Historians speak out against proposed Texas textbook changes

[babylonsister]

Historians speak out against proposed Texas textbook changes

By Michael Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 18, 2010


Historians on Tuesday criticized proposed revisions to the Texas social studies curriculum, saying that many of the changes are historically inaccurate and that they would affect textbooks and classrooms far beyond the state's borders.

The changes, which were preliminarily approved last week by the Texas board of education and are expected to be given final approval in May, will reach deeply into Texas history classrooms, defining what textbooks must include and what teachers must cover. The curriculum plays down the role of Thomas Jefferson among the founding fathers, questions the separation of church and state, and claims that the U.S. government was infiltrated by Communists during the Cold War.

snip//

Each subject in Texas's curriculum is revised every 10 years, and the basic social studies framework was introduced by a panel of teachers last year. But the elected state board of education, which is comprised of 10 Republicans and five Democrats, has made more than 100 amendments to the curriculum since January.

Discussions ranged from whether President Reagan should get more attention (yes), whether hip-hop should be included as part of lessons on American culture (no), and whether President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis's inaugural address should be studied alongside Abraham Lincoln's (yes).

Of particular contention was the requirement that lessons on McCarthyism note that "the later release of the Venona papers confirmed suspicions of communist infiltration in U.S. government."

The Venona papers document communication between the Soviet Union and its spies. Historians dispute the extent to which transcripts show Soviet involvement in American government.

Also contentious were changes that asserted Christian faith of the founding fathers. Historians say the founding fathers had a variety of approaches to religion and faith; some, like Jefferson, were quite secular.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/17/AR2010031700560.html

[ShadowLiberal]

1. Lets hope that school board/textbox is no longer the most influential in the nation after this stunt

[RagAss]

2. Texas School Book Depositories... Housing Evil since 1963 !

[snot]

3. K&R'd

[old mark]

4. Rec. nt

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. I should think not only historians, but anyone with a brain and sense of ethics would speak out

:eyes:

Assholes.

[Chemisse]

6. What a despicable manipulation of young minds

While I suppose this kind of thing is not a new phenomena (our heroic defense against heathen 'Indian' tribes comes to mind), it sure is a blatant push for Christian rule.

[Orrex]

7. We need Federal textbook standards

[AsahinaKimi]

8. Schools have to buy these textbooks right?

Simple. Don't buy them. Boycott them. As they say in the computer biz: Garbage in is Garbage Out. This is like buying a program thats got a virus embedded in it. If its crap, then don't buy them.

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. But unfortunately, the Texas market is half the textbook market, maybe more.

And so that's why Texas has so much pull as to what's going to be in textbooks.

It's not worth the time or cost to the textbook makers to do something that's accurate or honest or anything else other than what Texas wants.

[LeftyMom]

13. It's worse than that.

Normally the two big textbook markets with statewide approvals that influence content are Texas and California. So normally in most things there are choices between the versions tailored to California standards and the ones designed to gain approval in Texas by not offending Mel and Norma Gabler's ideological heirs.

Because of the budget mess, California isn't planning to buy new textbooks until 2016*. So for the next six years or so, nearly every schoolbook for sale in this country will be written with the goal of approval by Texas Republicans in mind. Even in subjects that don't seem political in any way, that's going to manifest itself in things like whether women or minorities are shown positively in illustrations, emphasis on phonics over and to the exclusion of other reading instruction approaches (for some reason conservatives who care about education issues are really, really hung up on this) and other ways that aren't as nakedly political as conservative-skewed social studies standards.

*Date subject to change based on legislative whim, economic conditions, outcome of the next election and whether or not I even remembered it correctly in the first place, among other things.

[AsahinaKimi]

15. So what if they bought Text Books from Canada?

Surely the Canadian Text books are much better. Their students don't have the same kinds of problems with Education that the US does. If Texas produces Crap Textbooks, buy them from Canada.

[white_wolf]

10. This story

just seems to drive home my theory that Conservatives hate and fear education. Some of the stuff in those books they are trying to pass off as history is in my view dangerous to our youth and the republic. Questioning the separation of Church and State? I mean seriously that's probably how the Tailban got started.

[Swamp Rat]

11. Conservatives hate all living things on Earth, including you, me, our families, friends, pets.......

They 'conserve' material things for themselves, use it all up, then dump their waste into the river of life.

[Richard Steele]

16. At the end of the day, it's really just that simple, isn't it?

They get away with it for so long because it's just too EVIL
for decent people to believe possible.

[cynatnite]

12. Maybe there'll be enough intelligent parents to go after these people...

There's been a ton of publicity. Maybe that'll help, too.

Either way, I'll be more mindful of what's in my son's textbooks as he gets older.

[L. Coyote]

14. Take this power away from those few people