Changes to school History Books in Texas. No more Thomas Jefferson.

[TexasPaganDem]

Last edited Tue Apr 24, 2012, 12:19 AM - Edit history (1)

DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- The late, great Molly Ivins famously called Texas "the laboratory for bad government," and what the Texas State Board of Education did last week reinforces that notion.

By a 9-5 vote along party line, the conservative majority on the board adopted a set of social studies curriculum standards for Texas students that by any objective standard constitute educational malpractice.

How else would one explain the decision to remove references to Thomas Jefferson from the state's history books? It's true that Jefferson is not a conservative hero, since he coined the term "separation between church and state." But to have John Calvin and Sir William Blackstone replace our nation's third president in discussions about the ideas on which this country was founded - at least in Texas classrooms - is absurd.

It's a pretty big stretch to take the author of the Declaration of Independence and one the most influential political philosophers in American history out of the textbooks. But the board's far-right faction was just getting warmed up. The new curriculum also drops references to the slave trade in favor of the more innocuous "Atlantic triangular trade." It asserts the "right to keep and bear arms" is an important element of a democratic society.

http://www.american-reporter.com/4,446/442.html

And Texas, of course, being one of the biggest text book buyers heavily influences books bought through out the country. What is wrong with these people? They removed all references to the word "democratic" when describing the government? WTH?

EDIT: For clarification, these changes are above and beyond the changes that were made in 2010, which is the last time we (Texas) was put on the map for stupid stuff.

[pscot]

1. They ARE going to secede, right?

Dear god, let it be soon!

[Yavapai]

3. The USA should hand Texas back to Mexico!

Am rather sure they could run it better than the people Texans keep electing.

What is the difference between GOP Texans and a wet saddle?

Nothing, they both chaff your ass!

[provis99]

11. Mexico wouldn't take them.

They're thinking that losing Texas to the US is the best thing that ever happened to them.

[snagglepuss]

2. Absolutely hysterical that the town is named Dummerston. How dumb are Dummerstans?

Dumber than most.

[LASlibinSC]

4. Skeered yet?

this should scare the hell out of all of us.

[LongTomH]

5. Let me borrow an image from Dr. Phil Plait of Bad Astronomy fame:

[jimlup]

6. These people have allowed their hatred to drive them insane...

And we don't care because it is us whom they hate.

Sorry reptilians in Texas (with apologies to real snakes and lizards) you are on your own!

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. But the teabaggers are always quoting Jefferson

[freshwest]

8. Aw, this came out a couple of years ago to some protest, I see the wackos got their way.

Definitely not the text books I grew up. Yep, at one time Texas was much more progressive than the younger generation will ever know. And then...

[TexasPaganDem]

15. Unfortunately...

This is the new and improved version of text book revision in Texas. They did try it before in 2010, but those books were ultimately (mostly) rejected for information like we ended the Korean War by dropping a nuke.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

19. "we ended the Korean War by dropping a nuke"? Really?

[WillParkinson]

9. I'm certain there's a good reason for this...

I mean, it definitely will help create jobs, right? Or it'll help the environment?

Hatred is ugly.

[berni_mccoy]

10. This is actually an old story from 2010.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html

[lunasun]

13. So are these books already in use in TX?

[TexasPaganDem]

16. Nope, this is a new round of stupidity.

These changes were voted in today.

[JDPriestly]

12. Get ready for the Inquisition.

That's what these right-wingers are working toward. Get rid of science. Rewrite history.

Fundamentalism. Fascism combined with religious fanaticism. What a nightmare.

[atheous]

14. also....

Grass will now be referred to as "That brown cruchy stuff in your front yard" and it's always 120 in the shade in Santa Clauseland....on a boat...in the Arctic Ocean...because gubner Ricky says it's good for elves.

[freshwest]

17. You forget Jesús and his pet dinosaur. Don't leave that out. I don't recognize this country anymore.

[SunSeeker]

18. I think that's child abuse.

Forcing kids to memorize these crazy, hateful and incredibly self-desructive ideas is wrong on so many levels.

[just1voice]

20. Virginia will probably say Monticello doesn't exist anymore now.

Virginia repukes will flap their lips and spew any lie in the world and fully expect people to believe it.

[mbperrin]

21. As a Texas social studies teacher for 3 decades, I can assure you that teachers

will continue to teach that a) kids, here's the nonsense you need to pass the TAKS, TEAMS, TAAS, STAAR, or other corporate-desired and enriching evaluation, and b) kids, here are the actual facts you need to live by.

Require whatever, but when that door closes, instruction is still in the hands of the teacher.

[HiPointDem]

22. i think you're overly optimistic. already a high percentage of texas teachers are coming in through

alternative certifications, some of them none too rigorous. when the generation that gets taught in the "no-jefferson" classrooms goes to become teachers in their alternative certification programs leading to their charter schools, who knows what they'll be teaching? especially when books gradually disappear and information comes through easily rewritten electronic media with a "pay to play" ethos.

[mbperrin]

23. Oh, long term, you're right.

Until we demand actual training and critical thinking, we're in danger.

That's what this CSCOPE nonsense is all about - it completely eliminates textbooks and uses only copies of stuff off the Internet. Our own district paid millions for it.

[HiPointDem]

24. paid million for copies you make yourself? wow.

[mbperrin]

25. Yes, the district paid $8 million dollars for access to the program, which then

requires teachers to make copies of the online materials, including all reading, because CSCOPE eliminates the use of textbooks as well.

So everything that students see, write on, or keep comes from a copy machine at the school.

One math teacher has a 4" 3 ring binder of the materials for her course. Multiply that by her 150 students, and you have a 50 foot tall stack of paper for one teacher for one course. We have 2,000 teachers in all here.