Conservative Education ‘Experts’ Want Less Lincoln And More Jesus In Texas Textbooks

[marmar]

from Thinkprogress:



Conservative Education ‘Experts’ Want Less Lincoln And More Jesus In Texas Textbooks

The Dallas Morning News reported last week that conservative “experts” advising the state of Texas on school curriculum are arguing that the state’s social studies and history textbooks are giving “too much attention” to some of U.S. history’s most prominent civil rights leaders. David Barton, one of the so-called “experts,” claimed Hispanic labor leader César Chávez “lacks the stature, impact and overall contributions of so many others.” A colleague on the panel agreed, also singling out Thurgood Marshall for exclusion:

“To have César Chávez listed next to Ben Franklin” – as in the current standards – “is ludicrous,” wrote evangelical minister Peter Marshall, one of six experts advising the state as it develops new curriculum standards for social studies classes and textbooks. (...)

Marshall also questioned whether Thurgood Marshall, who argued the landmark case that resulted in school desegregation and was the first black U.S. Supreme Court justice, should be presented to Texas students as an important historical figure. He wrote that the late justice is “not a strong enough example” of such a figure.

According to a draft of the proposed new textbook standards, “biographies of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Stephen F. Austin have been removed from the early grades.” At the same time, Peter Marshall wants more teaching of Christianity’s role “in America’s past“:

Marshall…also recommends that school children get a better understanding of the motivational role the Bible and the Christian faith played in the settling of the original colonies. (...)

“In light of the overwhelming historical evidence of the influence of the Christian faith in the founding of America, it is simply not up to acceptable academic standards that throughout the social studies (curriculum standards) I could only find one reference to the role of religion in America’s past,” Marshall said in his review.

Actual education professionals in Texas appeared dismayed at Marshall and Barton’s assessment. “It is what we expected from unqualified political activists put on this so-called panel of experts,” said Dan Quinn of the nonprofit Texas Freedom Network. “This is yet another step toward politicizing our children’s education.” Jesus Francisco de la Teja, chairman of the history department at Texas State University said, “Whether you approve or disapprove of what did, there is no doubt about his contribution to bettering the lives of an untold number of Americans of limited economic means and education.”

Barton, a former vice chairman of the Texas Republican Party also insisted on emphasizing “republican” values in Texas’ curriculum:

(Barton) said that because the U.S. is a republic rather than a democracy, the proper adjective for identifying U.S. values and processes should be “republican” rather than “democratic.” That means social studies books should discuss “republican” values in the U.S., his report said.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the social studies review panels will meet later this month and post their “initial recommendations” online with “final adoption” set for next March. But “he debate here has far-reaching consequences,” the New York Times noted last January when Texas debated how evolution should be taught in schools, because “Texas is one of the nation’s biggest buyers of textbooks, and publishers are reluctant to produce different versions of the same material.”


http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/16/conservative-texas-jesus-lincoln/

[Hello_Kitty]

1. I actually wouldn't have a problem with teaching the role religion played in U.S. history

Of course, I wouldn't trust the fundie nutbars to do it in an objective way.

[TexasObserver]

2. And they still deny they came from monkeys!!

[Yunomi]

3. Oh. My. God. (so to speak)

I'm so glad I have never had to seek employment outside of Texas. I doubt I could find anything reasonable (not that I've been able to here, either), being a product of the Texas educational system. In spite of having a BA, I'm pretty much self taught. Our public schools are an embarrassment.

[elehhhhna]

4. ROFL!!1!! "Marshall…also recommends that school children get a better understanding...

Marshall…also recommends that school children get a better understanding of the motivational role the Bible and the Christian faith played in the settling of the original colonies. (...)"

LOL! Fine. Here goes: the Mayflower gang was so rigidly obnoxious about the "rightness" of their religion that they were run out of HOLLAND...after of course they were made unwelcome in their home country, England!!! That's why they came here. When you can't cut it in laid-back Holland, you must be a kook.

...& wait until the kids hear about the Jefferson Bible. Oy vey!

[theoldman]

5. Religion played a big part in the thirteen colonies.

That is a major reason there were thirteen and not one. Our founding fathers recognized that they could not agree on religion. It was this problem that influenced our Constitution to keep religion out of our government. In 50 years Texas will come around and learn that the world is not flat. Maybe by then they will not be near the bottom in education.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

6. He needs to ride a Jesus horse into the sunset.

[lunatica]

7. Here's a map of Jesusland which will spread outwards from Texas