Texas board adopts new social studies curriculum (an absolute atrocity)

[and-justice-for-all]

By APRIL CASTRO, Associated Press Writer April Castro, Associated Press Writer – Fri May 21, 7:59 pm ET

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas State Board of Education adopted a social studies and history curriculum Friday that amends or waters down the teaching of the civil rights movement, slavery, America's relationship with the U.N. and hundreds of other items.

The ideological debate over the guidelines, which drew intense scrutiny beyond Texas, will be used to teach some 4.8 million Texas students for the next 10 years.

The standards also will be used by textbook publishers who often develop materials for other states based on those approved in Texas, although teachers in the Lone Star state have latitude in deciding which material to teach.

The board took separate votes on standards for high schools and kindergarten through eighth grades. The final vote was 9-5 on each set of standards.

The debate has brought national attention, including testimony from educators, civil rights leaders and a former U.S. education secretary.

The ideological dispute contributed to the defeat of one of the board's most outspoken conservatives, Chairman Don McLeroy, in the March state Republican primary.

In final edits leading up to the vote, conservatives rejected language to modernize the classification of historic periods to B.C.E. and C.E. from the traditional B.C. and A.D. They also required that public school students in Texas evaluate efforts by global organizations such as the United Nations to undermine U.S. sovereignty.

McLeroy offered the amendment requiring students to evaluate efforts by global organizations including the U.N. to undermine U.S. sovereignty, saying they threatened individual liberty and freedom.

During the monthslong process of creating the guidelines, conservatives successfully strengthened the requirements on teaching the Judeo-Christian influences of the nation's Founding Fathers and attempted to water down rationale for the separation of church and state.

The standards will refer to the U.S. government as a "constitutional republic," rather than "democratic," and students will be required to study the decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, including the abandonment of the gold standard.

Conservatives say the Texas history curriculum has been unfairly skewed to the left after years of Democrats controlling the board.

Educators have blasted the proposed curriculum for politicizing education. Teachers also have said the document is too long and will force students to memorize lists of names rather than thinking critically.

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Absolutely revolting!


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[Trillo]

1. Hopefully there will be a "fiction" disclaimer on the copyright page. nt

[and-justice-for-all]

2. This pisses me off to no end!!

I am furious over this trite shit... :nuke: :grr: :nuke:

[mzteris]

3. they don't want them to "think critically"

how would these jokers ever get elected if their constituents knew how to "think critically"?

(For that matter, how would their "churches" have their collection plates filled? )

[UTUSN]

4. K&R #1 for visibility of "absolute atrocity." Otoh, how many textbooks do we remember?

But I hope that we can mobilize a court action against this politicization of "education."

[mynameiswhat]

5. I would say that we are a republic.

The definition of a Republic is: a constitutionally limited government of the representative type, created by a written Constitution--adopted by the people and changeable (from its original meaning) by them only by its amendment--with its powers divided between three separate Branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. Here the term "the people" means, of course, the electorate.

[handmade34]

6. history, as commonly taught

is so boring, students don't remember anything anyways... any history teacher worth the title, will use many resources, original documents, etc.

...We can use the Texas History books as examples of propaganda
...we can act locally to convince our school districts to not use commercial textbooks

As someone who has taught history to all ages, 4th grade through high school, and prison inmates, I know that what students learn from and remember is not textbook stuff. They learn from active participation, discussion, independant research, etc...

...from Lies My Teacher Told Me(James Loewen), a quote from Marc Ferro, "There is no other country in the world where there is such a large gap between the sophisticated understanding of some professional historians and the basic education given by teachers."

[and-justice-for-all]

10. I think it is the principle of the matter...

I agree that students will not remember textbook content, however teachers do teach from them; but there is no reason manipulate the facts simply because the students will not get it anyway.

You teach what actually IS, not what you want or your opinion; rather you like it or not.

[treestar]

7. They want to teach their opinion rather than facts

The UN thing, for example. The UN just is. Teach the facts and let the students draw their own conclusions. Sheesh!

[StopTheNeoCons]

8. This is the Texas Christian Taliban at work...nt

[Quantess]

9. B.C.E.? A.D.E.?

What is the significance of this particular tidbit of nonsense?

[handmade34]

11. (CE)Common Era:(BCE)Before Common Era

"conservatives rejected language to modernize the classification of historic periods to B.C.E. and C.E. from the traditional B.C. and A.D.

The Texas school board wants to continue the B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini - 'in the year of our Lord')