SBOE doesn't mention Obama's name in the history curriculum?

[texastoast]

"What? The Texas State Board of Education is doing such a shoddy job of writing social studies standards that they don’t even name the current president of the U.S.?

"It’s a cautionary tale of overprescribing, and of looking at everything as if it has some ulterior motive. But is there any rational reason why the SBOE refuses to utter the name 'Obama?'"

...

The president has a name: it’s Barack Obama
TSTA President Rita Haecker created a stir among legislators today when she testified, at a hearing hosted by the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, that the State Board of Education, in its recent rewrite of social studies curriculum standards, had refused to name President Barack Obama.

That bit of news seemed to catch several lawmakers by surprise. They already knew that the right-wing bloc on the board had attempted to rewrite history. But to go so far as to omit the name of the historic, first African American president of the United States seemed preposterous, even by conservative leader Don (the Earth is 5,000 years old) McLeroy’s standards.


Read more
http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/sboe-dare-not-say-his-name-obama/

[sonias]

1. I certainly hope that teachers are doing a better job

If I was a teacher in the Texas education system, I would give my students the truth. Knowing that teachers are a good group of people - I bet they are too.

The SBOE is acting like a bunch of book burners trying to suppress the truth and worse acting like revisionist historians. It would not surprise me one bit to find out that the McLeroy/Gail reich wing of the SBOE was praying for Obama's death. And that is the sad state of affairs on that board.

On a related note - I got to see Arianna Huffington last night in Austin. She was in town doing a fundraiser celebrating 15 years for the Texas Freedom Network. She gave a great talk. Now is not the time to feel helpless - now is the time to stay vigilant because the tough economic times make it easier for the radical right to reach people feeling vulnerable. Using God for their insane purpose.

Join their "Just Educate" campaign here:

TFN Just Educate Campaign

The Texas State Board of Education continues to make Texas a national laughingstock.
What can you do to make a difference?
Click here to sign the "Just Educate" petition - unite with thousands of other parents, business leaders and concerned citizens across Texas and send a clear message to politicians: stop promoting political agendas in our public schools. Our kids deserve better. Our future depends on it.

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