness.
Margaret La Montagne began working in the Governor's Office in January 1995 as Deputy Director of Appointments. After the 74th legislative session (1995), her title was changed to Senior Advisor reporting directly to the governor and her office was moved to the Capitol. Her focus was on education-related issues, which went through her rather than the Policy Division, especially after the 74th legislative session when the Education Policy person left and the position was not filled. She retained some of her appointment duties after becoming Senior Advisor, including selecting appointees for education related boards and commissions. Her staff included Public Education/Special Projects Counsel [title changed from Public Education to Special Projects and back] (first Michelle Tobias from 1995 to 1998, then Jennifer Piskun, followed by Debra Esterak); Administrative Assistant (Judy Okimura, then Shannon Smith); and Special Projects Assistant (Sheryl Labar for a while, spring 1996-February 1997).
George W. Bush served as governor of Texas from January 17, 1995 to December 21, 2000, resigning as governor in the middle of his second term to become president of the United States.
He challenged the incumbent governor, Democrat Ann Richards, running on promises to improve public education and to reform the juvenile justice system, welfare, and the state's tort laws -- the system under which an injured person may sue for damages. During the 74th Legislature in 1995, he worked with the Democrats who controlled both houses of the Texas legislature and managed to get bills passed that dealt with the four issues he had emphasized in his campaign. Bush was seen as pro-business and a consensus-builder.
Bush advocated and signed the two largest tax cuts to date in Texas history, totaling over $3 billion. To pay for the cuts, he sought (unsuccessfully) federal approval of a plan to privatize Texas' social services. Education reform was a priority throughout his terms, with legislation emphasizing local control of schools, higher standards, and a revised curriculum. Controversy has followed, with charter schools mired in financial scandals and protests against one test determining a child's promotion. After winning reelection in 1998, Bush began his bid for the presidency and was not as involved in the 76th Legislature in 1999.
George W. Bush was born July 6, 1946 in New Haven, Connecticut and grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. He graduated from Andover Academy, and received a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a master's from Harvard Business School. He served as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. In 1978, Bush was defeated in a run for the U.S. Congress in West Texas. He was involved in energy exploration from the 1970s into the 1980s. From 1989 until his election as governor, Bush worked with the Texas Rangers baseball organization, leading a group of partners in purchasing the team, and then serving as managing general partner. He married Laura Welch in 1977; they have two daughters.
These records include correspondence, e-mails, faxes, and memos; notes; newsletters, brochures and other publications; newspaper and magazine clippings; copies of bills and other legislative records; attorney general opinions/advice and litigation documents; press releases and speeches; reports (both narrative and statistical); drafts and other policy development files; agenda and minutes; resumes and applications for employment; executive orders; conference packets; mailing lists; travel documentation; purchase documentation; forms; procedure manuals; maps; videotapes; and audiotapes. Records date 1948, 1964-1965, 1978, 1980-1983, 1986-2000, undated (bulk 1995-2000). They comprise records of the Office of Senior Advisor (Margaret LaMontagne) during the tenure of George W. Bush as Texas Governor (1995-2000). The vast majority of the records reflect the Bush administration's policies concerning education, with a small amount of records pertaining to appointments, thus reflecting the role of Margaret LaMontagne as (initially) deputy director of appointments, retaining some appointment functions after her promotion to education advisor.
This finding aid provides an overview for the records of the Senior Advisor's Office as well as more detailed descriptions for five groups of records. Each of the other three groups has its own finding aid.
Furthermore, this finding aid describes the records of only one office
of Texas Governor George W. Bush's records. See
These records are organized into eight series.
(Identify the item and cite the series), Senior Advisor's Office records, Texas Governor George W. Bush. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Preliminary survey by Tonia Wood, September 2002
Processed by Tony Black, July 2003, August 2003, January 2004, February 2004, May 2004
Accession number: 2002/151
In December 2000, Governor George W. Bush designated the George Bush Presidential Library as the repository for the records from his tenure as Governor of Texas, under authority of Texas Government Code, Section 441.201. Shortly after he left office, the records were shipped to the Bush Library in College Station, Texas. Texas Attorney General John Cornyn ruled the records are state records subject to the Texas Public Information Act and the management of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission even after transfer to a federal facility (Opinion No. JC-0498, May 3, 2002). In July 2002 the records were transferred from the Bush Library to the Texas State Archives in Austin for preparation for research use. In June 2003, a memorandum of understanding signed by representatives of the National Archives and Records Administration, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, and George W. Bush replaced a January 2002 interim memorandum of understanding. The records will be returned to the Bush Library after the project has been completed.
These records include correspondence, e-mails, faxes, and memos; notes; newsletters, brochures and other publications; newspaper and magazine clippings; copies of bills and other legislative records; attorney general opinions/advice and litigation documents; press releases and speeches; reports (both narrative and statistical); policy development files; agenda and minutes; resumes; executive orders; conference packets; videotapes; and audiotapes. Records date 1978, 1980-1983, 1986-1999, undated (bulk 1995-1998). They comprise subject files for the office of Senior Advisor to Texas Governor George W. Bush relating to education (with many of the files created by the Public Education/Special Projects Counsel, Michelle Tobias, later Jennifer Piskun and Debbie Esterak). Most of the incoming correspondence is addressed to Margaret LaMontagne but then was assigned to her education policy staff to work on; some items are addressed to Governor George W. Bush. Correspondents include organizations dedicated to educational issues, state and federal agency officials and employees (especially the Texas Education Agency's Commissioner Mike Moses), professional educators, corporations, consultants (such as Darv Winick and Sandy Kress), and private citizens interested in education. E-mails tend to be between Margaret LaMontagne and the Public Education/Special Projects Counsel. Notes are in the handwriting of both the counsel and Margaret LaMontagne. Many of the incoming letters are copies of logged correspondence, and some of the letters are the originals of logged correspondence. In either case, file numbers assigned by Bush staff have been included in the folder listing. Some letters do not appear to have been logged at all. The first file in the series contains copies of item-level inventories of some of these records, prepared by staff of the Governor's Office.
Among the numerous topics covered by these files, the following are especially well-represented: advanced placement, character education, charter schools, ECS [Education Commission of the States], Hopwood, literacy (including adult literacy), military tuition, property tax, reading (including the Governor's Reading Initiative), school finance, School-to-Work, special education, standards, SBEC [State Board for Educator Certification], teacher preparation, and TAAS [Texas Assessment of Academic Skills].
These records are the first of two groups of similar files. Except for correcting some obvious misfiles, the State Archives has maintained the original order of these records. The second group is the larger of the two (more than twice the size), and there is some overlap in dates. The difference (if any) between the two groups of records is not readily apparent. The researcher should be cautioned to search both groups, as well as any related records.
These records include correspondence, e-mails, faxes, and memos; notes; newsletters, brochures and other publications; newspaper and magazine clippings; copies of bills and other legislative records; attorney general opinions/advice and litigation documents; press releases and speeches; reports (both narrative and statistical); policy development files; agenda and minutes; resumes; executive orders; conference packets; videotapes; and audiotapes. Records date 1986, 1988-2000, undated (bulk 1995-2000). They comprise subject files for the office of Senior Advisor to Texas Governor George W. Bush relating to education, covering the first half of the alphabet (Academics 2000 - Lyceum). Many of the files were created by the Public Education/Special Projects Counsel, Michelle Tobias, later Jennifer Piskun and Debbie Esterak. Most of the incoming correspondence is addressed to Margaret LaMontagne but then was assigned to her education policy staff to work on; some items are addressed to Governor George W. Bush. Correspondents include organizations dedicated to educational issues, state and federal agency officials and employees (especially the Texas Education Agency's Commissioner Mike Moses), professional educators, corporations, consultants (such as Darv Winick and Sandy Kress), and private citizens interested in education. E-mails tend to be between Margaret LaMontagne and the counsel. Notes are in the handwriting of both the counsel and Margaret LaMontagne. Many of the incoming letters are copies of logged correspondence, and some of the letters are the originals of logged correspondence. In either case, file numbers assigned by Bush staff have been included in the folder listing. Some letters do not appear to have been logged at all.
Among the numerous topics covered by these files, the following are especially well-represented: accountability, advanced placement, bilingual education, character education, charter schools, early childhood development, Head Start, reading (including Reading Initiative), school safety, school finance, School-to-Work, social promotion, special education, TAAS [Texas Assessment of Academic Skills], TEKS [Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills], and vouchers/school choice. Organizations and agencies well represented include the Association of Texas Professional Educators [ATPE], Education Commission of the States [ECS], Educational Testing Service [ETS], Fordham Foundation, the Governor's Business Council [GBC], Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, National Education Goals Panel, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory [SEDL], Southern Regional Education Board [SREB], State Board of Education [SBOE], State Board for Educator Certification [SBEC], Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board [TIF], Texas Association of School Administrators [TASA], Texas Association of School Boards [TASB], Texas Business and Education Coalition [TBEC], Texas Education Agency [TEA], United States Department of Education, and the University of Texas System.
These records include correspondence, e-mails, faxes, and memos;
notes; newsletters, brochures and other publications; newspaper and magazine
clippings; copies of bills and other legislative records; attorney general
opinions/advice and litigation documents; press releases and speeches; reports
(both narrative and statistical); policy development files; agenda and minutes;
resumes; conference packets; videocassettes; and audiocassettes. Records date
1988, 1990-2000, undated (bulk 1995-1997). They comprise reference files for
the office of Senior Advisor to Texas Governor George W. Bush relating to
education. The difference is unclear between these files and the
These records include correspondence, e-mails to and from the
Public Education/Special Projects Counsel, memos, notes (in the counsel's and
Margaret LaMontagne's handwriting), printed materials, publications, clippings,
legislative records, press releases, minutes, agenda, and policy development
files, dating 1986-1987, 1995-2000, undated (bulk 1999-2000). They comprise
education issues files from the office of Senior Advisor Margaret LaMontagne in
the Texas Governor's Office, created during Debbie Esterak's tenure as Public
Education Counsel. Many of the documents have
These records are arranged topically, and remain in the order in which they arrived.
Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions including, but not limited to, social security numbers of government employees and officials (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.117); and e-mail addresses (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.137), an archivist must review these records before they can be accessed for research. The records may be requested for research under the provisions of the Public Information Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 552). The researcher may request an interview with an archivist or submit a request by mail, fax, or e-mail including enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information requested. If our review reveals information that may be excepted by the Public Information Act, we are obligated to seek an open records decision from the Attorney General on whether the records can be released. The Public Information Act allows the Archives ten working days after receiving a request to make this determination. The Attorney General has 45 working days to render a decision. Alternately, the Archives can inform you of the nature of the potentially excepted information and if you agree, that information can be redacted or removed and you can access the remainder of the records.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
None.
(Identify the item), Debbie Esterak's issues files, Senior Advisor's Office records, Texas Governor George W. Bush. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Tony Black, July 2003
[October 30, 2000:
These records include correspondence, e-mails, faxes, and memos; notes; newsletters, brochures and other publications; newspaper and magazine clippings; online articles; copies of bills and other legislative records; press releases and speeches; reports (both narrative and statistical); drafts and other policy development files; resumes; agenda; mailing lists; conference packets; travel documentation; purchase documentation; and forms. The records date 1964, 1982, 1987, 1995-2000, undated (bulk 1995-2000). They comprise files for staff of the office of Senior Advisor relating to education.
The exact provenance of these miscellaneous education files is
uncertain. They appear to have been separated from the other series in the
records of the Senior Advisor's Office and transferred at a later date. They
may fit into one or more of the existing series (
These records are arranged in the order in which they were received, by subject but with no apparent filing scheme.
Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions including, but not limited to, social security numbers, home addresses and phone numbers of state employees (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.117); and credit card numbers (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.136), an archivist must review these records before they can be accessed for research. The records may be requested for research under the provisions of the Public Information Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 552). The researcher may request an interview with an archivist or submit a request by mail, fax, or e-mail including enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information requested. If our review reveals information that may be excepted by the Public Information Act, we are obligated to seek an open records decision from the Attorney General on whether the records can be released. The Public Information Act allows the Archives ten working days after receiving a request to make this determination. The Attorney General has 45 working days to render a decision. Alternately, the Archives can inform you of the nature of the potentially excepted information and if you agree, that information can be redacted or removed and you can access the remainder of the records.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
None.
(Identify the item), Miscellaneous education files, Senior Advisor's Office records, Texas Governor George W. Bush. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Tony Black, February 2004
These records include copies of proposed legislation, some floor
amendments, a few copies of engrossed bills, plus a small amount of related
records (memoranda, correspondence, a Legislative Budget Board working paper, a
press release), dating 1998-1999, mostly 1999. They comprise Senate bill files
relating to education for the 76th Texas Legislature, Regular Session (1999).
The occasional piece of correspondence is addressed to Margaret LaMontagne. The
bills (most marked
These records are arranged numerically by Senate Bill number.
None.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
None.
(Identify the item), Education bill files, Senior Advisor's Office records, Texas Governor George W. Bush. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Tony Black, March 2004
These records include correspondence, drafts of correspondence, resumes, applications for employment, memoranda, faxes, newsclippings, publications, etc., dating 1995-2000 and undated (bulk 1998-2000). They comprise correspondence to and from Margaret LaMontagne, with occasional items addressed to others (including Governor George W. Bush, and members of Margaret LaMontagne's staff) and forwarded to Margaret LaMontagne. Correspondents include state and local officials, educators, prospective job applicants, prospective appointees, and private citizens. The subject of most (but not all) of the files in the first group in this series is education. The subject of most (but not all) of the files in the second group is future employment of job applicants. Resumes, recommendations, and inquiries about potential employment are especially numerous in this second group. Also numerous throughout are thank-you letters for gifts, meetings, and information.
Researchers should be aware that additional correspondence to and from Margaret LaMontagne is located in most of the other series in the Senior Advisor's Office records, described in this finding aid.
These records are organized in two groups: the first group is arranged chronologically, and the second group is arranged alphabetically by last name of the correspondent. This was the arrangement in place when the records were transferred to the Texas State Archives; the alphabetical group was loose (i.e., unfoldered).
Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions including, but not limited to, home addresses and phone numbers of government employees or officials, social security numbers, and personal family information (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.117); e-mail addresses (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.137); and student records (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.114), an archivist must review these records before they can be accessed for research. The records may be requested for research under the provisions of the Public Information Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 552). The researcher may request an interview with an archivist or submit a request by mail, fax, or e-mail including enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information requested. If our review reveals information that may be excepted by the Public Information Act, we are obligated to seek an open records decision from the Attorney General on whether the records can be released. The Public Information Act allows the Archives ten working days after receiving a request to make this determination. The Attorney General has 45 working days to render a decision. Alternately, the Archives can inform you of the nature of the potentially excepted information and if you agree, that information can be redacted or removed and you can access the remainder of the records.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
None.
(Identify the item), Margaret LaMontagne's correspondence, Senior Advisor's Office records, Texas Governor George W. Bush. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Tony Black, April 2004
These records include lists of appointees, resumes, correspondence
(especially letters of recommendation), memoranda, e-mails, mailing lists,
legislation, press releases, newspaper clippings, copies from the
These records are arranged in two groups: general appointments office files, followed by agency appointments files; the agency files are arranged roughly alphabetically by the name of the agency, board, or commission.
Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions including, but not limited to, home addresses, telephone numbers, social security numbers, and family information of government employees and officials (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.117); driver's license numbers (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.130); attorney-client privilege and/or attorney work product (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Sections 552.107 and 552.111), an archivist must review these records before they can be accessed for research. The records may be requested for research under the provisions of the Public Information Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 552). The researcher may request an interview with an archivist or submit a request by mail, fax, or e-mail including enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information requested. If our review reveals information that may be excepted by the Public Information Act, we are obligated to seek an open records decision from the Attorney General on whether the records can be released. The Public Information Act allows the Archives ten working days after receiving a request to make this determination. The Attorney General has 45 working days to render a decision. Alternately, the Archives can inform you of the nature of the potentially excepted information and if you agree, that information can be redacted or removed and you can access the remainder of the records.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
None.
(Identify the item), Appointments files, Senior Advisor's Office records, Texas Governor George W. Bush. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Tony Black, January 2004, May 2004