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Aaron Kinsey | |
|---|---|
| Chair of the Texas State Board of Education | |
| Assumed office 18 December 2023 | |
| Appointed by | Greg Abbott |
| Preceded by | Keven Ellis |
| Member of the Texas State Board of Education from District 15 | |
| Assumed office January 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Republican |
| Residence(s) | Midland,Texas |
| Education | Texas A&M University (BBA,MS) Harvard Business School (MBA) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 2005–2014 |
Aaron Kinsey is an American business executive and politician who has served as the chair of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) since December 2023. A Republican,he represents District 15 on the board,having been elected in 2022 and re-elected in 2024. As chair,Kinsey has been involved in policy debates over curriculum and the management of the Permanent School Fund (PSF),including the PSF's termination of investment-management contracts with BlackRock.
Kinsey is a graduate of Canton High School and attended Texas A&M University,where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and a Master of Science in finance;he later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. [1] [2]
Kinsey served in the United States Air Force from 2005 to 2014,including as a C-130 pilot and instructor. [2] In civilian life,he has worked in the aviation and real-estate sectors and has served as the chief executive officer of American Patrols,an aviation services company based in Midland. [2] [3]
Kinsey was elected to the SBOE in November 2022 to represent District 15 and was re-elected in November 2024. [1] He is a Republican. [4]
Governor Greg Abbott appointed Kinsey chair of the SBOE for a term set to expire on 17 December 2025;under Texas practice,the governor selects the chair from among the elected members of the 15-member board. [2] [3]
In March 2024,the Texas Permanent School Fund announced it would terminate investment-management contracts totaling about $8.5 billion with BlackRock,citing Texas law restricting state entities from contracting with firms deemed to boycott energy companies;BlackRock disputed the characterization and criticized the decision. [5] [6] The PSF Corporation said the move was part of its compliance with Senate Bill 13 while maintaining fiduciary responsibilities to public schools. [7] The decision also drew criticism from Texas AFT,which called it unilateral and raised concerns about governance and oversight of the fund. [8]
In January 2024,Kinsey removed an item related to a proposed American Indian/Native Studies course from the SBOE agenda shortly after becoming chair,citing his request for additional time to review the course;the article quoted other board members expressing concern about delay in the approval process. [9]
In 2025,the SBOE began a multi-year process to redesign Texas social studies standards. The Texas Tribune reported that the board's selection of advisers for the overhaul prompted criticism from some educators and historians,and described the new framework as emphasizing Texas and U.S. history over world history and geography,with classroom implementation projected for 2030. [10]
Kinsey won election to the SBOE in 2022 and was re-elected in 2024. [1] His 2022 general election was canceled after he advanced from the Republican primary. [11]