SBOE swamped by comments on social studies standards

[sonias]

AAS 5/10/10
SBOE swamped by comments on social studies standards
History, government revisions draw more than 20,000 comments so far.

The State Board of Education had received more than 20,000 public comments as of last week on the proposed revision of social studies curriculum standards.

That incomplete tally — the monthlong comment period ends May 19 — has swamped the 3,000 comments received during last year's debate of science curriculum standards.

The science debate reached a fevered pitch over how to teach evolution in biology classes and attracted widespread attention.

But it pales in comparison with the heat generated by the standards that will shape history, government and economics textbooks and courses for Texas' 4.7 million public school students.

"It's been much greater than we anticipated. Certainly much more than I have ever seen before," said Monica Martinez, managing director of the curriculum division at the Texas Education Agency

Keep them going folks. It's not too late to comment!

:kick:

[sonias]

1. ACLU action

ACLU of TX
View online version of this email at http://tx.aclu.org/site/R?i=-QSeQkffeqhtJZKqJDUcSw..
Education vs. Ideology


You took our Texas Textbook Quiz late last week and got a glimpse of the changes the right-wing fringe of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) wants to make to textbooks for school children.


Today, you can learn more about the proposed changes to social studies standards and you can tell the SBOE it's time to STOP!


Take action: http://tx.aclu.org/site/R?i=Uw7FwZo3p-nFWuHM3JTxqA..


The SBOE has started the comment period for the proposed standards and will take a final vote in May. It is very important the SBOE hear from you at this critical stage.


Some on the SBOE have made Texas a laughing stock. But education is nothing to joke about. Tell the SBOE education is serious business.


Texas can't afford textbooks that are driven by personal ideology.


Take action now: http://tx.aclu.org/site/R?i=9eS5dLMiTzqhuvY_tSl3kQ..


Terri Burke
Executive Director
ACLU of Texas

:kick:

[sonias]

2. TFN's "Just Educate" campaign

Texas Freedom Network's "Just Educate" campaign

The Texas State Board of Education continues to make Texas a national laughingstock.
What can you do to make a difference? Texas Freedom Network's "Just Educate" campaign

[mbperrin]

3. Drown them!

Kinda makes you proud.

[sonias]

4. Just wish it was 2 million though

Not that 20,000 is bad mind you. Each of us represents about 50,000 voters that either aren't paying attention or don't know how to comment on the crap the SBOE is pulling.

At least we're not to the point that supporting evolution makes you "unfit" for office like in Alamaba. :crazy:

[qnr]

5. A little off topic, but I'm wondering if any others are going to the protest on the 16th.

I'll be there with a group from Corpus Christi.

[sonias]

6. Do you mean the rally on the 19th?

I'll be at that one.

www.tfn.org/
"Don't White-Out Our History" Rally

Don't let the SBOE white-wash history! Rally with the Texas Freedom Network on May 19 in support of new social studies curriculum standards that are based on sound scholarship and factual history, not political agendas. This is your chance to stand up to political extremism on the State Board of Education. The rally begins at 1 p.m. at the William B. Travis Building, 1701 Congress Ave., in Austin.

:kick:

[qnr]

7. Can't make the one on the 19th, I mean the rally on the 16th

object-to-texas-state-board-of-education-religionist-rev/
http://www.atheists.org/events/Texas_Rally
(sorry, I'm typing from an internet tablet, using a stylus, while on the beach doing a turtle patrol, too hard to cut and paste the text)

[sonias]

8. Didn't know about that one

Keep doing your turtle patrol on the beach, that sounds great! Thanks for doing that!
:applause: :yourock:

I'll let you know how the event on the 19th goes. You let us know about the event on the 16th.

[qnr]

9. Will do, I'll also be making a lot of photos of it available on my Flickr photostream.

There's a link to the stream in my sig line.

[sonias]

10. Report on "Just Educate" rally today

There were about 200-250 people for the rally today. So considering it was a work day, that's pretty good. Ben Jealous of the National NAACP spoke as well as Gary Bledsoe from the State NAACP. Many lawmakers and a few SBOE members were there as well. The not crazy wing (about 4 of them).

Lots of TV coverage so I'm sure there will be many, many reports.

Here's one:

Postcards from the Lege blog 5/19/20
Former Ed Secy. calls for SBOE to tone down ideology

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige urged the State Board of Education to moderate the ideological pendulum swing in the social studies curriculum standards.

"We in Texas have allowed ideology to drive and define the standards of our … curriculum and it has swung from liberal to conservative depending upon the members of the State Board," said Paige, who served under Pres. George W. Bush.

The social studies curriculum standards, he said, should not be the handmaiden of any one individual’s political ideology.

He's a Republican mind you.

:kick:

[sonias]

11. Texas board swamped with flak over curriculum plan

AP Via Yahoo News 5/19/10
Texas board swamped with flak over curriculum plan
AUSTIN, Texas – Conservatives on the Texas State Board of Education were defiant Wednesday as a parade of critics came before them, most urging a fresh rewrite of new classroom social studies guidelines and a delay of a scheduled vote to adopt them.

Critics, including the president of the NAACP, a former U.S. education secretary and the committee that wrote the draft guidelines being edited by the board, complained that the proposal has become a vehicle for political ideology, has watered down the teaching of the civil rights movement and slavery and reveals a lack of historical knowledge from the board.

The standards will guide how history and social studies are taught to some 4.8 million public school students over the next 10 years.

"Of course it's political," Republican David Bradley said to one critic who complained that the process was too focused on politics rather than history. "So what's your solution? Would you support a benevolent dictator?"

(snip)
NAACP President Ben Jealous asked the board to revisit slavery and civil rights lessons, arguing that proposed changes have watered down history.

"This has become a real spectacle," Jealous said. "It's on national news, it's on national comedy shows. Texas is a state that leads this country and they need to accept that responsibility, slow down, back up and move in a new direction towards the truth."

David Bradley is a dick!

And Ben Jealous is very handsome. He rocks. :yourock: Ben!

[sonias]

12. U.S. history panelists express "collective disgust" over SBOE changes

AAS 5/19/10
U.S. history panelists express "collective disgust" over SBOE changes

(snip)
"We feel that the SBOE’s biased and unfounded amendments undercut our attempt to build a strong, balanced and diverse set of standards," according to the statement, which is signed by six of the nine appointed members of the writing panel. "Texans should be outraged at the ways in which the SBOE rewrote the (curriculum) without regard to standard historical interpretations."

Four of the signatories are high school teachers and two are college professors, who were appointed by three Democrats and three Republicans on the board. They wrote that they had stayed out of the public fray until now out of frustration and to return to their jobs.

"Now as the SBOE approaches its final curriculum decision, we have reunited as public citizens to voice our concern, our collective disgust if you will, at the distorted culmination of our work."

(snip)

"Our collective experience is American history and the Texas historical standards need to reflect it all — the good, the bad, and the ugly." the panelists wrote.

Oh we are outraged the SBOE radical wing is making us :puke:

[sonias]

13. TFN - You Tube of some of the rally and comments

YouTube video

And by the way TFN is live blogging the hearing as usual. :loveya: TFN!
tfninsider.org

:kick:

[sonias]

14. "the public good" is out of civic duty standards

Wall Street Journal 5/20/10
Texas Syllabus: It's History
State Likely to Approve Curriculum Changes That Have Sparked Heated Debate

(snip)
The previous standards, a decade old, defined good citizenship as "a belief in justice, truth, equality and responsibility for the common good." The new standards talk about respect for others, personal responsibility, and the importance of voting and of "holding public officials to their word."

Board member Don McLeroy, who leads the most conservative bloc on the board, said that "responsibility for the common good" does not belong in the standards because it is "a liberal notion" that edges toward communist philosophy.

"Most of the great tragedies in the world have been done in the name of humanitarian, utopian ideals," he said.

Don McLeroy is the biggest asshole in Texas this week. He is just reeking with vengeance for having lost his board seat and lashing out at this meeting. Seriously this guy needs psychiatric help. :puke:

What the hell would he consider the two wars in the middle east that G.W. started? Oh never mind that was God's work and those are not human tragedies. That was just America defending itself and those people are heathens - yeah right!

[sonias]

15. The SBOE Gets an Earful - audio clip

Texas Tribune 5/10/10
The SBOE Gets an Earful

Members of the State Board of Education, meeting in Austin this week, are scheduled to take a final vote on new social studies curriculum standards that will remain in place for a decade. Outside the meeting room at the William B. Travis Building, there is no shortage of opinions about the board's work. Nathan Bernier of KUT News reports.

Short clip under 3 minutes with sound bites from both sides.

[sonias]

16. SBOE Hearings Continue: Tweet & Donate!

Burnt Orange Report 5/19/10
SBOE Hearings Continue: Tweet & Donate!

After a break the SBOE is back to hearing testimony about proposed changes to textbook standards. Below are some resource to follow the goings ons which readers can check out to stay up to date on the latest developments. I also encourage readers to take action by tweeting the sample tweet below and help Democratic SBOE candidates Judy Jennings and Rebecca Bell-Metereau by donating to their campaigns.
(snip)
You can also follow the #SaveHistory and #SBOE hashtags on Twitter.

Videos of the SBOE candidates also on the post above.

:dem: