Texas Board of Education to change Curriculum

Texas' Board of Education has rewritten the school's curiculum, absurdly.

- The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum, "replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin." - The Board refused to require that "students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others."

Are you absoulutely, fucking kidding me?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_497440.html

http://hiphopwired.com/2010/03/17/te...in-curriculum/

Historians criticized proposed revisions to the Texas social studies curriculum Tuesday, 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 downplays the role of Thomas Jefferson among the founding fathers, questions the separation of church and state and says that the U.S. government was infiltrated by communists during the Cold War. Because the Texas textbook market is so large, books assigned to the state's 4.7 million students often rocket to the top of the market, decreasing costs for other school districts and leading them to buy the same materials. "The books that are altered to fit the standards become the best-selling books, and therefore within the next two years they'll end up in other classrooms," said Fritz Fischer, chairman of the National Council for History Education, a group devoted to history teaching at the pre-college level. "It's not a partisan issue, it's a good history issue." 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 made up of 10 Republicans and five Democrats, has made more than 100 amendments to the curriculum since January. Discussions ranged from whether President Ronald 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 that the founding fathers had a variety of approaches to religion and faith; some, like Thomas Jefferson, were quite secular. Some textbook authors expressed discomfort with the state board's changes, and it is unclear how readily historians will go along with some of the proposals. "I'm made uncomfortable by mandates of this kind for sure," said Paul S. Boyer, emeritus professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of several of the most popular U.S. history textbooks, including some that are on the approved list in Texas. Boyer said he had not fully reviewed the Texas curriculum and did not know how he would respond to it. But he added that in theory, changes in his text could be required that would make him uncomfortable endorsing his own book. Texas school districts are able to buy books that the state board rejects but designates as containing at least half the required curriculum -- but they'll have to use their own money to do so. Almost all currently use state funds to buy textbooks off the approved list, said Suzanne Marchman, a spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency. One publisher said Tuesday that changes in technology, including the introduction of online components, make it easier and cheaper to tailor textbooks to specific states and requirements, and played down the impact that Texas's decisions would have on the rest of the country. "We now have the ability to deliver completely customized content" to different states, said Josef Blumenfeld, spokesman for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, one of three major publishers that supply Texas with most of its social studies textbooks. But some historians weren't so certain. Fischer, who is a historian at the University of Northern Colorado, noted that first-year teachers fall back on what's most readily available to them -- their textbooks. "Teachers have a lot to do and a lot on their plate, and if there's a nice big textbook that the kids have been taking home, they'll use it," he said.

What do you guys feel about this? Basically they're replacing historic figures, and plan to replace textbooks for our youth's future by adding whatever they'd like. Just the fact of them removing the author of the Declaration of Independence is absurd, absoultely disgusting. Abuseful in power, and this cannot ever take place, because once it does the snowball effect will occur.

The religious/conservative bias is obvious and sickening.

What's horrible is once this goes through and they start printing textbooks for one of the largest states in the country it's going to spill over into smaller states that are currently in a bind to save money. It's outrageous, and I agree, it is sickening. And the worst part about it is that the people essentially have no say in this. Not lierally speaking because if enough people voiced their outrage/opinion on this something would eventually be done, but retrospectively speaking the voice is mute.

I am not proud to be this type of American.

I have to admit, it's an iffy step, to me.
History is actually my favorite subject, with Lit. just behind it.
I wouldn't care if they decided to add a class with religious stuff in it. Infact, I'd like that. Learning about religious figures is sometimes more interesting (for example, Martyrs or other factual figures).

Basically, what I'm saying is "they did it wrong".

I agree in a way. I figure they can add more to the curriculum, but removing historical figures and historical events that persuade against your own ideology is ridiculous.

Anytime you are picking and choosing which parts of history you're going to teach kids, you're kinda doing it wrong. I could see if they had a very limited time, and had to pick the most important things to discuss, but this is more like they're just telling the parts of history that they like or that fit their ideology. That's wrong, and stupid, and I don't know how or why they can get away with it.

From what's been posted, it would appear that they are not requiring that anything be removed, just not requiring that it be included.

Exactly, and when the lobbyists that control the printing companies persuade them with millions upon millions of dollars, they'll print whatever the hell they would want them to. It should be mandatory that history is taught with no left-nor-right persuasion, only the history itself. I also think American social studies(etc) should be taught from not only the viewpoint of an American, but from a world-view of Americans and what we've done throughout our history, the two are very different from each other.

The could as easily make it madatory for the teachers to go over it. Books aren't needed, as long as you have a history teacher who isn't on their ass all day. We have a teacher who teaches history, and he dresses up and stands up, shows videos, and tells stories without ever touching the book on more than a few occations when he was absent. He was a very good teacher, and funny, too. He drank "Bawlz" energy drink in the middle of class once, lol! He also made me lose The Game, today.

Well I agree with that somewhat, but one state such as the one the size of Texas pulling a stunt like this will only lead to more states following them.

Fortunately, someone could probably sue them and make them remove the bias. I remember reading about a school district that was trying to add intelligent design to its curriculum, and they were sued and it was ruled unconstitutional or some nonsense.

We live in such a fucked up country.

Reminds of that one King of the Hill when Bobby gets a new Texas history textbook.

oh shi- I had totally forgot about that episode! LOL